6 Tips for Emotionally Planning for Retirement

Retirement. The very word conjures images of carefree days spent doing…well, whatever you want. There’s nothing quite so blissful as the idea of finally being able to live life entirely on your own terms. Or is there?

What many people aren’t prepared for is the emotional impact of retiring. Sure, our hearts are in it 100%, but our minds aren’t quite so quick to make the change. There’s an adjustment period required, even when the change is good. The good news? With a little preparation, you’ll be just fine. Try these tips:

Envision the Future
You’ve already planned out some things to do, which is good. But to make the transition easier, it might help to spend some time in creating the image in your mind of what you think your days will look like. Settle in and experience them in your imagination. You’ll feel better prepared, the more detailed you can make this vision. Also, you might even work out a few snags beforehand, which will make the transition easier.

Experiment a Little
You think you want to travel cross country in an RV for your retirement, but have you ever tried it? Whatever you’re dreaming about, you might want to give the experience a dry run. For example, you might rent an RV now and try it out on your next vacation to see if this is the lifestyle you truly want.

Get to Know Who You Are
You’ve been so busy working, you probably haven’t had time to get to know yourself. This is done by sitting down and asking yourself some serious questions about your likes and dislikes. Also, take into account your current physical health. Here’s where you might think about learning a new skill or trying something new. The reason for this? So you can build a new identity to replace the corporate one you’ve carried for so long.

Expect the Transition
Know this is going to be rough. You can’t just make a major lifestyle change without there being bumps in the road. Take a deep breath and just be patient throughout the transition. It will get better.

Become More Positive
Because changes can be rough, keeping yourself focused on the positives will help enormously. Anytime you catch yourself saying or even thinking something negative, stop yourself and reword the statement in a more positive way. This will help change your mind set at a time when you need it most.

Create a Social Circle
Don’t go it alone. This is a lot of change, and you’re going to need to have people you can rely on to help talk you through it. This is the time to reach out to friends. Consider counseling if you’re having an especially rough time of it.