Boredom in early retirement.

[gerrym51]

Lets see. Be bored at home. Be stressed at work.
I'll take the bored

[Notmuchlonger]

Well not everyday of my life is filled with loads of fun and excitement. But I think I'm pretty convinced doing machining all day wasn't much fun either I enjoy being a non productive member of society.

I recently did some volunteering. Then it became like work. People expected me at a certain time and duration. Needless to say I corrected that.

[sengsational]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Katsmeow ... It isn't that you don't like desserts, meat, and fruit more. You do. It is just that you kinda miss the bread.... The point being that I think sometimes in retirement people miss some of the things that they got from work, whether that be intellectual stimulation, solving problems, making money, or whatever. And, they may feel that they can't find those things anywhere else once they retire.

I like the analogy. If you know yourself and can identify that your thoughts are separate from yourself, you might be able to identify what's missing. That's where creativity comes in. If you aren't creative, find someone who is and fill the gap!

[citrine]

I have no time to be bored...sleeping, internet, DH, family, friends, hobbies, yard, decorating, art, clients, garage sales, cooking.....not enough time in the day!

[Midpack]

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Dream Midpack I wasn’t expecting everyone to share my POV, I am only trying to get a better understand by having others express their POV.

Fair enough. I've probably seen the question posed too often to be objective...sorry.

I can certainly understand how someone could get bored in retirement. Watching TV all day would drive me crazy, but some retirees do it. In fact, doing any one or few activities to the exclusion of most others would leave me bored eventually. I've read about golf or fishing enthusiasts who can only do so in their spare time while working, and plan to play golf or fish every day when they retire. Some may be happy as clams, but I've read some of them enjoy it for awhile only to find they're bored and they no longer enjoy an activity (golf or fishing) they once loved. But it certainly doesn't have to be that way, and shouldn't!

For me (and some others it seems) the key is a wide variety of activities, and changing them up from time to time, not unlike your first post suggested. And a good engaging circle of friends and/or family. Cheers...

[jollystomper]

Just my thoughts, as someone not yet retired but cannot ever seeing myself being bored (I'll have a bigger issue of managing my time for all the things I want to do):

- We seem to a much more "urgent" society, where we must be constantly doing something "productive". The idea of just relaxing and doing what you want usually means going at a much slower pace - and folks who see being constantly busy as "normal" might see that as boring.

- I love to read, and I figure as long as I can read, or have someone read to me, I'll never be bored if I can't do anything else. But reading, particularly long reading, is becoming a lost art. If it is longer than a tweet or a facebook post, folks get bored. If I have "nothing to do", grabbing a book an reading for a couple of hours is never tiring for me, or for DW. But to many reading is becoming "boring".

- Sometimes I think is part of the "guilt" or "rationalization" folks have when they hear someone has retired early or is about to retire. When I started working, when someone retired, people seemed more to accept that the person would not do whatever they wanted. Now when someone retires or mentions retiring, I more and more hear the line "but what would they/you do?" In some cases I see folks who cannot retire or haven't planned to retire rationalize things by saying "well, I'd be bored anyway if I retire". Perhaps it is a sign of jobs/careers moving from something you do to fund the things you wanted to do, to something you do to find your true value.

[ERhoosier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerrym51 Lets see. Be bored at home. Be stressed at work. I'll take the bored

+1

I'm on leave now but just got off the phone with a buddy from w#rk. Funny how you forget what the j#b was REALLY like

[seraphim]

Quote:

the point being that i think sometimes in retirement people miss some of the things that they got from work, whether that be intellectual stimulation,

rotflmao!

[seraphim]

Heading toward retirement at the end of the week, and the past month I've been finding myself spending more time in the recliner in front of the TV - and there's nothing interesting on except cartoons.

I don't expect this phase to last - even if I have to fight it. Just kind of of an acceptance that retirement is around the corner and I can do what I like, then. Too many places to see...

