We are so happy living in Downtown San Diego and making the transition from both of us working in Oregon to my husband being retired and me working in downtown San Diego has been a good one. I think we have found a great balance and I want to share our experience. I think we got lucky because we followed most of the suggestions of how to have a stress free retirement without realizing it!
1.
Adopt an attitude of gratitude. Taking time
at the end of each day to name the things you are grateful for in that
day.
2.
Accept change.
3.
Practice mindfulness. Staying in the moment, actively engaging with
your environment of the moment and letting your thoughts and emotions
arise and dissolve away, will help you let go of the past and keep you
from worrying about the future.
4.
Put together your support system. We all need other people, especially
as we age. Family, very close friends and community groups all
provide support. And, don’t forget pets. They also form part of our
support system. Our dog Sammi presents herself for stroking at the end of the day.
5.
Engage in stress relieving activities. Yoga, meditation, journaling,
gardening, a walk around the block or a hike through a nearby park can
all relieve stress. Find your stress reliever and use it as your go to
when you feel stressed out by life. We both write blogs, Pete golfs and I take daily walks. We go to the beach weekly and just sit there.
6.
Get plenty of sleep. As we age, that seems to be a tough one for some
of us. However, it is even more important than ever as it keeps our
brains functioning at top capacity. So, aim for at least 7 to 8 hours
of sleep each night. Cat naps are ok, too.
There
is no such thing as a stress free retirement but I have found that stress is
decreased by the measure of what you have compared to what you want. It also
seems to be directly proportionate to the amount of control you think you have over your life.
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