There are four basic activities which contribute to making a rewarding retirement; Firstly work mates should generally be replaced by another social network separate from the old workplace, just as new friends should replace parents now dead or any deceased companions. Grandchildren, if you have them, can meet a large part of such needs, or becoming a surrogate grandparent to those who don't have any might suit those without a family of their own. Maintenance of relationships is part of the ongoing staple of healthy life, in later years relationships with younger people help to provide a sense of connection to one's community.

Secondly retirees must rediscover how to play. Play, perhaps in the form of cards, bingo, bowls, golf, tennis, fishing, or walking clubs, provides the opportunity to make new friends, it helps maintain self-esteem while letting go of self-importance, but, most of all, play makes retirement fun.

The third basic activity which leads to a rewarding retirement, and closely linked to play, is creativity. This activity often requires solitude, something which may well have been missing throughout the working life. The creative activity can take many forms from art, to needlework, to carpentry, to gardening, cooking and writing, to mention only a few. As examples of some of our elders who were creative in their later years think of Churchill who took up oil painting when he retired from politics and writing, Monet painted his famous water lilies at age 76, and Benjamin Franklin invented bifocal spectacles at 78. As we age we do experience a drop in energy levels so the creative output may well be slower, at 90 Pablo Casals could still play his cello brilliantly in the mornings but was often too tired to play in the afternoon. Creativity may be, for some, better expressed in acts of generativity, caring for the next generation, than in the creative works mentioned.

The fourth activity is a to continue lifelong learning. Bringing the maturity of working years to the task of learning something new is challenging and rewarding often bringing with it the recovery of childlike wonder.  Enthusiasm and involvement in learning new things in later life is highly related to psychological health, maintaining an open mind and interest in new things helps the old to stay young. While lifelong learning is associated with successful aging, it is never too late to start.

Aggie Grant, Registered Psychologist,  Alpha Counselling Services