Here's why you shouldn't worry about retirement

Even when you are young, thoughts about your retirement might be rattling your cage. The future uncertainty may be pushing you over the edge. According to LIMRA Secure Retirement Institute, Americans between the age of 61-65 start to enter the retired force of people. The same source narrates that 89% of the population bids farewell to working by the age mark of 75.

Worrying is a very traditional approach to retirement. The statistics can be a little heartbreaking. But there is always light at the end of the tunnel, particularly, if you are willing to see it. On the bright side, you get to avail senior discounts. You can also give the front seat to your passions and continue working.

So, what you make out of your retirement is entirely up to you. You can stick around and become dependent on some family member. Or take steps for your well-being, daily engagement, and stay in shape. 

Here are few ideas that can contribute to a healthy retirement for you:

1. Take care of your health

You can’t stop the ticking aging clock, but you can always prepare for the elderly times. In this regard, the best you can do is take care of your health and fitness. For instance, regular exercise can give you several health benefits and help you stay agile in your senior years. Moreover, healthy eating can also save you from several health issues. You need to be mindful of everything that you eat such as wisely choosing food oil. For example, canola oil can negatively impact your neural health.

Senior years are often synonymous with health disorders too with early symptoms of alzheimer's sometimes showing well before retirement. In such a case, you need to be very careful of your diet. If you are firm with taking proper healthcare steps, your worry about retirement will only lessen. It will also cut the healthcare costs. Of course, things are not always going to be plain sailing, and you cannot truly predict the future of your health. You may even get to a point where you need assistance with daily tasks and are unable to stay in your own home. Should this be the case, you will need to think about potentially moving to an assisted living facility like chelseaseniorliving.com/locations/the-chelsea-at-montville/ so that you can receive the care you need in an environment that is suitable for your needs.

2. Pursue a hobby

Hobbies and passions just don’t die as you age although they might not shine as brightly. You will have some digging to do and find that your hobby thrives. And there is no better time to pursue your hobby than in your retirement. An AARP study reveals that 37% of individuals between the age of 50-64 continue to work in retirement. 44% of these people decide to step into a completely different field. People are also living longer, so you have plenty of time to plan for a new career or follow a hobby.

The author of What's Next? Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties, and Beyond, Kerry Hannon shares the career-changing example of her clients. One of them was a retired Navy officer and loved circus as a child. He went on to become a company manager for a circus in his retirement. Likewise, his wife who was previously a nurse chose to become the wardrobe designer of the same place.

3. Start your savings and set goals

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 64% of Americans have less than $50,000 saved. This is horrific since social security is not enough to meet the retirement expenses. The best antidote is to start saving from early on. Savings do not necessarily have to start from 30 years but 25 years of age. An important takeaway nugget here is to save a minimum 10% of your income for your retirement.

Or you can set goals for saving specific amounts for a carefree retirement. In fact, goal setting can be healthy according to Jonathan Haidt, a psychology professor. He suggests that working towards achieving goals can be helpful in making you feel good. And often such a feeling can be better than the sentiments felt at achieving the goal itself. Thus, by saving and setting out a working map from early on you wouldn’t have to worry about retirement.

ABOUT Alycia Gordan

Alycia Gordan is a freelance writer who loves to read and write articles on healthcare technology, fitness and lifestyle. She is a tech junkie and divides her time between travel and writing. You can find her on Twitter: @meetalycia