Feeling "Golden" in Retirement

For us Boomers, retirement was referred to as the Golden Years.

The transition from work to retirement was the much sought after carrot at the end of a long career. In all the pre-retirement seminars, the instructor drilled into us the need to prepare financially, but little was said about the emotional challenges that we face in retirement.

For Type A Boomers (like me), the emotional challenges revolving around loss of identity, finding a new purpose for getting up, and replacing the affirmation from doing a good job can be overwhelming. Without that “pat on the back” or “attagirl”, retirees are often left drifting while looking for a new sense of self-worth. I feel that the 5 stages of grief accurately describe what some Boomers feel after retirement; especially nowadays since many Boomers are being forced to accept an early retirement or be laid off. So, they often feel helpless because their choice of when to retire was taken away from them. The 5 stages are: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance. (see http://www.way2hope.org/5-grief-stages-2.htm for a detailed description).

I still miss some aspects of working – and when I admit that -- well, some people look at me like I'm nuts. But that’s quite normal after working for more than 40 years. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t miss it enough to ever go back to working full-time.

To help you successfully make the transition from full time work to full time retirement, you’ve got to find something your passionate about and then plan to incorporate more of that into your daily life. A good article can be found at http://www.alive.com/1549a4a2.php?subject_bread_cramb=5

P.S. - After all that’s been recently taken away from us retirees, I think Retirement should now be called the “Copper Years”.

Heart Health - Strokes

I was very sick last year and am still under Doctor’s care, so health issues are always on my mind.

That, coupled with the fact that my father dropped dead at 58 from a stroke, keeps Heart related issues high on my list. Sometimes the symptoms of a stroke are quite difficult to identify. Often, that's creates a disaster for the stroke victim who may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize that they are having a stroke.

I just received this info from a friend and thought it worthwhile enough to pass on. Doctors are now saying that a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

• Ask the person to SMILE.
• Ask the person to TALK and coherently SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE such as “It is cold today.”
• Ask the person to RAISE BOTH ARMS above their head.

If the person has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, CALL 911 immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

To see how real women have coped with heart disease, check out the video at:
http://www.goredforwomen.org/

FeedBurner

A huge thanks to my friend Mike Jennings, who I worked with in Germany, because now you can get BLOG updates via EMAIL.

It’s so simple – just go to the "Subscribe via Email" Box shown on the right (below my picture/personal info).

It takes just a minute to sign up. All you have to do is enter your email address. You will then get an email confirming your registration.

When I write a new BLOG, you'll automatically receive an email with the Title and first paragraph. To read the entire BLOG, just click on the TITLE.

Thanks so much for your continued interest in my BLOG. If you enjoy it, please forward the link - http://www.myretirementadventures.blogspot.com/ to all your Boomer friends!

p.s. -- go to the BLOG below and check out the comment from Mike. He had another idea on how to stay mentally sharp!

Alzheimer's

I went to a Red Hat Luncheon this afternoon where the Creekside Line Dancers performed. While watching them I thought of the recent conversation I had with my primary care physician who I've nicknamed "the Russian chick" as her last name is so difficult to pronounce.

When I had my annual physical we discussed how to prevent Alzheimer's. It's one of the biggest fears facing us Boomers as we age. We all know of someone who has suffered from this debilitating illness. We've heard the horror stories of loved ones who have driven down the wrong side of the highway or answered the door without their pants! None of us want to end up like that, so we're all looking for ways to stay sharp.

The dancers reminded me that my doctor said there are 2 things that will definitely help us:

Structured dancing -- Not freestyle like when we were young and did the twist. But structured dancing, like learning a line dancing routine is great because it helps you both physically and mentally.

Crossword puzzles -- Working a daily crossword puzzle with help your mind stay alert. Go to http://www.eons.com/ for a daily crossword puzzle as well as other brain games.

Let's hope you don't need it for a long time -- but if you want additional info on Alzheimer's, go to http://www.alz.org/alzheimers_disease_diagnosis.asp?gclid=CKKhn7egspgCFRlcagodDDV_Vg