By Sheila Kun RN, BSN, MS
Time flies; it has been two years since I retired in 2022 after being a pediatric nurse for 46 years. I had been reading on how to grow old gracefully and how to structure this phase of my life from my work with the Care Ministry. Looking back, I probably had entered this part of my life with a little bit of anxiety, but I read and armed myself with “all the right things to do for retirement.” Actually, there is no one way to approach or manage our retirement. Your choice is just as good as mine. But there are a few tips that seem to work for the majority of people. So, what have I learned? Let me see if you agree with the following observations:
- Accept that you are no longer in charge of the office or calling the shots on their policy. Let go of your expectations, as no one can do exactly what you have done. If you are still involved with the old company, perhaps offer insight rather than supervising or criticizing their future.
- It is okay not to have fame and glory. As we are being taught from the Bible, if we brag about what we did, we will lose points in Heaven.
- Now that you have all the time in the world, what are some of the things that you wanted to do but never had the time? Learn something new; a new language? Or perhaps a new skill that you were never good at?
- Maintain contact with those whom you want to associate with. Find time to catch up with classmates, friends and relatives. Enjoy the new re-acquaintance! There is no more excuse not to attend your grandchildren’s games or school activities!
- Get involved with social issues that you might be able to make a difference; this could be charitable work, volunteer service, or activities that could help change lives.
- Inactivity kills; structure your daily life with more active work than being a couch potato. I try to limit my TV time to avoid chasing after soap operas. This could be addicting!
- Set up goals for the year and, subsequently, goals for the day. Doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way helps me to enjoy the simple things in life.
- Have fun with your new travel plans. Enjoy each one as if this could be your last. (This is so true! How many of you have seen friends or relatives pass away unexpectedly?) Even a minor fall twisting your ankle could interfere with your daily activity, let alone a diagnosis of serious illness.
- Stay positive. Be grateful for what you have every day. Be grateful that your faith has guided you to a much happier outlook on life.
- Be helpful to those who need help. Do what you can. It does not have to be a big event. Some words of gentle kindness will go a long way.
Your homework from the Care Ministry this week: Can you think of other helpful tips for retirement?
Love to hear from you: kunlouis@gmail.com