Anyone go through retirement Hell?

No. I guess that I am one of those comfort-oriented retirees.

Retirement at first is fun and feels pretty good. No more setting an alarm. No more dealing with a long commute. No demanding work schedule that leaves you exhausted most evenings.

Best of all, no one is telling you what to do. You can sleep in or travel to all those places you dreamed about. You can golf as much as you like or spend lots of time with the grandkids.

You’re as free as a bird. For some—those I call comfort-oriented retirees—this will be enough. But at some point, many retirees will feel a need to do something else—something more meaningful, interesting and challenging. This is when the slide down into retirement hell begins. That brings me to the graph below, which is from my new book.
Click to expand...
(emphasis added)
 
qwerty3656 said:
Attached is an article titled "Are you in Retirement Hell?" which talks about losing purpose in life.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/are-you-in-retirement-hell-11626376602?siteid=yhoof2
Click to expand...

Care to share your take on the article? Your favorite snippet?

It's helpful to do both, especially when starting a thread, to frame it so members don't really have to click the link and read the whole thing to participate in the discussion.

Personally...I find all marketwatch stuff to be click-baity and not really worth the bother. This one looks like it's a giant ad for the writer's book.
 
It sounds like the author's anxiety was as much about money as keeping busy or having purpose. I've run the numbers enough to know we would live quite comfortably even if we both walked away today, and with my penurious father as an example of what retirement can be like, I am not worried about having enough to get by, I would just like to have enough to travel in style once in a while! But I'd be fine reading books from the library and our home collection if necessary, and going for long walks.
 
Beats working hell....
 
The author sounds like someone who tends to be nervous, anxious, inclined to dramatize. Needs outside distraction. "No inner resources," as my mother would have put it.

Retirement "hell" would be losing one's health, a financial crisis, or being a caregiver.
 
I just read it and saw the site humbledollar posted on another thread where I posted.

I found it very interesting as I seem to be on the journey to finding my retirement bliss. Good to know that others have trouble with the transition and I'm not alone. Seems that all I read here is never looked back and it has been pure joy. It is OK for me to take time to find my place and happiness not having a j*b.
 
pb4uski said:
No. I guess that I am one of those comfort-oriented retirees.

(emphasis added)
Click to expand...

+1
Like Pb4uski, I had a rewarding career.
However, now it is time for a different stage of life and I am coming up on 4 years of retirement and still in the honeymoon stage.
 
The Cosmic Avenger said:
It sounds like the author's anxiety was as much about money as keeping busy or having purpose.....
Click to expand...

That was my take as well. I don't worry that we won't have enough money.

pb4uski said:
No. I guess that I am one of those comfort-oriented retirees.
Click to expand...


I guess I'm also one of the "comfort retirees". I had a long and rewarding career in a variety of difficult fields and I've got nothing left to prove to myself or anyone else. I am done with doing and happy just being.
 
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The writer seems to assume that people found meaning, challenge and interest in their work.

While many did, myself included, Im sure many others are just happy to be left alone for the first time in their lives.
 
My guess is the author is fearful that his life has no purpose, so he is giving the monkey to other people in an attempt to fill his purposeless existence with vacuous amusements based upon the lives of others.
 
One of my old managers often said, "the worse day at home is still better than the best day at work"... That might have been a bit of an exaggeration for many of us, but not by too much.
 
Nope not me! It was a hard decision but I retired because it was hell for me, not to have the time to do all the things I love to do. Now, I can do all those things when I want to so retirement is heaven for me.
 
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Aerides said:
Personally...I find all marketwatch stuff to be click-baity and not really worth the bother. This one looks like it's a giant ad for the writer's book.
Click to expand...

I agree it seems like an ad. Thought it might prompt some discussion though. I plan to retire by the end of the year, but am not "retiring to something", so am worried I will struggle
 
I’ll be a contrarian here and say I think the author of that article has a point - which is to promote his books and business. He wrote one book in ‘19 and another that was recently published. Coincidentally, the most recent book has a title quite similar to this article “ Retirement Heaven or Hell”.

He is definitely not retired and his business is “ help clients design a fulfilling retirement”. We do that here every day, no charge, and IMHO, much better. :)
 
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Car-Guy said:
One of my old managers often said, "the worse day at home is still better than the best day at work"... That might have been a bit of an exaggeration for many of us, but not by too much.
Click to expand...


We have a similar saying in our household but we usually substitute wine tasting for being at home. But being at home works for us, too. One day this week we spent the afternoon just hanging out at a local beer garden with friends and family, some we haven't seen since well before Covid hit, and it was 10 times better than my best day at work.
 
No.
I noticed that those who defined who they are and self worth by their titles in w*rk life can't handle the fact that no one gives a hoot about their past titles or positions. They just became another retiree.
I still can't figure how I had time to w*rk. Have far too many intersts. Besides I can make a whole successful day by spending an hour or two working out, do breakfest, go for coffee, stop for some grocery items, take a nice afternoon nap, meet up with lady friend for dinner, listen to some music in the evening.
That is when I am not off kayaking,hangig out at camp, figure skating. Tinkering in garage or shop.
Argentine Tango dancing has been off limits for a year and change, It is an up close and personal experience, may resume next year, can hope.
 
The article can be summarized in this quote from it:


Eventually, I realized it was my fault. The problem: I wasn’t able to define fine. I didn’t know what I wanted to do in retirement, nor how much that would cost. Until I nailed that down, I couldn’t feel fine. Instead, I felt uneasy, with the need to have just a little bit more in savings.

Once I finally figured out what I wanted to do in retirement—and confirmed that we had sufficient retirement cash flow to cover that—I slept better at night. Knowing that we had enough allowed me to start focusing on the possibilities instead of the problems. That’s when I started on the road out of retirement hell.
Click to expand...
The author had been forced of a job, so it was "retiring from" something. Once the "retirement to" aspect was figured out, things got better.

In other words, IMHO, the author figured out what 99% of the folks in this community already know. :)
 
Everyday is a Saturday is a Hell? Some people are never satisfied.
 
I never had purpose when I was working, so I don't miss it retired.
 
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