Navigating the Social Side of Retirement
You have worked your entire life. You’ve saved your money and finally you’re set to retire. It’s all just coasting from here, right? Wrong. There are plenty of ways that navigating retirement can prove challenging. One of the aspects of retirement that is talked about less frequently is the social side. Changing your routine from constant human interaction to limited interaction with others day to day can take a toll on your emotional, mental, and physical well-being.
As mentioned in our previous blog post, as your Financial Advisors, we are committed to working diligently so that you can enjoy the most out of your retirement. That work extends past monitoring your financial success. We believe it is important for all retirees to stay active both physically and mentally, remain engaged socially and communally, as well as maintain human connection.
To help you continue living a satisfactory life, we have generated a few examples of ways in which you can stay active, remain engaged, and maintain your human connection. We hope to launch a series of posts where we dive into these topics and explore ways to enrich each of our lives.
Volunteer Work
Cincinnati (and lots of other cities) are home to countless numbers of volunteer-based organizations. There is no shortage of help needed in the world and regardless of your situation or interest, there is a volunteer organization for you. The level of commitment is flexible, and you can adjust volunteering to fit your lifestyle. A few of our favorite local organizations are listed below. Be sure to check them out online or reach out to the affiliated employee for more details.
Dan Rinck - The Ronald McDonald House
Kelsey Grassman - Stray Animal Adoption Program
Mandy Hall - Big Brothers Big Sisters
Kimberly Penzes - Adopt-a-Class
Join a Book Club
Book clubs are great. Whether you join for the deep intellectual knowledge gained or the perks of appetizers and alcoholic beverages at your fingertips, book clubs bring people together. They spark conversation and give you an excuse to get out of the house every so often! Their format can vary, but at the core of every book club is open conversation and friendly faces. Are you interested in joining a book club, but not sure where to get started? Let us know and maybe we can connect you with others who share your interest.
Get Outdoors
If you live in the Greater-Cincinnati area you are blessed to be surrounded by some of the nicest Metroparks there are. Cincinnati is home to a number of great parks, large and small, located in every little suburb across the map. Whether you want to sit on a park bench and enjoy deep inhales of fresh air or if you like to walk your dog for a couple of miles, there is a park for you. Take in the views of the city from all sides and enjoy the fall weather that is upon us. Below is a list of some of our favorite parks.
EAST
WEST
NORTH
SOUTH
Continue Your Education
Mental stimulation is crucial to maintaining a healthy mind. With the rapid evolution of technology, education has never been easier to obtain. With the development of the App Store, there are countless applications designed to challenge your brain. You could learn a new language with Duolingo or master sudoku puzzles with a Sudoku app (there are many, both paid and free). There are even apps that will teach you to play the guitar without ever having a guitar in hand. With so many options, you will never run out of new skills to learn.
Not interested in downloading a new app, but still interested in learning? Podcasts are a great way to listen to various topics and learn more about any and every subject imaginable. Available online and on your phone, they are easily accessible and vary in length. Some are short (10 minutes or less) whereas others can be much lengthier (multiple hours long). Topics range from murder mysteries to exploring the outer reaches of space.
Feedback
We hope this post has inspired you to evaluate your own situation. Are you truly enjoying retirement? If not, you should be! Please be sure to reach out to any of your Wealth Management Team to share stories or ideas about ways you achieve all of these things. We love to hear from you! Look forward to future posts where we dive into each of these areas in greater detail.