So you’ve retired, but life seems just as full as ever. There is no time to do what you would like, or even think about what you might do. Perhaps nothing has changed for you after retirement except that now you don’t work. All the chores that used to take up your ‘free time’ are still there, and because you have more time, they have expanded to fill it!

You need to de-clutter. Not only physically, but mentally. Let’s start with your possessions. The first thing to understand is: Possessions possess you. The more you own, the more time is taken up in servicing them,

• House. Do you really need to maintain a 4- or more, bedroom home just in case the children want to visit? Plus keeping the garden, garden shed, garage and the rest of the surroundings clean and tidy. Why not visit them?
• Car. No need for a ‘people mover’ any more. Why not a small hatchback or even a 2-seater sports model? Maybe you can do without a car and all that goes with possessing one: license, insurance, depreciation, parking, maintenance, petrol, cleaning, and so on. Try public transport, enjoy the walk to the bus stop or station, and the opportunity to get fit and meet people. If you need a car for a long journey, hire one. If it’s raining when you leave the cinema – take a taxi.
• Do you really need all that old furniture? What about the wood and glass that needs polishing, the carpets that collect dirt, the ornaments that have to be dusted, the valuable crockery inherited from your grandma?  And what about all that furniture and other stuff in the garage that you are storing for your children? It’s time for a clear out.
• Do you need to own a boat with all the costs and time involved in keeping it on a mooring, and all the gear in working order? If you would like to go boating, hire one.
• Cancel all those subscriptions to work-related journals.
• And so on. It’s worth carrying out an inventory of all your possessions and commitments, then decide which are essential and what can go.

De-clutter your mind! It’s time to retire from all those committees associated with your work; from the school board – the children are in uni now, or working; from the professional associations; from the Community Watch committee – you are moving to a unit; from the local club board – you rarely go there these days; from the sports committees – you only walk and swim these days, and so on.

The relief after de-cluttering is amazing and the vast amount of free time you will gain can lead to a whole new and exciting life. How about becoming a Grey Nomad for example? Go for it!

The Brain is the most complex machine in the Universe, as far as we know. It thrives on challenges – learning, adapting, creating, problem-solving. It can change at any age, so it is possible to teach an old ‘dog’ new tricks. The biggest danger we face is the Big C. Not cancer, but COMFORT. In the words of that wise old person Anonymous: If you continue doing the same thing, you’ll keep getting the same result. If we keep to the same routine: wearing the same clothes, eating the same food, taking the same route to the shops, reading the same newspaper, talking to the same people, and so on, nothing can or will change. And in other words of the same old sage: If you hope to get something worthwhile out of life, you have to put something worthwhile in. In retirement, we need to keep the brain active, and we can do this in many ways. Here are a few:

• Learn new skills – carpentry, leatherwork, pottery, embroidery, quilting, growing native plants
• Learn another language, and practice it in conversation and abroad
• Learn a musical instrument
• Learn to sing, act, paint, sculpt, write prose and poetry
• Take up public speaking
• Mentor young people
• Volunteer in an unfamiliar area
• Teach – English as a second language, numeracy, literacy
• Volunteer in a ‘Men’s shed’ or a women’s refuge
• Get involved in politics
• Devise ways to help others overcome isolation and depression in retirement

The brain is also a physical organ, and exercise is as essential to its health as it is to your body (see previous post). It’s time to get out of your chair, turn off the DVD player or TV, and use your brain. Go for it!!!

Enjoying a healthy retirement will depend on paying proper attention to both body and mind. Let’s start by getting physical!:

• Ensure you are protected from ill-health. This means keeping up your vaccinations against infectious diseases. Organise regular blood tests and other checks – skin, circulation, bone density, faecal blood, sight, hearing, etc., in order to detect any problems in the early stages. Early diagnosis and treatment may prevent the onset of chronic ill-health.
• Take regular exercise to keep muscles strong and to stretch ligaments and tendons. Welcome any opportunities to exercise your legs – walk or cycle instead of driving; take the stairs rather than using the lift. Stand rather than sit. Use hand weights to keep the arm, shoulder and back muscles strong. Enrol in regular Yoga and Pilates classes to help you develop a fitness routine.
• Attend to your posture. The head is a very heavy part of the body and walking looking down, not ahead, puts strain on the neck and shoulder muscles and, in time, the stoop becomes fixed in place. Try to keep the head vertically over the neck and spine when walking or sitting. At the other end, avoid the ‘retirement shuffle’ – knees always bent and feet just skimming the ground. Walk so that the heel hits the ground first, then roll forward on the foot so that the toes are the last to leave the ground. Let the knee joint straighten just before the toes push off. Always think ‘toes up’ when walking so as to avoid a trip which could have serious consequences.
• Eat well. A diet of mostly carbohydrate with a little protein and fat has been shown to prolong life. Pay especial attention to keeping your colon and its friendly bacteria healthy and happy. Ensure your diet includes seeds, nuts, grains, whole fruits and vegetables. The saying: An apple a day… is still good advice, but eat it all, skin, core and pips. Make breakfast your most important and colon-friendly meal. Avoid extreme diets and fasting.
• Get fixable problems, such as arthritic hips and knees, remedied as soon as possible. You need to be fully mobile to keep fit, and to live an active life. Be careful in your choice of surgeons!
• Take a nap in the afternoon.
• Pour yourself a glass of red wine in the evening
• Keep away from ladders, loud music and heavy burdens!
• Don’t waste your money on vitamin supplements, extra minerals (except calcium), pre- and probiotics, and so-called de-tox treatments.

In the event that you do become ill, first get a medical diagnosis and follow through with the approved treatment regime, before resorting to alternative treatments. If you are unhappy with the way your problem is being managed, seek a second opinion.

Note: Further information on human health, as seen from the viewpoint of a veterinarian, will be available soon on another blog: avetsview.co

What are we going to do with the last quarter of our lives? The fact that retirement now lasts a quarter of a lifetime means that we need to give it the same amount of attention as each of the previous three quarters. Education, work and raising a family demanded particular skills and principles. What are the skills and principles needed for a successful retirement? Which values, attitudes and behaviours will be less important and, perhaps, we can discard. Which new ones do we need to develop?

Perhaps a good way to tackle this problem is to decide what behaviours will help us lead a happy and meaningful life in retirement. I think we need to pay particular attention to:

• Health – mental and physical
• Environment
• Obligations and expectations
• Education
• Community

Further posts will deal with these areas in turn. Other topics will undoubtedly arise.

For the first time in history, and thanks to modern medicine and good nutrition, many people who retire are faced with 20, 25, possibly 30 years of further living, or about a quarter of a lifetime. In general, the first quarter of our lives is taken up with growth and education, the second and third quarters with work and raising a family; but what will we do with the last quarter? Watch daytime TV or DVDs? Play board games? Go on cruises? Chat over frequent lunches? When they come to write your obituary, will they say: She/he didn’t do much?

Retirement needs a rethink. This time is a little like adolescence – full of freedom and opportunity, but we are also blessed with experience and wisdom. One of the aims of this blog (horrible word!) is to get retirees thinking about how they will, or are already using, the last quarter of life. I don’t like the word ‘retirement’: this is my ‘Best time‘.