Having a massive loss of confidence....

I solved my ‘lack of’ by doing voluntary work and have never looked back I need a purpose to get up, I need a routine, and need to be needed I suppose.

i welcomed retirement. And I am the most gloomy and pessimistic person you could meet. I did miss saying, when asked "what do you do" and replying, 'well I am the Head of ...it took me a year to settle in to my new retired role. And now 20 years on, I am still here, still gloomy. But now working to someone else's rhythm is long forgotten.
Your mood will pass. You will eventually understand yourself better, and reach a state where you don't give a shite what others think of you. And providing you have adequate funds, you have the freedom to choose to lie in bed and wile away your life, or not.
I have been to Buckingham Palace, as I took up a 'cause' The food was good. But the state of the lawn was a surprise. People say all sorts of IRRITATING stuff to me ( such as you are as young as you feel) etc It's in response to my age, And I often think "F" off.
I only wish I had said it a bit more when I was 60, your age ,

I joined groups and volunteer but I do get disillusioned. They are not all they are cracked up to be. Internal politics and cliquey.

TBH I get most enjoyment from solitary pursuits, walking the dog, my piano, cycling, reading and gardening.

My husband has various chronic health conditions but OK generally which I am thankful for each day that passes.

In my 60 I dream to live in a place like Ilfracombe, so I walk up and down the hills, explore the coves, drink coffee and have my adult child near me in a nice coastal town uni like St Ives or something , obviously my husband also but he will be working a lot because he is the bread winner, I am the savings maker

I also will sell an ice cream or work as a hotel maid....nothing of that kind would bother me

I dived into doing the family history and although at that time it meant going to a family history centre and trawling through films and microfiches (no internet records then) I did have the time and inclination to actually visit some of the locations. I wish I had had the cash available to do more of that, but I "retired" before I got a pension and now I have the cash but I don't have the get up and go, unfortunately.

I got to know so many family members who had been just names, or totally unknown to me and became friends with fellow researchers from more distant branches.