Why A Sense Of Purpose Is Important During Retirement

Reg Smith ( name changed to project his identity ) was looking forward to his senior retirement years. After 40 years serving as an oil and gas engineer, he was tired of the 9 to 5 grind and was looking forward to spending time at his cabin in the mountains.

But several months after he turned 65, Reg and his wife began to feel restless in their cozy mountain retreat. The days seemed endless. They began to sleep in late and go to bed early, just to make the days seem shorter. They began to feel less joyful when their adult children would visit. The books lay unread on the living coffee table. Conversations over dinner lagged. The rosy glow of retirement was fading fast.

A trip to the city and a visit to the doctor for both the Smiths revealed that the natural depletement of hormones and a loss of a sense of purpose was contributing to the couple's ever increasing depression. The doctor recommended they cut down on caffeine, a substance known to rob the body of the pleasure hormone seratonin. He also said to limit alcohol and to re-think their ideas of what retirement was all about.

"I was looking forward to doing nothing in my retirement. I wanted to read and lay in the hammock for hours, " Reg later said. "Instead it turned into the greatest bore of my life."

The Smiths decided to live in the cabin for six months out of the year, spending the other six months traveling in their fifth wheel. Reg took up bridge, a game he previously thought was just for old ladies, and found it kept his mind sharp. His wife, despite being over 60, took up jogging and challenges herself to run further with every outing.

With a renewed sense of purpose and help from their doctor, the Smiths are now making the most of their retirement years.