Retirement

I am missing the everyday cycle that work brings, when I'm sure I should be glad and free. Nearly being able to do things is a chore. I think I can do it but things don't quite work. I am sure I'll learn but I think I need to magic a new routine. What dyer think?
Hi,

I think you definitely have to give yourself permission to do things when you're retired that you never could do when you were at work. For me, that includes making time in my day to exercise and not feeling guilty about it. If I really have bad fatigue I lie down for an hour. It makes a world of difference, but I used to feel that it wasn't an acceptable way to spend the afternoon.

Coming from a very busy job, as so many people do, which I had stopped quite suddenly, I knew that I needed to fill my time. I took up a new hobby and wrote and more recently set up a new charity to support people with Parkinson's. I had to learn to balance these new things in my new lifestyle, which included having as good a state of health as I could achieve by not overdoing things and as I said above, allowing myself to look after myself.

My wife and I have separate activities but also spend planned time together, which is another positive benefit to come from being retired. I also decided to make a point of keeping in touch with friends who, whilst I was at work, I might rarely have the chance to keep up with.

Retirement is a bit daunting and I think it does take a while to get used to it whether that is done before you take it if you're fortunate to have time to plan, or after it happens to you if you don't pay enough attention to your Parkinson's!

Yes I would say you do need a new routine, but recognise that you'll have to learn about it and your first go might not be right and you might need to add or take things off your list. I really do recommend though that you include "time for self" in any list, because that will be investment time that allows you to do the other things that you want to.

Good luck with all that

Best wishes

Radar