Retirement brings peace. Often a welcomed break. There is more time to organize your day as you wish. However, not working anymore can also bring loneliness. The daily contact with colleagues, clients or other business relations is no longer there. This can be a loss for some retirees. To prevent this, it is important to remain socially active. Not only are you helping yourself, but you also help others!
Our 5 tips
1. Take care of grandchildren
Are you a proud grandpa or grandma? Then you surely enjoy spending time with your grandchildren. Looking after grandchildren is a great way to spend your time. Depending on their age, you can do fun activities together, such as a walk in nature or a visit to the playground. Are your grandchildren a bit older? Then helping with homework can also be very beneficial. What was that mathematical formula again? And how are your language skills? This is a great way to keep your mind sharp!
2. Volunteering
This is an ideal way to continue using your knowledge and skills, or to dedicate yourself to a completely different (professional) field. On the website rijwilligerswerk.nl, you can see the available opportunities in your area by province and then by municipality.
3. More time for your hobby
Sports, creative activities, culinary wonders from your own kitchen. Perhaps you already enjoyed doing this in your free time. Now that you have more free time, you can expand these activities. There are also many short courses or workshops available to learn more about your hobby. Or how about getting family and friends excited to join you in your hobby? A simple phone call can be enough!
4. DIY projects
Doing repairs and maintenance around the house. For some, it is a favorite pastime, while for others, there is a list of chores to do around the house that has been lying around for years. Do you have such a list? Look for a task that you can easily tackle. Make that your number 1 project. Can’t do it alone? Then ask a friend, neighbor or family member to help. It is more enjoyable and quicker that way. Then, on to task number 2.
5. Travel
See something of the world. Going out with a camper or taking a longawaited getaway by plane. For many, this is a dream come true after retirement. To prepare, you can read travel books or travel reports online. Keeping a blog during your trip is also a fun thing to do. This way, you not only keep those at home informed, but also create a beautiful memory for later.
Help with loneliness
Of course, there are many more opportunities to stay active or prevent loneliness. A life coach or a loneliness coach can help you with this. You can find a coach in your area at www.vind-een-coach.nl.