Our retirement years probably represent the period in our lives when we have the greatest control over what we do with our time. After we finish work, we’re handed an empty diary and given the freedom to fill it how we wish. It’s a big lifestyle change and can go in any direction you want, but there is one thing we all seek in retirement – to be happy.
If you’re looking for a few ideas, here are 4 lifestyle activities which could help you enjoy a fun and fulfilling retirement:
- Discovering new places and pursuing your hobbies
- Learning new things
- Looking after your physical and mental wellbeing
- Volunteering with a charity
Discovering new places and pursuing your hobbies
Going on holiday
Retirement is your time to explore – so what’s on your bucket list? Maybe you’re up for an adventure or fancy dipping your toes in different cultures or maybe you’re just looking to unwind.
With so many incredible destinations to choose from, the hardest part is often deciding where to go. Different locations come with different costs, and finding the right balance between experience and affordability is key.
To help you make the most of your getaway, here are some money-saving tips for planning a joyful and purposeful holiday:
- Set a budget and determine how much money you’d like to spend on accommodation, travel, food and activities. A budget can help lessen financial worries and allow you to plan an enjoyable trip, whilst minimising the likelihood of overspending.
- Holidays abroad will require a different currency. With currency rates fluctuating constantly, keep an eye on rates to make sure you get the best value for money.
A staycation can just be as good as venturing abroad – with the added benefit of potentially lower travel costs, expenses or extensive planning.
Things to do from home
Discovering fun and excitement can be found anywhere – even in your own home or community.
Retirement offers you the freedom to dedicate more time to old hobbies and explore new ones. Low-cost activities like gardening, sewing and painting could lead to both mental and physical health benefits, while also saving (or even making) money. Growing vegetables could cut grocery bills, repairing old clothes and making new ones could mean fewer trips to the shopping centre, and someone might buy the nice piece of art that you painted.
2. Learning new things
It’s never too late to diversify your knowledge and skills. With more options for learning than ever before, you’ll be sure to find something that works for you.
Formal education
The National Careers Service is one of many places you can browse and review educational courses, to see what takes your interest as well as information on what, where and how you’ll learn.
Developing everyday skills
Education doesn’t have to be learning something completely new – developing existing skills that can help you in everyday life is just as inspiring.
YouTube is a useful resource for finding tutorials that could help you to improve almost every skill imaginable.
On a more regional level, your local council may run free community programmes to help people develop new skills, for example, gardening and public speaking.
Helping grandchildren with their homework
Helping your grandchildren with homework can be a great way to spend valuable family time together and can feel rewarding and you may also pick up some new skills along the way. From long division to Shakespeare, their schoolwork could fill a few gaps in your own knowledge.
3. Looking after your physical and mental wellbeing
Physical wellbeing
As you head into retirement, it’s not uncommon to worry about how your body will react to a more relaxed lifestyle.
There are plenty of exercises that are suitable to be done at home for free. With a little bit of space, you could dedicate some time to yoga or aerobics – even simple stretches could help you to feel and be healthier.
Your local area will likely offer plenty of physical activities for you to join in on. Sports and fitness clubs are a great place to start, many of which will offer activities for people of all age groups and abilities. More specifically, walking groups are an excellent way to get out and about with people from your community – Ramblers Wellbeing Walks is an online resource for finding walking groups near you.
Mental wellbeing
Just as important as our physical health, is our mental health.
Retirement poses a variety of difficulties when it comes to our mental wellbeing. Possible loneliness and isolation, as it becomes harder to travel around, or feeling like you’ve lost purpose as you transition out of work. Thankfully, there are a variety of activities you can do to try to combat these:
- Community groups – it’s likely that your local council hosts numerous community support groups to help those in retirement to socialise. Community social media groups are another great place for finding out about group activities going on in your area.
- Family activities – your family can play a huge part in helping you to adapt to the retired lifestyle. Scheduling in regular family time could make a difference to your mental health.
- ‘Me’ time – don’t be afraid to dedicate time to yourself. Maybe work on your hobbies or simply take some time to do absolutely nothing.
4. Volunteering with a charity
Charities up and down the country are in constant search for fundraisers and volunteers. By picking a cause that means something to you and finding out more about the opportunities available, there’s no doubt that you’ll find joy and purpose in your retirement.
Thinking closer to home, it’s likely that your local council or community group will be looking for volunteers to help with various outreach programmes. Whether you end up supporting an after-school club or maintaining flower beds – contributing to your community can be a rewarding experience.
Enjoy a happy retirement
It can be a shock to go from working every day to having almost an unlimited amount of free time. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to enjoy a fun and fulfilling retirement.
If you’re approaching retirement soon and have been inspired by some of the ideas in this article, you can read more tips on how to plan your retirement transition. Our financial wellbeing hub also features our financial wellbeing flipbook and helpful tools – to provide you with positive ways for you to think and act about your future and finances – so that you can feel better equipped for this next stage of your life.