Many people are afraid of retirement and the changes that will come along with this crucial moment in their lives. While nothing is guaranteed, there are certain steps one can take to make this process as comfortable as it can be. Learn about some of them below.
The Latter Years of People’s Lives
No matter who you are, what you do, or where you live, you will get old. Your body slowly becomes weaker than it used to be, your senses less sharp than in your younger years. In many cases, you cannot do things by yourself, and you need the right assisted living services from others. Yet, while this might seem daunting at first, it doesn’t have to be, no matter the circumstances. Retirement can be the celebration of a life well-lived, a time when you can look forward to a new beginning.
People can still have their friends and build stronger relationships with them. As individuals, they can also continue to grow and flourish, albeit differently. As always, the key is how they look at things and the level of hope and optimism they place in them if their lives can be our best.
The Health Journey
Being of sound physical and mental health is not a goal to aspire to or an action specific to a certain time. In essence, it is not a destination. Rather, it is more of a lifelong journey, one built on routine, daily habits, and decision-making. People don’t do things so that they can be healthy. It is the opposite. They stay healthy so that they can do things, especially as the years begin to pile up and their immune system weakens.
Perhaps many individuals remember those days when they could go out with their friends on a Friday or Saturday night, eat as much junk as they wanted. They could dance the night away and go back home the following morning only to realize that a few hours of sleep were more than enough to return to their original condition.
But they cannot do that any longer; their metabolism cannot handle it. But that doesn’t mean they cannot enjoy their lives. Instead, it only represents a few changes here and there regarding their physical fitness and nutrition.
Keeping the Mind Sharp
More than six million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer’s. An astounding seventy-two percent of them are over the age of seventy-five. While this crippling disease does not affect only the elderly, it certainly would appear as though it focuses more on them. Like any ailment or virus, Alzheimer’s hits you when you are at your weakest, at the time of the least resistance.
Sadly, there is no clear-cut way to prevent human beings from succumbing to Alzheimer’s. However, recent studies show that the advent of this illness can be delayed and, in many cases, eradicated with the conscious decision to keep your mind working, to keep it sharp.
Naturally, it doesn’t entail you becoming an astrophysicist or challenging Gary Kasparov at a chess tournament. Yet, it does suggest a proactive approach to your mental health. It could include activities like reading, engaging in social behaviors with others, learning a foreign language, playing an instrument, and doing anything that will keep those neurons firing inside your brain.
Not by Bread Alone
If you are a person in your teens, twenties, or early thirties, you have more than likely not given any thought to how much money you will have to spend on medical and other costs when you hit the age of sixty-five, and you stop working. Well, to save you the time and effort it takes to do the research, it is close to half a million dollars.
While this might seem like pennies to the very wealthy or spare change to globetrotting athletes and celebrities, it isn’t for the vast majority of Americans. In fact, it is anything but. Most of them won’t even have half of it or even a third.
As a result, few things are more important for your life after retirement than taking the time to create a long-term financial plan that will not only give you peace of mind but also guarantee a comfortable life for you and those you love.
If you want the latter years of your life to be the best, embrace the changes that come with aging and keep both your body and mind healthy. Finally, make the right financial decisions. These are simple, everyday actions you will not regret.
