Retirement: spin off question for retired peas

I really didn't do anything to transition. It was easy! But, it took at least 6 months to not get anxious on Sunday afternoon, thinking I had to go to work the next day and all the stress that entailed.

The year I retired, it was in the month of February. I do taxes for family and friends, so I had that to do at first, then once taxes were done, it was spring, so it was yard work and just enjoying some time with family. As fall approached and it was gettng colder, I started in on cleaning closets, drawers, kitchen cabinets, which were tasks I put of constantly as I was so busy with work and other family support, I was too tired to think about cleaning and orgnaizing them. Then it was holidays, then tax season again, spring and did quite a bit of travel that summer. By then, I felt like a pro at retirement. ha! I really liked my job, but sometimes dealing with a bunch of power hunger women was a bit much and draining, so I never regretted making the decsion to retire somewhat early.

We were already empty nesters by the time I retired. DH had retired 7 years prior.
I deliberately took 1 year to do nothing outside of house maintenance, laundry, and garden (and read).

After that year, we made some trips that we had always wanted to do. We saw the final space shuttle blast off, we toured the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone (not in the same trip). I bought a hybrid vehicle and put all the extras on it as it was/is my last new vehicle to purchase.

After a year of nothing, I was then ready for some communication/interaction with adults. I then found places to volunteer.

I continue to be amazed that my days are full even without a job. I wonder how I managed a job for all those years.

A bonus in my household....DH loves to cook (although he says he is getting tired of it). He took over the kitchen while I was working, so he was in the grove of doing all the cooking. He cooks and I do the clean up.

Give yourself some selfish time to decompress and then look for things to do that give you joy.

we traveled a lot --we still do. I made it clear I don't cook breakfast or dinner (I had been mostly a stay at home mom).

we check in with our calendars, but I also do stuff independently..like took my dad to europe, dh goes on music tours to greece and burning man, I go to gs weekends for adults.

so we do some stuff together, but we also have our own projects, friends and things to do. I have also been cleaning out a bunch of stuff. and over the last 4 yrs, dealt with more surgery for dh.. (months long recovery), parents dying.. and so I haven't really slowed down.

I retired three years ago at age 55, which was always the plan. DH and I were already empty nesters and he was already retired. Most of the preparation had to do with my job because I was the General Manager of a large recreational facility. I gave 3 months notice and was busy during that time training my replacement and ensuring that I was leaving the building and everything related in good shape. I also retired during Covid which added some additional stress to the situation.

Due to my stressful job, I already knew that I was going to take some time to do nothing and figure out my new normal. And I love that new normal! I love doing what I want, when I want. I have 3 grandboys who live close to me so I’m available to help with childcare, attend their sports activities and school events. Along with all my household responsibilities, I also spend a great deal of time reading. We also got a new puppy right after I retired so that kept me busy (and still does).

Enjoy your retirement, we earned it!

I retired two days after I turned 50. I spent the summer selling off much of my teaching stuff and doing regular summer activities and still had 2 kids living at home. My previous boss called me and asked if I would like to work part-time at a non profit. I did that for almost five years and then the pandemic hit. That job was dissolved and I spent the next 18 months driving my husband crazy apparently. I was going through every closet and purging and reorganizing. He suggested I do something part-time. So now I work 3.5 hours 160 days a year. I work with the cutest kiddos who struggle with reading. Love it. I also volunteer with kids who have experienced trauma and while that is a challenge, it is very rewarding.

I think it depends on kids, living parents, social groups, etc. I would definitely give yourself the gift of doing very little this summer unless it is with your kid. Just enjoy. In the fall, reassess and see what feels right. You might need to keep busy in the fall with some activities and then pull back when your empty nest feels more comfortable for you.

I would definitely ask yourself if volunteering with kids/teens is something you might want to try. There is so much need out there.

I retired at age 58 from a full time job I had had for 35 years. I set myself some projects around our home that I had been putting off for lack of time.

For the next twelve years, I took on several short term contracts, which I enjoyed b/c I could set the times and duration. They kept me current in my field and gave me the sense of being helpful to our clients.  Put the money from the contracts into a separate bank account and used that money for specific purposes, including travel, home improvements, and gift giving.

Day to day, I read, scrapbook, garden, and spend time with family. I belong to a couple of informal organizations and enjoy their activities. I tell my grandkids when/if they get whiny that I have never been bored in my life, and for the most part that is true!

The absolute best advice I had gotten from my retired friends was to cultivate interests during the my last couple of years of teaching.

So I figured out what I was going to do. I knew I wanted to quilt more. I found quilts and fabric to make them. I put them together in bags or boxes with the patterns so I wouldn't forget! That worked really well. I have long since completed all of those I made kits for and have made more. We've moved and now I'm in a quilt guild. I've taught a couple of classes for the guild and have taken a couple.

I wanted to teach my friends various card making techniques. I compiled lists and notes for those. I'd have friends over once a month to do that. It was great fun. Now that we've moved I'm teaching once in awhile with the card making group I've joined.

I knew I wanted to bike a few trails close to our former home. I did that. I loved biking. Now that we've moved biking isn't happening. I miss it dearly. The roads here are dangerous. There are no trails to ride, but there is hiking. I've done some of that.

My friends have commented how easily I slid into retirement. I thank them. I took their advice. It was some of the best things they suggested I do.

I retired before my husband did. I mentioned to him that he needed to figure out what he was going to do all day. I'm glad we moved. My husband has joined a woodworkers group. He has made a good friend who has every woodworking tool known to man. The two guys have hit it off really well. So he has been busy doing that.

Our days fly by.........

Think of what you've always wanted to learn. Find a place to learn that skill, even if it's YouTube videos!

You'll hit your groove. You'll look back and wonder how the heck you got so much accomplished when you were working.

My husband has only been retired for 3 months. It's an adjustment. At first he was really feeling out of sorts, because he was used to getting up and working. Then he got busy w/his first major home project. He's very handy and loves to build and do stuff around the house. He renovated our living room. Also, it's gardening season, so he was busy growing his veggies. Once he really started those two things he started really enjoying his retirement. I think he's still adjusting, but getting busy really helped him transition.

I thought that it wouldn't affect me, at all, because I was a SAHM and he telecommuted for many years. Though I had a lengthy career until I had my firstborn. Well, it has really changed things and now I'm the one who's out of sorts, because it has been a big change. Though it's a good change. We can travel when we want and do whatever we want. This is our first season and I'm sure the next year will bring many new things to us. Hopefully, those things will be good ones.

We're finding that a bad day of retirement is much better than a good day at the office.

I retired in May 2022 and a few weeks later went on a 17 day trip to England. Came home, had several bouts of SVT all requiring chemical conversion. Had a cardiac ablation August 2022. That took care of the first 3 months of retirement. After that life was smooth sailing. I liked my job but was tired of working. I’ve always had outside interests. My horse, reading, crafting, hanging out with friends. I’ve taken 4 vacations . The freedom is incredible.

I've retired from school teaching to at-home private teaching and political/educational advocacy. At 51, I still need a focus for my energies.

It's only been a week. So far I've gotten the summer session for my studio established, given a TV interview about the problems in our local district, and spoken at a board meeting about budget concerns. I'm loving being able to control my own schedule and follow my passions. I also love not being so mentally worn out at the end of the day that I have no energy for those passions.

My kids are already mostly out of the house so, while it turns out young adults still require some amount of parenting, they don't take as much of my time as a kid still in high school. Reflect on what is important to you outside of being a mom, and make plans to indulge those things.