1. Create a Sense of Structure
No matter how fulfilling their career, many people look forward to the day they can retire. Without having to work, they think of all the time they can spend doing the things they enjoy, seeing the people they love, and passing their days as they please.
It can be a shock to then realize that retirement isn’t always unconditionally happy. Some people dive enthusiastically into their retirement only to find that where they expected joy and ease, they are instead experiencing symptoms of depression.
Many retired adults may miss the sense of identity, meaning, or purpose that a career provides. Some miss the structure it gives each day. Others miss the embedded social aspect of co-workers.
Here are four tips to help handle depression when adjusting to retirement.