Are your retirement years really the best of your life? “Yes!” says a 2016 Merrill Lynch/Age Wave report* on leisure in retirement. According to the report, retirees aged 65 to 74 reported having more fun than any other age group surveyed.
Among other report findings, a whopping 92 per cent of the 3,712 people surveyed said they enjoyed the freedom of a less structured life. An impressive 86 per cent found it relatively easy to find inexpensive leisure activities to enjoy.
Ken Dychtwald, author of the report and CEO of Age Wave, a research agency that focuses on aging, explained to Forbes magazine: “People are coming into this time of life not wishing they were still working and productive, but quite the opposite. They’re saying: ‘Finally, I can do what I want, when I want and on my own terms.”
As the survey respondents discovered, after a lifetime of working, raising children, juggling schedules and coping with numerous demands of everyday living, retirement can be a wonderful time of newfound freedom.
It’s what the study called “time affluence.” It’s doing pretty much what you want, when you want, like really focusing on a hobby or an interest.
Retirement offers the opportunity to accomplish a goal now that other commitments—like a nine-to-five job—aren’t there. A dream of hiking the Cabot Trail, writing a book or learning photography is now within reach.
It’s also a time for learning. Later life learning classes are full, as retirees explore everything from Renaissance art to building a website. At the same time, seniors are becoming teachers, mentors and volunteer board members, giving back a lifetime of knowledge and experience to an organization or cause that’s important to them.
Time is also the catalyst that allows seniors to build and strengthen relationships with loved ones, and to forge new friendships. Now it’s easy to linger over dinner or meet for an impromptu visit.
There’s also recognition that time is even more precious, leading to a re-think of how it’s spent. Do you really want to devote time to preparing meals, cutting the lawn or worrying about the furnace breaking down again? For some, deciding that these chores are too time or energy consuming also means a re-evaluation of where and how they live.
A move to a retirement residence means freedom from those daily tasks—as well as ample time and opportunity to explore new pursuits and friendships. You now have the time and setting to lead the life you want. And that can lead to fun! It’s no wonder then that retirement years are now officially the best time of your life.
Visit chartwell.com today to learn how the lifestyle in a retirement community can contribute to a healthier, happier and more fulfilling retirement for older adults.
*The following sources provide references for this blog, in order of appearance:
- Eisenberg, Richard. “Retirement: More Fun Than You’ve Heard.” (2016), online: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nextavenue/2016/05/12/retirement-more-fun-than-youve-heard/#77bf0e2e30a6
