Topic has now moved into the Away End section.
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At some stage in the next few months I am going to finish work. I am well past normal retirement age but have been doing part time consultancy work (2-3 days a week) for the last 7-8 years. If I am honest I am scared. I canāt get it out of my head that I might rapidly deteriorate mentally. I have seen it happen to a couple of mates. Also I realise I will have to finally accept that I have entered the last phase of my life.
I am not a golfer, unlike a lot of my male friends, but I do a lot of fell walking. I try to get out to the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District or Peak District a couple of times a month and I lead walks for groups.
Also my two grandchildren are in France so I will no doubt spend a bit more time over there.
But yes, definitely feeling very anxious about itā¦ 
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Iād say keep up your personal interests, and keep at them with the rigour that youād do with what you were doing professionally prior to that.
As long as you keep engaging your brain and exercising, thereās no reason for you to rapidly deteriorate mentally, except perhaps if you donāt get the same amount of social stimulation you would otherwise get at work.
Since the 1980s I have always worked mainly from home and certainly exclusively so for the last 10 years so the social stimulation is not really a factor. I work on websites so it tends to be a solitary experience anyway. I have never had a problem with that aspect as I quite like my own company.
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Mester wilkored08 took early retirement 2 months after meā¦what with a touring caravan, walking(like yourself), gardens and his little workshopā¦he often wonders how he worked full time and fitted in all his interestsā¦Iām sure in time youāll feel the sameā¦look forward to itā¦
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Andā¦bit peeved hereā¦but today is 2yrs and 364 days till I get my government pensionā¦so thats no help from any DWP/Government dept at all, u watchā¦within those 2yrs something will happen and pensions will disappear or be given on pointsā¦1st question will beā¦do u really need this moneyā¦we wait in anticipationā¦
My father in law retired and spends every single day on the sofa watching the exact same shows (Price is Right, Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, theb the celebrity version at night. Tucker Carlson at night when he thinks no one else can see him.)
Dont know how he does it. Retired as a CFO of an international medical charity. Now just watches game shows all day. I get wanting a mental break but its been 6 years now.
Meanwhile Iām a dad of 2 with a full time job and I still canāt fill my day and feel satisfied unless I have several projects on the go and a good run. Hope I never lose that!
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You need to keep interest.
Watching TV for a bit is fine, but being a slave yo it is soul destroying.
Its way to easy to fall into the trap.
For more than 2 years during the pandemic with its lengthy lockdown, a ex-colleague of mine from over 40 years ago watched the TV and video during almost all his non-sleeping time on his sofa.
He not only slouched at an angle but also slant to one side. He canāt walk properly now but just limps along like an ambling Leaning Tower of Pisa.
So, yes, keeping active both mentally and physically at least slow down atrophy.
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The last bit of the night has rotted his brain out.
As most thought he might after that shambolic World Cup, but notwithstanding a great career to look back on.
Thereās a flip side to that though.
Iām 60 in August next year and I made my mind up some time ago that Iād retire then. The main reasonās are the damage work is doing to my body and the strain the whole thing is putting on my mental health.
I canāt believe how much my physical health has deteriorated over the last few years. Iāve always been physically fit despite being a stone or 2 overweight but my knees have gone to the extent I have to grab hold of something and haul myself up if I crouch down and now both of my feet murder me after a few hours work. It doesnāt help that Iām on my feet on a hard floor for 12 hours at a time and have to wear a pair of safety shoes that feel more like diving boots.
Iām also bored off my tits doing a job Iāve done for over 35 years. Iāve reached a point where getting up at 5.30 in the morning in the pissing down rain with a 14 hour day (travel included) to negotiate fills me with misery. I earn well less than the average wage and work for a company that didnāt even give us a Christmas card after working through the first year of the pandemic.
I canāt actually afford to retire at 60 but the thought of working past that age is so abhorrent Iām going to do it anyway. My Mrs and I will be in receipt of 3 company pensions that wont even total a grand a month but fortunately we have decent savings having both taken lump sums at 55. A more frugal lifestyle awaits and it will be a case of budgeting for 7 years in the hope I make it to my old-age pension.
Basically itās a choice between being less well off but better mentally and physically or being better off but miserable and fucking exhausted/in pain. I choose the former.
I know our wonderful, caring government are concerned about the number of older workers leaving the workplace and the effect it has on the economy but the idea of working until I drop doesnāt really appeal to me. 43 years is enough for me.
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You do get used to the moreāfrugalā lifestyleā¦but as myself n mester wilkored08 found outā¦too early to claim government pensions, savings in the bank, no serious illness or disabilityā¦= no help from anyoneā¦till you hit the pensionable ageā¦
You can still do some parttime work though, to help through the boredom and and keep a bit active.
I do, twice a week at an easy non physically and mentally demanding job. Pay not that great but it helps elevate the reduced lifestyle.
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You need to make certain that boredom isnāt an issue.
Find something that interests you, and just do it
Sure, frequent regional travel is my thing.
Next trip in 2 weeksā¦to the Philippines again, for 10 days.
Used to be about 10 times a year, 4-5 days at a time to Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong/southern China besides the Philippines.
Now because of the doubling of airfares after the relaxation of the pandemic restrictions, I halved the frequency but doubled the duration.
Finding a job like that in this fucked-up country might be difficult but is something Iād consider if one was available.
I have a very high boredom threshold! Like I said, Iām bored in work doing a repetitive job that is damaging me mentally and physically so watching a bit of daytime tv, reading, talking shite on here canāt be any worse.
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Supermarkets, B&Q and the like prefer to hire the over 50ās. So much so, they even pursue the older/wiser generation - Goldies Campaign or something like that it was/is called - A come day go day stress free roleā¦ as much customer relations as any menial task that will be requiredā¦ Just a thought anyway J
Would defo consider something like thatā¦the aquatics dept in a garden centre would be my ideal jobā¦would even consider voluntary work too.
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