[obgyn65]

Boredom ? [mod edit] Let me change my answer to: Make more money, manage it well, and learn how to keep it all to yourself. This should keep you busy for a while :-)

[ER Eddie]

Sort of like what seraphim was alluding to, I expect my retirement to include an early phase where I spend a lot of time doing little or nothing, resting -- the "decompression" phase referred to in another thread. During that period, I expect that I will feel bored occasionally. But it will just be a phase.

[Felix Mulier]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ER Eddie Sort of like what seraphim was alluding to, I expect my retirement to include an early phase where I spend a lot of time doing little or nothing, resting -- the "decompression" phase referred to in another thread. During that period, I expect that I will feel bored occasionally. But it will just be a phase.

You're right on the money, Eddie. You do have to "shift gears" and it can feel awkward at first, just like any change. Retirement is both an ending and a beginning. There's that "in between"/transition/adjustment phase that just needs to be w*rked through. It took me about a year to "shake off" that feeling of urgency about everything, because everything at w*rk was urgent for so long (YMMV). Eventually, you'll hit a rhythm and start to enjoy the new.

[Maenad]

I'd like to say "different strokes for different folks", but I always feel judgment coming from those who claim they'd be bored, and I get defensive and judgmental back. Not my best quality.

I too like hearing about others' experiences with settling in to the new rhythm, it helps prepare me mentally for the change.

[MichaelB]

Some folks are just bored, doesn't matter where they are or what they do. That's probably why smartphones are so popular.

[Mulligan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maenad I'd like to say "different strokes for different folks", but I always feel judgment coming from those who claim they'd be bored, and I get defensive and judgmental back. Not my best quality. I too like hearing about others' experiences with settling in to the new rhythm, it helps prepare me mentally for the change.

I don't worry about being judged because I get it enough from my GF. Definitely "different strokes", as I got gently chastised from my GF from ruining her Sunday, because I was going to watch "the boring Masters tournament". I wasn't getting off the couch for no reason that Sunday. I did invite her over, but she said she wasn't going to waste her day watching "boring golf" all day.

[Midpack]

We're all different. I had a long neglected (home) to do list when I retired, and I was happy as a clam knocking off all those items for the first few months after retiring. Really got the house and yard in better shape than ever, and got a lot of decluttering/reorganizing done. When I finally caught up on all that, I was then a little 'now what?'

But then I started getting deeper or re-engaging in several activities that filled out my days nicely, some worked well and others not as expected (I love to read, but quickly and unexpectedly found I can't read all day without getting restless even for a day).

And if I still get bored somehow, I still have my Get-A-Life tree to refer to (haven't even looked at it yet).

The acid test of boredom for me is if I ever resort to watching more TV. YMMV

[HFWR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gerrym51 Lets see. Be bored at home. Be stressed at work. I'll take the bored

Yep, get bored on occasion, but never think the antidote is being at w*rk...

[F4mandolin]

I LIKE getting a little bored. When teaching (overseas...lots of places to see) I would usually not go anywhere on the weekends (quite often because I was coaching) because if I did I would go back to work on Monday more tired than I left on Friday. Getting a little bored was a good way to recharge. Now...I may be carrying to the extreme....but I get very twitchy and uncomfortable if I am "busy" all the time. Need some boring time....others don't...I do.

[Letj]

Quote:

Originally Posted by F4mandolin Getting a little bored was a good way to recharge. Now...I may be carrying to the extreme....but I get very twitchy and uncomfortable if I am "busy" all the time. Need some boring time....others don't...I do.

+1. Don't like a lot on my plate; makes me anxious. I Would rather have more free so I can choose what I want to do which can mean just sitting on my porch or deck reading and drinking ice tea.

[redduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Dream I know this topic has been discussed before and I hope I'm not beating a dead horse but please........please, help me understand, how people can get bored when there is so much in life to enjoy... I also don't believe any words of wisdom can knock some sense into these people, or maybe it's me that has the problem or wrong attitude. ---------- "

Well, for one thing, maybe you're asking the wrong group (those on this board) to help you understand why people become bored in retirement. "Knocking some sense into these people"? Really?