Overcome Male Anxiety Approaching Retirement

For persons at or approaching retirement, the anxiety of their new freedom may be met with joy, or dread. Men are especially prone to feelings of loss when a lifelong career and the contributions they made on a daily basis suddenly end. The usual workday routine filled with scheduled activities is gone, and for some the wife may be losing patience with the 24/7 closeness.

Women who retire may suffer these conflicting feelings, as well. I can only write from a male perspective, so this article is mostly aimed towards advice for men. As a man shifts gears and approaches retirement, it's time to get out of the house, interact socially with peers, and find an outlet to share your worldly expertise and lifelong lessons. If you're married, your wife may offer encouragement to allow herself a well deserved break adjusting to having you constantly around and underfoot.

Years ago as a summer camp counselor, I learned the best technique for handling homesick children was using distraction to help them focus on all the fun things to do at summer camp. The results were amazing and immediate, and if you are retired or nearing retirement, finding your distraction could help you discover a broad range of senior activities as a retiree, too.

I recently encountered a prolific writer who has published works on a variety of topics. Granted he has a Ph.D. and is comfortable writing, yet he is 75 years old, married 52 years, and has 32 grandchildren. His outlet is writing, and he certainly is not bored. I should mention he owns a dozen websites going back as much as 10 years. The mindset that the elder generation is technologically challenged is obviously a myth. If you have avoided computers, it may be time to reconsider.

OVERCOME THE ANXIETY The key to overcome male anxiety approaching retirement is finding outlets for your leisure time and ways to share your expertise with people who will listen. Here are some suggestions:

- Volunteer in your community to lend a helping hand to those in need - Find peers with similar interests to bond and share leisure time - Consider blogging on a topic of interest or expertise - Get creative with a new hobby and build something unique - Explore your artistic side and take up painting or sculpting - Learn the methods for tracing genealogy and become a history detective - Take field trips within 50 miles of home and encounter wonders of nature - Write articles like this one and self-publish online to make new friends

The internet is filled with do-it-yourself advice and tips for managing your newfound leisure time as a retiree. Each item in the activities listed above can be done for free or minimal cost regardless of age or gender. While not all are outdoors, each provides a means to learn and grow while feeling a sense of accomplishment.

EXAMPLES OF ACTIVITY Let's take a look at just two items on the list, and some advice from a personal perspective. I'm within 10 years of retirement, so the timing is not right for me for all the options listed, yet I already do at least half of them.

Genealogy has been a hobby for 10 years. My surname could be traced back 100 years before I began researching it online around mid-1990. The internet was in its infancy yet I was able through contacts in Sweden to get my paternal line back to the year 1560. Despite improvements in the amount of information online, one source for studying genealogy that cannot be overlooked is oral history.

Consider making genealogy a hobby, and start with documenting known oral history from the living members of your family. It's too late once they're gone, and as a senior you can contribute to this project today to the benefit of future generations. Remarkably, I met a great aunt in 1996 that lived some distance away in a nursing home. She was born in 1900 and at age 96 she filled in many missing family history details like identifying the names of 2 horses in an old family photo of her parents and siblings on the farm.

A more recent example of activity comes from a long time friend with a hobby that you could learn easily, and then build something unique. My friend happens to be an expert fisherman and mechanical engineer who designs and builds custom boats for fun. Imagine buying the materials for a custom made kayak for around $50 USD, and then spending a few weekends with your child or grandchild building this boat. My friend offers instructions including the blueprints, and the job could be finished in just a few weekends.

In conclusion, these and the other examples of activities for senior citizens provide a starting point of what you might want to do in your spare time. Read the list again and then add your thoughts as you expand the list with unlimited possibilities. The opportunities to overcome male anxiety approaching retirement are endless, so let your imagination wander as you come up with ideas to spend your time enjoying leisure and helping others.

Jim Degerstrom writes articles on a variety of topics and is a founder in the Silver Fox Society, an international social network for mature men. The Silver Fox website, blog, and forum targets mature males with at least some gray hair or no hair, and offers free advice pdf downloads for men written by members for members.