The retirement transition

While we call them the golden years, the prospect of retiring can cause anxiety along with anticipation. But, say the experts, there are some positive ways to navigate those fraught emotional hurdles.

- TIFFANY DUNK

It's the stage of your life to relax, without the daily grind and without commitments. A time to enjoy the spoils of what you've worked for decades to accumulate. To chase your unrealised dreams. To travel, to read, to spend time with friends and family.

Well, that's the plan anyway. But the reality is that retirement is a huge change in our lives and can be fraught with fears and worries.

Life coach Rik Schnabel from Life Beyond Limits says you can expect to cycle through five emotional stages in your journey: planning, excitement, honeymoon, and disenchantment, before finally landing on reorientation and stability.

“Adjusting to retirement can take a while," he explains. “There's an emotional process that most people go through. At first, there's a feeling of freedom. It's like you're on a vacation that's going to last forever.

"That sense of novelty wears off, however, and you will settle into a slower lifestyle. There might be a stage that involves a lot of, 'Oh, no! What did I do?' thoughts, followed by anxiety and boredom. You might even feel guilty for not enjoying retirement as much as you think you should.”

So how do you move through this and shift into that final stage?

Find structure

Whether working full- or part-time, in or out of the house, an element of routine likely formed the backbone of your weekdays. Structure gives us comfort and clarity. Planning your weeks can be key to seeing that those early days of retirement arrive with far less stress.