Retirement and Depression

Retirement and Depression Why Retirement and Depression may go Hand in Hand For many persons who reach the milestone of retiring after many years of working within a profession, retirement and depression seem to be intertwined. Here are a few reasons why retirement and depression seem to go together, as well as suggestions on how to break the cycle. One reason why persons experience a sequence of retirement and depression is related to all the preparation that normally proceeds the actual day of retirement itself. There are numerous of small details to impart to a successor, business associates to meet with and thank for the many years of interaction, and of course the retirement party itself. After all the activity, it is only normal that persons would feel somewhat deflated by the sudden lack of focused action items to complete. To combat this predilection, it is imperative to engage in activities that are desirable ways of spending time. Volunteer work, setting up a small home business, or taking a trip that has long been deferred due to work constraints are all beneficial ways of working through the situations of retirement and depression. For some people, the combination of retirement and depression is a result of feeling that there is no useful activity left to engage in. Hence, life is more or less over. For a person suffering from this point of view, it is important to remember that each person has talents that can be helpful to other persons. After all, if you were able to consistently hold gainful employment for decades that implies you possess talent. Make an inventory of the skills you developed over the years and then identify opportunities where you can employ those skills in a new setting. Using this as a way of reminding yourself that you have plenty to offer can do a lot to chase the depression away. There are those people who draw much of their self esteem from the type of work they do. It is no wonder that persons in this category have a hard time dealing with retirement and depression. In this instance, it becomes important to turn to other aspects of self in order to reclaim that self esteem. Are you a loving spouse, held in regard by friends and family members? Then let that be the source of your self image; it is more lasting than a legacy of work. Depression and retirement do often appear to go hand in hand. However, by reminding yourself that you have much to offer, and then actively looking for opportunities to employ your talents, you can free yourself of the tendency to fall into depression.