If you have spent your whole life working, retiring can be a huge life change. It can take some time to adjust to the ‘new normal’ and this is completely normal. While you may not be working anymore, it’s beneficial to your mental and physical health to fill your time with things that give you a sense of purpose.
Below you can find some information about different organisations, activities and services which could help with enriching your life post-retirement.
Learning new things
Something you could do post retirement is invest time in learning new skills. Below are a few examples of new skills you may be interested in learning.
Check out the different links below for more information:
Train your digital skills with free courses: Digital Wings | Barclays
Learn specialised skills such as graphic design, practical maths or computer science: The Skills Toolkit | National Careers Service
Learn about how to look after your finances: Retirement Income Tool | Standard Life
Take basic Microsoft training: Outlook training – Microsoft Support
Lloyds online training: Learn digital skills for life | Lloyds Bank Academy
There are also lots of night classes offered by local universities and colleges in a variety of different disciplines, from pottery to poetry to learning different languages.
Check out short courses offered at Anglia Ruskin: Short courses and CPD – ARU
Feeling artistic? The Royal College of Arts offer some fantastic creative short courses in things like design, typography and storytelling: Art and Design Short Courses at the RCA | Royal College of Art
For those near Chelmsford, Hyland’s Estate host a variety of workshops in things like jewellery making, stained glass and sewing: Events from Sat 21st January 2023 – Sun 2nd April 2023 › Workshop › | Hylands Estate
Keeping active
Choosing to stay active will do wonders for your physical and mental health, especially if you are going from a highly active role like a healthcare assistant where you might have been on your feet a lot.
Exercise also really crucial to promote wellbeing and to prevent loss of mobility. Below are a few different ideas for how you could get active.
Check out the different links below for information:
Go for a walk! There are loads of beautiful trails across England, so find your local one here: Find a walk near you | The Wildlife Trusts
Looking for a lower-impact sport? Why not try water-aerobics? Classes are offered at most leisure centres – find out more: Aqua Aerobics & Aqua Classes: Benefits & Details – Everyone Active
You can also check out some suggested activities that you can do at home. Did you know even hoovering and cleaning the house counts as light exercise? Physical activity guidelines for older adults – NHS
Staying social
Everyone’s circumstances post-retirement are different. You may live with a spouse, or your children, or you may live alone. After retirement, it’s normal to feel a sense of loneliness because you are no longer going to work and speaking with patients and colleagues every day. Below are a few ideas for how you can stay social in retirement.
Check out the different links below for information:
Volunteer for a local charity and chat with the local community and fellow volunteers: Volunteer Essex – Volunteering opportunities throughout Essex
If you need to someone who will listen, the Silver Line offers friendship, conversation, and support for people aged 55 or over, especially those who may be experiencing feelings of loneliness and isolation: The Silver Line Helpline
Finding purpose
The activities and suggestions above are all about enriching your life after retirement to help you to find a new purpose in life after work. It’s important to think about what’s important to you, what you want to achieve and how to create structure in your day to work towards giving purpose to your life.
Check out the retirement from Britannic for more information about finding purpose in life when retired: