Relieving Stress in Retirement
I know many people who are very stressed in retirement. I know it might be hard to believe, but relieving stress in retirement might be easier than you think. That might sound a bit callous or even naïve, but I have read the books of many great thinkers, and they all say the same thing. If you change your thoughts, you change your world. I have not only read these books, but I have tried, to the best of my ability, to put this wisdom into practice. I haven’t always been able to achieve this transformation, but I do know that when I do it works very well for me.
I think the best thing for a good outlook on life is to stay busy and engaged with others. The more time you spend focusing on yourself, the greater your problems seem. Today’s world contains enough stress as it is. You don’t need to add to it by focusing on your problems. I believe that relieving stress in retirement is as easy as finding something new and positive to focus on.
Relieving stress in retirement might be as easy as changing what you focus on.
Throughout this website, we emphasize doing and learning new things and exploring your interests and desires as much as possible. A couple of people have asked the question: isn’t that focusing on yourself? While that may be true, the benefit is that you’re focusing on things that make you happy rather than on things that are creating stress in your life. There is a big difference between focusing on a problem and focusing on something that can bring you happiness and enjoyment. You’re the only one who can know what makes you happy and what makes you forget about the world for a little while. The thing to keep in mind is that it’s different for everyone. There are some people who can find happiness in sitting down and doing a jigsaw puzzle. They seem to enter into a different world and can stay there for hours. For others, listening to their favorite music can transport them to a place where they can forget about their troubles for a little while. Some people make jewelry or start a craft. My wife loves woodworking projects and her little herb garden. Relieving stress in retirement is different for every single person. Whatever your solution is, become determined to make it a regular part of your life. You schedule everything else in your life like doctors and dentists so why not schedule time for an activity that will benefit you?
Staying busy has been shown to benefit those who are facing problems in their life. It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. It’s a way to shift your focus away from a problem and onto an activity that will help you forget your issues at least for a little while. I contend that if you have a hobby or interest that grabs your attention whenever you are engaged in it, that activity can be of tremendous value when you face the difficulties that come into everyone’s life. I am fortunate to have a lot of interests that can keep me occupied for hours at a time. I love historical documentaries and discussions around key events in our history. There are quite a few of them on the internet and some of them are nothing more than the newscasts that have been archived. Events from World War II are a goldmine for me. The planning and execution of D-Day is still incredible to watch and the interviews with those involved have kept me riveted for hours. Walter Cronkite interviewed Eisenhower about all the planning that went into the Allied invasion, and it is extraordinary how massive an undertaking it was. I am very fortunate that I can become absorbed very easily in things like this, but I happen to think that everyone has a subject or hobby or activity that can make them forget about the world for at least a few hours. You need to find out what your “weakness” is because you can turn it into a strength very easily. That activity that you seem to lose yourself in can be exactly what you need to get you through those stressful periods of life. You need to get your mind to focus on something else and there’s a reason this works so well.
Your mind is absolutely extraordinary. It’s a miracle of nature. It has an incredible ability to store images and feelings but, just like any container, it has its limits. You need to replace those negative thoughts with positive ones and keep those positive images coming through non-stop. I know it sounds a lot easier than it is to actually do but, I know from experience that you choose what you focus on and the secret to relieving stress in retirement, or any time in your life, is to shift your focus from what causing the stress to something that holds great appeal for you. Relieving stress in retirement is easy when you can replace it with something else. A new hobby is perfect. Learning new things is a natural source for a burst of energy if it’s something you love. Was there something in your past that you always wanted to do or want to do again? Do it! You may have to modify things a bit because of your age but don’t give up on the idea. Did you want to learn how to fly a plane? Get a drone that has a camera and experience the thrill of flight. They’re not as expensive as you might think.
This website is my attempt to combine two fantasies that I always had. One was to start my own business, and the other was to write. Relieving stress in retirement is as easy as finding an activity that will keep you focused on positive things and it’s incredible how energized you can feel when you undertake something new. Although I’m a firm believer that creating a website is a possibility for everyone, there are other activities that I’m sure will appeal to you if you explore the options listed throughout this website and think about what’s right for you. Life is too short to focus on the unpleasant things that show up. It’s time to focus on the positive and Enjoy Retired Life!
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