After the stress of establishing a career and raising children, most people’s happiness seems to start growing around the age of 65. And, until we reach around 85, we have been happier.
Want to put in some extra time to ensure your retirement is happy? Try the following surprising tips:
1. Think about your death
Yes, you read it correctly.
The latest article on the Psychological Sciences Association website presents a case where thinking about your death will make you happier. The idea is to deal with your daily choices as if this year is your last year. Research shows that using death to help you prioritize time can actually improve your choices and overall well-being.
And, if you are worried that thinking about death is too morbid, researchers find that considering mortality will actually make you more interesting.
2. Guarantee your retirement income
According to the Towers Watson Retirement Survey, having a guaranteed, predictable retirement income can greatly enhance your sense of happiness by reducing financial stress. Research shows that consistent, reliable income retirees feel safer and more anxious about their financial situation. Researchers also found that retirees who had to withdraw funds from their investments to pay for retirement expenses had the highest financial anxiety.
Guaranteed sources of retirement income can include social security, pensions or lifetime annuities. In addition, other forms of stable cash flows, such as rental income and dividend payment investments, can help you feel at ease.
By ensuring that your spending covers reliable income, you can focus more on retirement without worrying about market volatility.
3. Work
Even when working part-time, continuing to work can enhance your sense of happiness and happiness in retirement.
Research shows that staying active in the workforce provides intellectual and social stimulation to help retirees stay energetic. It also provides a sense of purpose and reduces financial stress. It can also promote better health. The Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that retirees who work part-time have fewer illnesses than retirees who don’t have jobs.
However, this is the key to your choice rather than out of necessity. The financial stresses that require work can offset these positive effects, so if the work is voluntary, it is more likely to enhance overall well-being and health.
4. Don’t hang at home for too long
Michael Finke, a certified financial planner and professor of personal financial planning at Texas Tech, looks at the satisfaction people get from owning a home. Overall, owning a home brings more joy than renting a home, he found. However, satisfaction with home ownership has declined, especially when homeowners hit the 80s.
This makes a lot of sense. Home maintenance can be hard work, the type of home we wanted in the forties was different from the ones we needed in the sixties, and what we needed in the eighties might be very different.
The benefits of selling a home in retirement can be twofold. This may make us happier and we can use home equity to help with retirement expenses. For most Americans, home equity is the biggest source of wealth.
Use the Boldin Retirement Planner to see how layoffs in the 70s or 80s affect your retirement finances.
5. Turn off the TV
Retirement usually means you have more free time. Watching TV is an attractive and easy way to do it. However, research has found that people who watch more TV are usually less happy than those who watch less.
Researchers at the University of Maryland analyzed 45,000 Americans’ responses to people’s daily activities. John Robinson, the author of the study, told the New York Times, “We looked at 8 to 10 activities, and happy people were involved, and everyone was doing more – visiting others, Going to church, all these things – happier. TV is an activity that shows negative correlations. The unhappy people do more, and the happy people do less.”
6. Seek awe
Seeking awe – Evoking an experience of wonder, like witnessing breathtaking natural scenery or inspiring art – as you age, you can connect with mindfulness, emotional well-being and something bigger than yourself To enhance happiness. These awe-inspiring moments can reduce stress, strengthen mood, and even improve physical health by reducing inflammation and improving immune function. Experience awe can help turn your attention from daily troubles to the present, resulting in lasting joy and satisfaction.
7. Participate in a new experience
Novel and unusual experiences stimulate the brain, keeping it engaged and preventing stagnation. As you age, getting out of your comfort zone and trying new things promotes psychological agility and improves dopamine levels, which improves mood. Learning new skills or engaging in fresh activities can also increase self-confidence, provide a sense of accomplishment and promote social connections, all of which promote greater happiness. These experiences help create a more exciting, fulfilling life with less monotony or isolation.
8. Investment Relations
A wonderful life: Lessons learned from scientific research from the longest happiness document in the world, from the longest scientific research ever. The research project began in 1938 with the goal of finding out what makes people thrive and how to achieve happiness.
And, what do you say about this large amount of research? The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live a happy, contented and healthy life overall.
Waldinger told NPR that if people can change one thing in their lives to make it happier and healthier, it will improve their relationship. “They should invest in relationships with others. We found that people who are not only happy but who are healthy in life are the most powerful predictors – the most powerful predictors are the warmth and quality of relationships with others.”
Whether it’s a family, a colleague or Barrista in the morning coffee, it doesn’t matter if it’s a huge benefit to any and all relationships. Relationships protect us from stress and we should consciously prioritize our connections with others. You exercise. You eat correctly. And, Waldinger and Schulz think you need to really focus on being a good friend and getting to know each day.
And, don’t worry, if you don’t always put your time and energy into your relationships, researchers say it’s not too late and you can act immediately like you do now. Call or text the people you missed, make eye contact at the grocery store, or socialize around what you like to do. Just connect.
Watch Dr. Waldinger’s TED Talk about Harvard Studies. This is one of the most watched TED talks ever.
9. Stay healthy
Merril Lynch Age Wave Survey found that health is the most important ingredient in a happy retirement, not financially safe.
To answer this question, what is the most important ingredient of happy retirement, and this is how people answer:
- 81% say good health
- 58% believe in financial security
- 36% say they love their family and friends
- 20% vote
- Only 5% suggest trying new things
10. Be curious and have a rich inner life
As physical abilities may decline with age, intellectual curiosity and enthusiasm for learning can provide lasting achievement. Engaging in intellectual pursuits, such as reading, problem solving, or exploring new ideas, helps to keep your mind sharp and provide a sense of purpose.
These activities promote deep self-satisfaction and allow you to find meaning in life beyond the limitations of life. The joy of discovery and personal growth may become more and more meaningful, and even if physical strength may disappear, it can lead to lasting happiness and resilience.
11. Seeking meaning
Seeking meaning is important for happiness as we age, because it makes life a sense of purpose and accomplishment, which becomes more valuable as we go through different stages of life. As we age, external markers of success, such as career achievement or material wealth, often become less important, while the focus shifts to internal satisfaction. Through relationships, personal growth, giving back to the community or pursuing the meaning of passion helps to stay energetic and happy.
Having a sense of purpose can also improve mental and emotional health, providing buffering to prevent feelings of isolation or depression, which can sometimes be accompanied by aging. It can promote resilience because people with meaningful goals tend to keep living in their lives regardless of the challenges they may face. Ultimately, seeking meaning helps create a life that enriches, benefits and connects with something bigger than yourself.
12. Express thanks
As you age, expressing gratitude is essential to happiness because it shifts attention from what you lack to what you are in your life. Regular practice of gratitude can increase feelings of joy, reduce stress and improve overall emotional well-being. It enhances relationships, promotes community awareness, and promotes resilience when facing challenges. By acknowledging and appreciating kindness, you can experience a deeper sense of satisfaction and a more optimistic view of life.
13. Play
Do you think playing games is just for the kids? Think twice!
Engaging in playful activities helps reduce stress, promote social connections and promote creativity at every age.
The game stimulates the brain, keeps it active and encourages positive emotions. Even in the following years, whether through games, humor or relaxed activities, emotions can be carried out, mental health and overall well-being can be enhanced. It provides a sense of joy and freedom that can help you stay young and adaptable as you age.
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