Slipping into Depression

[drb520]

Wow. I'm humbled by all the great replies. Exercise has been a part of my regimen but stopped recently. Started that first thing today. Working part-time now but no longer the boss...miss people kissing my ass and laughing at my jokes! Now I'm a hired hand.....many nice people but some treat you like a loser. It's very eye opening. Will evaluate my passion....home repairs....maybe renovation is a thing I should do. Also, school and mentoring are great ideas. All the best to all of you.

 

[Walt34]

Do you miss the excitement any? I went through a period where I was super risk averse (success is collecting the pension for 60 years!) and I found I missed doing "exciting" things.

Apparently I do miss it. As DW said "You will take physical risks but not financial ones." This after I bought the motorcycle and we passed each other on a nearby road and she saw me scraping the floorboard in a turn.

And yeah, I miss the adrenaline rush of hearing the alert tone go off for ME, and going 110 mph through turns that grandmas fear to take at 40. Maybe that's why I think acrobatics in an airplane is fun.

As I said to a friend after a couple glasses of wine on the back porch: "I made sure all the financials were in order, and that DW would be comfortable if I got The Big Ache, but I didn't plan on what to do with me." This is proving to be a far more complex issue.

 

[Midpack]

Wow. I'm humbled by all the great replies. Exercise has been a part of my regimen but stopped recently. Started that first thing today. Working part-time now but no longer the boss...miss people kissing my ass and laughing at my jokes! Now I'm a hired hand.....many nice people but some treat you like a loser. It's very eye opening. Will evaluate my passion....home repairs....maybe renovation is a thing I should do. Also, school and mentoring are great ideas. All the best to all of you.

I have not made the leap yet, but I'd also strongly recommend you read How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free (Zelinski) and/or Work Less, Live More (Clyatt). I'm also a type A/boss and I believe what you're experiencing is very common. Read somewhere that 'you must have something to retire to, not just from' and I believe it's a critical aspect of retirement, especially for type A's like us. You'll adjust, but it's not easy I suspect, you have to have new goals and interests (please read the books). Best of luck, you can do this...

 

[freebird5825]

Wow. I'm humbled by all the great replies. Exercise has been a part of my regimen but stopped recently. Started that first thing today. Working part-time now but no longer the boss...miss people kissing my ass and laughing at my jokes! Now I'm a hired hand.....many nice people but some treat you like a loser. It's very eye opening. Will evaluate my passion....home repairs....maybe renovation is a thing I should do. Also, school and mentoring are great ideas. All the best to all of you.

If belonging to this forum can mellow me out, then...
All kidding aside, sounds like you have a few options to explore there.

Re environment change, we'll laugh at your jokes (see It's Funny Joke Thursday thread) but most will [-]p[/-]ass on the other part.
Sorry, that one was hanging very low on the tree.

May I ask what you are doing part time?

 

[Samtex]

Part timers

I hit that point pretty early in my retirement and I am not a type A . The thought of endless social activities and luncheons bored me . I took some classes but I still needed something so I started selling on ebay . I started with just things around my house but now I've branched out to other merchandise . I do not do it for the money though the money is nice . I do it for a sense of purpose . I was totally burned out of nursing and needed something else . The thought of volunteering did not do it so here I am almost two years into retirement and an ebay powerseller . Who would have thought it ? I think the clue is to find something you like even if it is not what other people think a retiree should be doing . Some find their niche in hiking or travel or samba dancing for me it's shopping and selling .

If things progress (keeping my fingers crossed) as planned, I should be out of my 9-5 job (after 32 years) in a month or so. I have been too busy getting things in order (selling my business) to think much about "retirement" and all the things that go with it.

I have had some wishful thoughts about something to do part time, to supplement me (still 4 years to early SS) For a short time, years ago, I was an EBay junkie (buyer) I was curious about selling on EBay. Any tips on items to sell and other general tips?

Other job options? Like building birdhouses & selling them along the highway etc.

 

[SarahW]

Wow. I'm humbled by all the great replies. Exercise has been a part of my regimen but stopped recently. Started that first thing today. Working part-time now but no longer the boss...miss people kissing my ass and laughing at my jokes! Now I'm a hired hand.....many nice people but some treat you like a loser. It's very eye opening. Will evaluate my passion....home repairs....maybe renovation is a thing I should do. Also, school and mentoring are great ideas. All the best to all of you.

drb--I understand exactly what you're feeling. Though I've only been retired a few weeks, I'm already wondering if I made a mistake. I had a very difficult time making the decision to retire...it took me over a year to decide. I was burned out at my job, but now I find I'm often at loose ends and I miss the structure, the challenge, the interaction with my peers. Ugh.

 

[Midpack]

drb--I understand exactly what you're feeling. Though I've only been retired a few weeks, I'm already wondering if I made a mistake. I had a very difficult time making the decision to retire...it took me over a year to decide. I was burned out at my job, but now I find I'm often at loose ends and I miss the structure, the challenge, the interaction with my peers. Ugh.

I'd also strongly recommend you read How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free (Zelinski) and/or Work Less, Live More (Clyatt). I believe what you're experiencing is very common. Read somewhere that 'you must have something to retire to, not just from' and I believe it's a critical aspect of retirement.

I have not retired yet, but I know I have to be occupied to be happy. Reading these two books gave me great comfort in thinking about retirement, I can't recommend them too highly.

 

[Walt34]

Other job options? Like building birdhouses & selling them along the highway etc.

Two guys I knew did something like that. Sold fish from the back of a pickup truck along the highway for a couple of years. One got The Big Ache and passed on, and I haven't heard from the other.

 

[Moemg]

drb--I understand exactly what you're feeling. Though I've only been retired a few weeks, I'm already wondering if I made a mistake. I had a very difficult time making the decision to retire...it took me over a year to decide. I was burned out at my job, but now I find I'm often at loose ends and I miss the structure, the challenge, the interaction with my peers. Ugh.

When I first retired I felt exactly as you did in fact I was tempted to go back to work .After a few months of this I decided I needed to recreate my life first I joined a gym for social contact . I go to water aerobics several times a week and it gets me out of the house ,exercising and gossiping with nice women . We also go out to lunch on Fridays . I also started selling on ebay which keeps me busy and then I started reaching out to my friends and entertaining more . Look for clubs to join or things to do and you will create a new life .It just takes time .

 

[citrine]

I have always had too many hobbies to work :0 I would take some classes at the library, check out local college stuff, join some social groups. Or find a job that is so much fun that you forget that you are working!