Are you enjoying your retirement?

I am enjoying retirement. Before I left work in 2014, I started a list of things I wanted to do. I am doing most of them although the pandemic has put a dampener on a lot of things. Becoming a grandmother was a bonus as I never really imagined it would happen. My daughter and younger son have never wanted children. My elder son’s partner is a bit older, but they had a daughter five years ago. I have to say that I’m getting all Zoomed out! Sadly one of the tabloids was implying today that we are now heading for wave 4!

I hated every minute of retirement lost all that was good in my life, the feeling of being useful, the banter, the being needed, the order, the commitment I was like a boat without a rudder
Until I found voluntary work and now I have a purpose again
I m divorced and grandchildren all grown so my work is now again a necessary part of my life again it keeps me young and doesn't infringe on other things I want to do so all good again I hope I never have to retire again

Love it. Worked since I was 14 and the freedom I now have is fabulous. I can choose whether to be busy or not. Choice is such a happy place to be.

Love it, the time to do what you like and when you like. Been retired for. 12 years now but still seem to be awake at 6 and up and dressed by 8.

I retired 8 years ago and I do enjoy the freedom. I looked after my GCs till about 2 years ago and do sometimes miss the feeling of being useful.

I was until Covid hit. Part of the pleasure of retiring from teaching was being able to have European city breaks in term time !

I love every minute of it.

Still working at 68 part time in a care home only 18 hours a week but I really enjoy it. I do not have a lot of hobbies and I know if I finish work I would sit on the Sofa binge watching TV and eating unhealthy food…?

I love it.
I retired at 58 but that wasn’t planned. Unbeknown to me OH booked a surprise holiday.
At the hotel there were a lot of people there to buy property.
We went along with one couple just to be nosey.
We bought that property there and then. We didn’t even look inside ( the agent didn’t have the keys ?)
Came home, sold the property we were living in. 3 months later we were on the ferry on our way to a new life.
There’s been more changes since then.

I left my paid work eleven years ago when my daughter was widowed just after having her first baby. I spent two years shoring her up and at the same time I was very involved in community work - eventually this led to me co-founding and subsequently leading a homelesssness charity. I now plan to retire in 2023 when I shall be seventy and I can’t imagine being bored.

There are some personal projects that I would still like to do, but I would also appreciate the option to slow down. I’ve had a hard life and I think it’s beginning to catch up with me now, so I want to ease up a bit if I can. My extended family are the joy of my life and in the time I have left, be it long or short, I want to focus on leaving good memories for them.

Yes definitely enjoying retirement. Happily remarried, moved to France and have a lovely peaceful life in the country with our animals. Like BlueBelle I do voluntary work as well. Happy Days

I was made redundant into early retirement when I was in my early 50s - and I haven't regretted a moment. I have done a lot of volunteer work and one of those jobs had me back in paid employment for 6 months and boosted my state pension by £2 a week.

My big proviso is, it really depends on your income and for many retiring on just state pension and benefits, life can be very limited. But for many of us with occupational or private pensions, life in retirement is very nice indeed.

Yes, I enjoy retirement and I'm never bored. I can get up when I jolly well feel like it instead of being awakened by the alarm clock . My last job was a very early start and I rose at 3.30 in the morning and it's great not having to do that any more, especially on a frosty morning.

I don't have a big pension but don't need to go on expensive holidays, drink or smoke. I have the time to enjoy quieter pursuits such as sewing, knitting, gardening, etc and if others find me boring I have the self-confidence at long last not to worry about it.

Nothing to do with money for me it s to do with being useful I worked till 69 and have now done another 7 years volunteering that s great for me
I think conditions make the difference a happy married couple with money for holidays days out and good companionship is very different to living on your own whether widowed or divorced That s what makes a big difference

Although I do voluntary work I loathe every minute of retirement.

Yes I love being retired and doing what I want when I want to without hearing that early morning alarm clock or clock watching at work. It's great not to have to sit in traffic jams and then run in the door to cook a meal, go to bed and have to get up the next day and do it all again. I find that my days are much more varied now and it's lovely to have that choice.

I'm like you Bluebelle in that I lost sense of purpose and order once I retired 3 years ago. Although I'm married with 2 DGC who I have after school twice a week, I still feel I need to do something useful. It is nice having no pressure of deadlines though, and to be able to do what I like.

I love retirement. I retired from teaching three years ago at 60 and it was time for me to stop. I was exhausted by the job and also I have a couple of auto immune issues which add to the exhaustion. When I retired, I decided to downsize so that gave me a project to work on. I now look after my dgs two days a week and that keeps me active! I took up painting and really enjoy that too. I like not having to go out if the weather is bad and meeting friends who are also retired. I don't miss teaching at all.

I enjoy being retired. I like having the dogs shape my day, and as with ladyleftfieldlover, a wonderful but surprise grandchild shapes my week.
I've met new people, learnt new 'skills', and had time to reconnect with old hobbies.

Yes. I enjoy days out with OH. I love the freedom to choose how to spend each day. We still have plenty of involvement with the grandchildren and both have lots of hobbies.

The thing is as women do we ever truly retire?
Yes from paid work but for those of us who gave up work when we had our children, at this age nothing much has changed.

I’m not complaining, just stating that the housework, food shopping, cooking, laundry etc still has to be done.
My husband is semi retired and does help more now, and he’s always looked after the garden and, as Theresa May once said, all the ‘boy’ jobs !

Yes we have more time for days out, and we love having our baby grandson here once a week, but in all honesty I wouldn’t describe myself as retired ( apart from on official forms of course!)

Lasted 3 months then ex boss asked me to go back, but just 2 or 3 days a week which I still do,. Now I also look after my baby Grandson 1 day a week I try to get out of the house as much as possible, can't stand doing nothing.
Spending all week with no purpose drove me nuts, that was 6 years ago.
DH comments I'm never in.

I’m not enjoying being retired. I take great pleasure in spending time with my GC but otherwise it’s all negative really. I don’t like housework or gardening and have no hobbies. I spend too much time watching tv. I have a wonderful DH but prefer for us not to be together all the time. It was good to do a useful job and be part of a team. Retirement is just part of growing older.,

aonk The solution lies in your hands. Actively go and look for activities, occupations or volunteer work that you will enjoy. There are plenty of 'useful'jobs in the volunteer sector. I worked as a home visiting benefits advisor for a charity for the elderly for over 10 years, that may not be your bag, but something else might be.

You can make retirement enjoyable if you make the effort.