Recently, I was invited by a “Navaratna” Central Public Sector Enterprise to deliver a talk for their retiring executives. On our soulful interaction, I found these retiring executives were having following stresses in their mind, which I feel may be true with most of the retiring employees:
Life without Purpose
Most of the retirees perceive their future life as a purposeless life. The feeling of no longer being useful or productive is very difficult to be accepted. Though professionally educated/ experienced retirees can plan to join some part-time or full-time job, become volunteers, start social work or happen to be devotees of certain sect but based on my experience what majority of them don’t plan is to address the issue of mobility means not being able to drive or commute independently that make it difficult not only for many seniors but for family.
Dealing with Loneliness
At the time of retirement, you may be financially secure but retirement coincides with the time children move out and get involved in their own families. Being alone is difficult to cope with at any age and even more so in our later part of life.
While post-retirement is considered the ideal time to spend with family and friends, they may live far away or not have the time. This results in social isolation leading to depression and causing seniors to withdraw which is detrimental to their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
Losing Power
Power is of importance to every human being. It is important to self-confidence, to a sense of self-worth and to contentment. Choosing whether to have coffee or tea and what sort of clothes to have is also considered a big power.
Being Dependent
Loss of the freedom to choose or to decide e.g. to go out, to read, to converse; loss of personal dignity, loss of privacy, loss of status and position can also be a source of acute suffering – very frightening. Waiting to go to the toilet, ringing the bell to get up from bed, especially when the family members are busy, eventually, someone comes, making a bit harassed.
The underlying cause of such Stressors:
The very idea that life begins at SIXTY stands on a wrong notion. A well-lived Life is lived every day-every moment. Our Life is like Test Cricket where God gives us two innings, how well you have played in your first innings will determine your success in the second inning ultimately leading to winning the match, in life perspective achieving Nirvana.
Unfortunately, we tend to take a plunge in the profession, power and progress to the extent that we forget to take care our own health, heart and happiness. We keep on procrastinating on the pretext of “Too Busy to Breath” syndrome.
Keep in mind, no price, position or power can compensate your family for your permanent absence or live with a bed-ridden human body. We should also stop blaming the organizations or job conditions for keeping you healthy, it is your responsibility. An organization can foot the bill of your ill-health, but for your wellness, you have to take steps every day.
Master Key to have Successful Second Inning: Staying Physically Active and Healthy
As a prerequisite, to engage after retirement with any activity, we need to be healthy both physically and mentally.
As we grow older, leading an active lifestyle becomes even more important to our health. Light exercises can increase muscle strength and even improve balance and coordination which reduces the risk of falls and injuries.
Leading an active lifestyle also helps reduce the risk of bone loss which is one of the main causes of fractures among the elderly. However, a sound base of healthy habits starts in your first inning when you are young, productive and able to take care of your mind, body and soul and also ready to get out of sedentary lives.
Image Coursey
