Should you Really Retire? Why Retirement is Overrated and Stressful

It’s pretty obvious today that a lot of people do not have the financial freedom to retire as comfortably as they thought they would. In fact, others are opting to push themselves a little further past 65 just to make enough money to consider retiring.

That being said, is there too much pressure when it comes to retirement?

A culture of linking retirement to the end of life

For years, individuals have been conditioned to a linear lifestyle. After finishing school, one is poised to get a job, work for 40+ years, then retire. However, with the recent economic hurdles, perhaps it’s high time the concept of retirement is shifted altogether.

For many, the main definition of retirement is for an individual to leave the workplace and spend the remaining years of his or her life living off the money they had saved over the years. Though this is still plausible, you have to consider the numerous rogue variables that tough economic times have encompassed in people’s lives.

As a matter of fact, from an opinion piece penned by Gourguechon for Forbes, she strongly believes that the word ‘retirement’ should be rebranded. It shouldn’t be about the completion of something, rather the beginning of a new chapter in life.

Gourguechon says that she would like to see individuals hitting plan for the next phase of their life journey with a productive mindset. That is, they should leave the workplace having the sense that they have fulfilled their goals, and have made a positive impact in their previous work environment.

Over the years, retirement has been linked to the completion of life rather than being observed as an avenue for new opportunities

Additionally, the established author of “The Happiness Equation” Neil Pasricha, believes that the concept of work is great for one’s self-being as well as financial status.

Reconstructing the perception of retirement

Pasricha comments on how much longer individuals are living today. Hence, it is common that a majority of them would like to retire much earlier. However, the scary realities that are around them are slowly but surely casting a dark shadow on the whole concept of retirement. It has become flimsy at best.

While a majority of people believe that retirement is a direct pass to leisure evenings at the golf course, Japan’s Okinawans don’t even have a word that defines retirement.

As a matter of fact, there is nothing in the Japanese language that talks about the concept of stopping work completely.

Instead, they have a word ikigai which basically means ‘the reason as to why you awaken every morning. The thing that inspires you the most.’

Perhaps the idea of retirement is flawed after all.

Instead, one ought to find a passion that aligns them deeply with their goals and objectives in life.

For example, if you are still struggling to make ends meet, and even pay your bills, then the concept of ceasing work altogether might not be favorable after all.

As a matter of fact, quite a number of people struggle with retirement. Here are some of the reasons why

The Okinawans in Japan do not have a word for retirement because they do not believe in the concept at all

Wrong timing

As stated earlier, most people tend to retire early without really having a solid plan in place. This results in an individual drying their fans much earlier.

In other circumstances, retirement might come too late when an individual has poor health. This results in absurdly high medical bills that eat into their retirement savings.

Some people have limited interests after retirement

You might have been excited about retiring. Sadly, you’ve never really thought about what you would do after that.

If you feel this way, then perhaps you put so much time and effort in your work without developing your personal interests. This is why you feel so dull after retiring.

Not knowing who you are. A loss of self-identity

This occurs especially for individuals that have identified themselves with their jobs. Once they have completed their service at their particular firm or institutions, they no longer feel self-worth.

They might not be interacting anymore with the individuals that once worked there, as well and in turn, end up in somewhat of a depressed state.

Most people struggle with retirement because of a number of mental and emotional reasons

Feeling a sense of not achieving your desires

Some people after retirement feel that they had not achieved their intended purpose once they got working in the first place. This might rub off negatively once they retire, as they would associate this achievement to happiness.