Choosing Yourself: A Mindful Path to Healthy Retirement
Retirement can feel unsettling at first, but there is a quiet secret that makes the transition easier: mindful awareness. When we stop resisting the change, a healthier, steadier rhythm begins to unfold.
Depressive symptoms are a common part of the transitional process from work to retired life in both men and women, while it causes greater mental distress in men [1]. They can be reduced over time, with suppression hindering this process but acknowledgment leading to quicker improvement. There are many factors at play and simultaneously as many ways to lessen their impact with mindfulness being the most versatile and impactful one. The word “mindfulness” can sound very intimidating at first which is why we want to break it down by providing access to knowledge as well as practical approaches in our project Active Aging and 4 Ways to Kick Post-Retirement Depression.
Retirement comes with many things: loss of stability, routine and identification but also the loss of an often grand social network, leading to a lot of new retirees experiencing a crushing sense of loneliness [2]. As already discussed in previous months article, social relationships and activities are hugely important for our health, especially in our later years. The same goes for mindfulness and staying present.
It might seem we just have to accept the period of low after retirement; but we don’t. There are some areas in the world showing significantly lower rates of depression in older adults and, as well as people living longer and healthier lives overall [3]: The Blue Zones. There are five designated areas spread throughout the world, but they do have nine specific things in common. In Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Loma Linda (California, USA), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica) and Ikaria (Greece) people do the following things to maintain their good health and elongate their life [4]:
Natural movement: people don’t go to gyms to train, like most people in modern-day society do, but move consistently throughout their days by completing manual labour for example in gardens.
Purpose: “Ikigai” a term coined by people from Okinawa loosely translates to “the reason to get out of bed in the morning” is seen as one of the main reasons why people live longer: if you know why you live (and want to keep living), you live longer. Or as Waldo Emerson would phrase it:
"Watch your thoughts, for they become words; watch your words, for they become actions; watch your actions, for they become habits; watch your habits, for they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." (Waldo Emerson)
Decelerate: Stress is an integral part of our society today, but the stress itself is not the problem, it’s how you handle it. And people in Blue Zones handle it differently: they pray, take a nap, think about their deceased relatives or enjoy a drink.
80%-Rule: means people eat until their stomachs are 80% which prevents weight gain in the long term, one of the most pressing health risks in today's society. People also eat the smallest portion in the late afternoon and don’t eat anything until the next morning, giving their body enough time to digest the food.
Plants: these serve as the base for the “Blue Zone diet”. Meat is eaten only on occasion and even then moderate portions (about 120g per person).
Wine in the afternoon: Drinking is not the problem, it’s the amount. Having one or two glasses of wine with dinner won’t harm you, on the contrary: regular moderate drinking is less harmful to your health than occasional excessive drinking. As we say in German: Die Menge macht das Gift (eng. The quantity makes the poison).
Faith: All but 5 of the almost 300 people living to 100-years of age were part of a denomination. If you think about it it's quite obvious why as it provides 3 things essential especially for our emotional wellbeing: structure, community and most importantly a purpose.
Family first: Older generations always give safety, care and wisdom to the younger generations and get safety, care and community back in return. Most families live close together, more often than not even in the same house.
The right tribe: Most people living a longer and more fulfilling life than others are born into social networks who already practice the aforementioned life-elongating principles. It is the natural thing to do and naturally becomes a part of their life as well.
As you can see from the above, although mindfulness isn’t a single “Power 9” factor, it is still present in each one. Natural movement is a very conscious practice as it lets the body lead and “tell us what to do”. Finding purpose, through faith or otherwise, is highly important in making good decisions for ourselves in the present moment. And also surrounding ourselves with people close to our heart, family and relatives or our “chosen family”, sharing the same way of life makes choosing ourselves and our health so much easier. So find your people, be mindful and choose yourself!
What does it feel like to go into retirement? A personal interview
OAC: What has changed within yourself since you retired? Have there been moments when you suddenly realised that you feel or think differently, that something within you has shifted?
Beate H.: When I received my pension for the first time, the notification said ‘welfare payments’ and I suddenly realised how people who no longer work (can't, don't want to or don't have to) are viewed differently in society – you are ‘provided for’ and are no longer part of productive and creative social life. That was a painful realization. Similar to my 60th birthday, when my health insurance company stopped sending me information about preventive sports programmes and instead sent me flyers suggesting that I should ´take care of my final matters’ (...). I find that very annoying and demeaning.
OAC: How did it feel when there was suddenly no structure from the outside for your day?
Beate H.: There was no change in my everyday life because I still work as a freelancer, albeit not full-time, but only about 20-25 hours a week or sometimes a little more or less, depending on the workload. I haven't worked full-time since my second cancer diagnosis anyway, but with the start of my ‘old-age pension’ (another ugly term), I reduced my working hours even further. (...) I have also imposed a structure on myself. I find this very important, because I notice that now that I have more time, I sometimes waste it without doing anything good for myself, which doesn't make me very happy.
OAC: Are there any activities or rituals that are particularly important to you today?
Beate H.: I have more time for sport, but it has always been important to me and I am glad that I am still so fit that, apart from a few age-related aches and pains, I can do everything, even if it is becoming more difficult. I'm not the type to sit alone in front of a screen, I prefer to do things like yoga, strength training or even 4x4 Training with others, as it motivates me more and also disciplines me to overcome my inner resistance. (...) On my own, I wouldn't have started running again. Since retiring, I've joined the Alpine Club and a sports club.
OAC: Has your approach to your body and mental health changed? Are you now more aware of what is good for you and what drains your energy?
Beate H.:The way I treat my body and my mental health has already changed as a result of my illness and the experiences I have had with and through the treatments. I now say ‘NO’ when I don't feel like doing something or when it's too much for me. This hasn't changed significantly since I retired, except in relation to work – ‘I can do it if I want to, but I don't have to’ – which gives me even more composure and confidence when dealing with difficult situations.
OAC: How did you imagine the start of your retirement and how does it feel in reality? Is there anything that surprised you or that is completely different from what you expected?
Beate H.: (...) But what I have noticed is that it takes a lot more discipline to do everyday things when you are no longer under so much external pressure. Getting up at the same time every day, dressing well (and not slouching around in old jogging clothes) and not letting yourself look scruffy requires more personal responsibility and energy when external constraints are removed. But it's very good practice for getting older.
Author: Lea Laciak, Outdoor Against Cancer
References
1) Hed, S., Berg, A.I., Hansson, I. et al. Depressive symptoms across the retirement transition in men and women: associations with emotion regulation, adjustment difficulties and work centrality. BMC Geriatr 24, 643 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-024-05228-2
2) Fu S, Zhang G. The Impact of Post-Retirement Social Relationship Changes on Depressive Symptoms in Chinese Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Loneliness and Moderating Role of Social Networks. Psychol Res Behav Manag. 2025;18:1241-1252
3) https://headlight.health/what-mental-health-lessons-we-can-learn-from-blue-zones/?utm
4) Thaller, P., & Schulz, T., 2018. Outdoor Against Cancer: How exercise and sport in nature work in the fight against cancer, Kailash Verlag (Random House publishing group), pp. 148–151