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Well, I was doing just fine with relaxing, riding my bike, hiking, playing music, visiting with friends (not a lot of family stuff as we don't have a large family), going to the gym and some other activities for the first four months. Then I got this horrible cold at the beginning of month five. Hung on for four weeks. Lost my voice for three weeks had no energy and would have coughing fits so bad I pulled muscles in my chest. By the end of the cold, I was bored from doing "nothing". I had to cancel visits, playing music at church no energy to hike or bike. Then after I got well, I pulled a muscle in my back and "relaxed" for another five days.
So here I am wondering what to with myself. I even feel some very mild anxiety, which I've been told by retired friends and my pastor is normal until I get some direction. So direction it is! Time to find out where to volunteer and be involved with peopleand the community!
Starting to get some leads and ideas:
Docent at a historical park nearby. I love history.
Signed up for a senior leadership training program, which introduces one to agencies that get things done in the community.
Get more involved at church-events and outreach
Maybe join a service organization like Rotary (never thought I would do such a thing, but a friend did and he thought it was great)
Work at the Senior Center?
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What I don't want to do is go back to work. Don't need to and don't want to go through this process again.
Check out the local animal shelters. They always need people to walk the dogs and interact with the animals. And this would give you exercise too! Being around animals is good for almost everyone psychologically too!
I volunteer in the ER at our local hospital. It has been very rewarding.
There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in hospitals beyond the gift shop. See what yours has to offer; you might find something that's a good fit for you.
We have group called Cat Rescue in my area. It was on the list I was given of volunteer opportunities in our community. Their blurb spoke of fostering litters of kittens and then finding homes for them. I joked; Hey Honey how about this? She jokingly mentioned divorce. Neither of us like cats.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaofan
I volunteer in the ER at our local hospital. It has been very rewarding.
There are a lot of volunteer opportunities in hospitals beyond the gift shop. See what yours has to offer; you might find something that's a good fit for you.
Finding the right volunteer job/activity may well be just the ticket, but don't neglect going to the gym/riding your bike. (You wrote that you did the latter during the first four months of retirement, before you got the nasty, stubborn, severe cold.) At our age a few years off can be a real disaster, whereas at age 40 one can bounce back.
I'm having a hard time understanding the anxiety caused from not having any direction?
I'm just the opposite. Having direction and feeling like a robot every day I had to go to work caused way more anxiety then I'll ever feel when I have a boring day. I just remind myself how often I felt the need for one of those boring days when I was stressed to the max at work.
I don't want any structure in my life and the only commitment I can tolerate is roller skating on Friday mornings.
I can't imagine working at my job at 66, and at 58 I was just done feeling like a robot on auto pilot.
I hope you find a way to enjoy the freedom of being able to go where ever the wind blows. Having the imagination to do that is enough of a challenge for me for now.
Some day I'm going to take an upholstery class, when I can bring myself to allow that commitment into my life. For now it's all about spending time with friends and having fun. Nope, don't feel like cleaning house today. Let's go ice skating instead. I miss that sea bass at PaPa Spiro's down the street from the rink.
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