Retirement: Will Someone Need To Create A New Identity If They Have Retired?

When someone has a full time job, it is likely to mean that it is a big part of their life. In fact, what they do for a living could be their whole life, meaning that it will be more than just something they do for a certain amount of hours each week.
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What they could find is that what they do for a living is their life, with everything else being an additional part of their life. Therefore, whatever they do at the weekend - that’s if they don’t work during this part of the week – won’t be that important to them.

A Fulfilling Career

This may show that one does something that is deeply rewarding, which is why they don’t have the need to do much else with their life. There is also the chance that they are not in a relationship either, giving them even more time to focus on their job.

In a sense, it will be as if they are married to their job, taking away their need to actually have a relationship. Their whole modus operandi could change if they were to meet someone, though.

Another Scenario

Conversely, someone could have a family, but what they do for a living could still be a big part of their life. They might do what they can to find time to be with their partner and even their children, or they might neglect this area of their life.

Not only will it be good for their wellbeing to take a break from their work and to spend time with their family, it will also be good for their family’s wellbeing. If this doesn’t take place, they may soon find that they no longer have a relationship and that their children start to resent them.

Another Part

When a job is a big part of someone’s life, it is likely to play a big part in the identity that they have formed. If someone was to ask them what they do, they could say that they are an accountant, for instance.

It is then not something that they do; it is who they are. In reality, it will merely be a role that they play for a certain amount of hours each day and have very little to do with who they actually are.

One Outcome

If their job plays a big part in how they see themselves, there is a strong chance that it also has a big impact on their sense of value. How valuable they feel could then depend on what they do and on the position that they hold within the company.

Therefore, as long as they have this job, or don’t get demoted, they might be able to feel good about themselves. Taking all this into account, a job plays a far bigger role in the average person’s life than simply giving them the money they need to live.

A Big Transition

If someone was to get to the point in their life when it is time for them to retire, they may have mixed feelings. Part of them may think about how much free time they will have, but another part of them could feel really uncomfortable.

What will play a big part here is if their job has been the centre of the world for many, many years. If it has, it is going to be normal for them to feel lost and as though their life no longer has any meaning after they have retired.

An Inner Emptiness

Although they won’t have lost a loved one, for instance, it can still be as though they have experienced a loss. The person they were will be no more, which means that their old identity will have basically died.  

If, then, they haven’t got any other interests in life, this is going to be a very challenging time in their life. Not only can they feel as though they no longer have a purpose, they can also feel as though they no longer have any value.

A New Beginning

What can add to what they are going through is that the modern day world values youth and doesn’t have the same level of appreciation for people who are at the other end of the age spectrum. Perhaps it’s because people on this side of the spectrum remind people of their own mortality.

Anyway, the key will be for them to reinvent themselves and to realise that even though they no longer have the job they had before, they still have a lot to offer the world. For one thing, the break down of the family has meant that a lot of young people are in desperate need of guidance.

Creating Meaning

Retiring won’t be the end of their life, it will merely be the beginning of a new stage of their life. In order for them to transition to this next stage, they will need to make sure that they find new things to do.    

Staying active will be important, and this can take place by walking or swimming, for instance. Doing yoga or Pilates can also help to keep them supple and ready to embrace each day.

Awareness

If they believe that they have something to offer and look after themselves, people of all ages are likely to listen to them. Some people will look beyond their physical appearance and be able to see that they have a lot of value to offer.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk