Retirement is a phase of life that holds much promise but also has its challenges.
Leaving work is something that some dream of while others may feel more ambivalent or even dread it. Either way retirement requires adjustment and planning to get the best out of it and to feel happy and settled.
Work gives a structure and rationale to life, it is one of the central pillars that we build our lives around. What to do without it is the big challenge of retirement.
It can be easy to feel lost with this new found sense of freedom. In fact, research from The Mental Health Foundation suggests that ‘participation in meaningful activities’ is a critical factor for maintaining good mental health and wellbeing in older people – it’s no wonder that a lack of purpose can lead to the deterioration of psychological wellbeing.
Which path are you going to take into your new future?
You may have had many ideas or dreams for what you were going to do once you retired. But strangely the closer you get the more confusing it can become. What can be helpful is finding a new purpose that helps to give structure, meaning and contentment to this new phase of your life.
You can find your way ahead by exploring a journey of self-discovery through the tool of writing. Online writing community WriteWell offers a four-week course on Finding Purpose developed by an expert in writing for wellbeing.
During the course you will use a variety of writing activities to explore the topic of life’s purpose and help you to think about how best to shape your retirement.
Writing for wellbeing can help you to investigate your thoughts and feelings. This may not be something you have tried before but in reality we are all writers.
From diaries to letters, emails to shopping lists, we all write everyday. Writing is one of the best tools for making sense of life.
Writing can help you to find where your purpose lies and explore your hopes for the future. To understand more about your fears, anxieties and goals.
By the end of the Finding Purpose course you will have created an action plan to guide you in your retirement plans.
Writing will help you to settle in to your retirement and feel a sense of excitement about your future.
Maintaining social connections and exercising the brain may sound like simple advice, but it’s importance is so often emphasised by scientific research.
Writing for wellbeing has many benefits including reducing stress, building confidence and better physical and mental health.
So why not join us as you enter this new stage of life? You can sign up to our free 2-week trial and take a look at all our creative writing activities.
