Retirement, it’s finally here – that time in your life that you’ve been working so hard for! Now you get to relax. But then what? How do you find purpose and avoid boredom? Don’t worry, we’ve got all the tips you need about what to do in retirement, to ensure you take full advantage of this well-earned freedom.
Volunteer
Most people long for retirement and look forward to all the relaxation time – but when it arrives, they sometimes find themselves looking for ways to give back! Volunteering is a great way to socialise and get involved with your local community. Participating in retirement activities like this often means you can be part of something, without committing to a huge workload.
Potential volunteering ideas:
- Helping out at an op shop
- Contributing to a nature conservation
- Driving or delivering for the elderly
- Becoming a tour guide – e.g. at a museum or nature walk
Socialise
As you get older, you realise how important the people in your life are. So, naturally, you’ll be looking to spend as much time with them as possible in retirement. The important thing is to cultivate new friendships and nurture older ones – rather than just focusing on family. This way, when your family is busy, you will have a network of people in a similar position to you, who will be free to go on trips or join activities. Avoid simply having tea or going out for dinner every time you see them, mix it up!
Things to do in retirement with friends:
- Go to events – like jazz or truffle festivals
- Join a dance class
- Play sports – over 55 exercise classes readily available in all surrounding areas
- Join a club – e.g. book club
- Travel together!
Travel
One perk to finishing the 9-5 lifestyle is the amount of free time you’ll have. Remember when you only had four weeks a year to enjoy life properly? Well not anymore. There’s plenty of things to do in retirement in Australia, but it’s nice to have time to explore other parts of the world as well. Instead of quick trips where you only see the highlights, you could wander the streets of quaint Italian cities at your leisure, relaxing in sunny squares for hours while sipping vino.
Of course, if you have chosen to live in retirement living you are now able to benefit from the lock up and leave lifestyle, with no stress about the safety and security of your home. That’s why we are here!
Tips for travelling on a budget:
- Travel at off-peak times: For instance, fly to Europe during autumn or spring instead of summer, you’ll still get some beautiful days but the flights will be much cheaper.
- Choose more obscure destinations: Paris, London, and Rome are beautiful cities, but the flights to more unique places will be cheaper. And you’ll have just as many interesting and wonderful experiences!
- Stay in places with kitchens: Use Airbnb (or similar) to find affordable apartments to stay. Having a kitchen will stop you from spending so much at restaurants.
Learn
Reaching retirement doesn’t mean you aren’t interested in education anymore. If anything, it allows you to learn more about your passions. Perhaps you have a hidden yearning for something like photography, painting, or astronomy – well this is the time to pursue it!
Retirees can even start tertiary education and complete Bachelors or Masters degrees that they didn’t get the opportunity to do in earlier life. You could also do a social media or computer course to help you keep up with the grandkids!
Sports
Exercise doesn’t have to be a chore. When you’re retired, it means you don’t have to get up early before work to go for a run – and so it becomes less forced. Instead, you could enjoy a relaxed morning where you have a coffee and breakfast, then a yoga or pilates session, and take the dog for a walk in the fresh air.
Joining a weekly class or sport is another great way to develop a healthy routine. Perhaps a dancing, swimming, or tennis group? Regular exercise will keep you limber and also give your mental health a boost, and these enjoyable activities will make incorporating exercise into your lifestyle easier.
Hobbies
Taking up new hobbies in retirement will enrich your everyday life with variety and new experiences. They’re all the activities that make life more enjoyable, the ones you wished you had more time for when you were working. Perhaps you can spend some time honing your cooking for dinner parties, heading out for relaxing camping trips, or indulging a long-held desire to photograph wildlife. Diversifying your retirement hobbies will keep both your brain and body active, while you develop plenty of new skills.
Popular hobbies for retirees:
- Cooking
- Camping
- Games: Chess, bridge, etc.
- Writing
- Fishing
- Gardening
- Art: photography, painting, or pottery
Finding the right place to live
Although all of these ideas are exciting ways to spice up retirement, sometimes it can feel a bit daunting organising them all yourself. A retirement village like St Ives Retirement Living is a great place to find a community of like-minded people, and they have endless activities that are all coordinated by the staff. Having entertaining hobbies for retirement and meeting new friends becomes a lot easier at St Ives. Get in touch with our team to find out more.