Well I did it… I declined my contract for next year and put in my retirement notice starting Aug 31st. Somehow I don’t feel joyous. I am feeling completely unsettled. I will be 68 and I realize it is the time to retire. There are enough changes at work due to a 30 million dollar deficit, but that in itself does not give me comfort. I have that tight feeling in my chest (stress). I feel sort of like that first night at boot camp. I keep thinking did I make the right move or just f-ked up.
Just curious, anyone else felt that way?
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I have to say, my retirement did not go that way at all. I spent 25 years as a police officer and retired to take a job with the state department of mental health. I did not have any stress leaving, or guilt about my decision. I hate that you are feeling that. Keep in mind, change is difficult. The longer you do a task makes it harder to stop doing said task easily.
I believe you made a good decision. With retirement you have the opportunity to do something you truly enjoy, be that spending more time with family, golfing, whatever it is, you have time. If you get bored with retirement, you can find a fun job and just do it because you want to, not because you have to.
Thank you for all your time, now go find something more for you!
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Yep very much so (we’re the same age), I feel your tightness (hey what can I say we’re just friends right?) – I bailed out at 60, although even 3 or 4 months prior I had no plans to do so. But circumstances were inexorably converging and I read the writing on the wall. My position wasn’t threatened at all, I just didn’t like the direction we were going & hindsight kinda confirmed my reservations. And yes I was fortunate I/we could afford me to retire at that point.
Anyway the point is, I’d done next to zero retirement planning. Suddenly being permanently at home, especially with a partner, is a Big Thing for both. The obvious question is, wtf are you gonna do all day/every day for the rest of your life? For those whose life revolved around work & including social contacts, retirement can be a disaster if they don’t have any other interests in terms of mental health, and eventually health generally.
In my case, I have to credit this forum (and its predecessor) for providing a soft landing and continuous mental stimulation ever since. But not exclusively, I’ve always had other art-related interests as a second string. The biggest challenge can be how your partner/family copes with the change – I’ve been lucky in that respect, my wife was actually happy I’d left a lot of stress behind and it was a smooth transition. But I would always say to those contemplating retirement that you have to seriously imagine what Life will look like – make plans, dream up new projects, and above all get physically active.
Good luck to you Greg, hopefully the tightness will gradually relax…it does sound like you made the right decision 
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Yeah that how your partner copes with it part keeps sturing in my head. She is 62 and plans to keep working. “Why would I ever quit?” Her comet was I hope we will make enough. We live on one Salery and bank the other. I think we will be OK.
Just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I am sure it is going to work out fine. I just gotta deal with the stress until I see it working out. I have always hated being in between jobs, worrying about no income and making the bills, now I am ending work and I still have the same worry. I do have a back up job if necessary, just doesn’t pay nearly as well.
Time to go eat a bag of cheetos.
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I think you’ll both work it out OK. My wife continued to work for several years after I’d bailed (she was a real estate copywriter) because she liked it/was good at it, not so much for financial reasons. Inevitably I took on some domestic chores which didn’t bother me at all, quite therapeutic and helped structure my days. This also had the benefit of going down well with her – win/win. That basic framework for me turned out to help the transition – at work you’ve got schedules/deadlines all the time, so basic domestic stuff served as a soft replacement.
Sure a back-up/part time job (paid or voluntary) is another good idea – gets you out of the house for a start.
As for stress, I remember that – waking up in the morning stressed, and then wondering what was I stressing about? It had become part of me while working, suddenly there was no reason for it. I think it took me a year or more to get that monkey off my back.
Hey, steady on with the Cheetos! Actually that leads me into another essential subject. I got myself a complete health-check a year or so after retirement – no specific reason, I’d just never had one before. It turned up a few not-serious issues but ones that needed immediate action to prevent future problems. So glad I did that, I’m probably in better shape now than I was the day I retired, and with good prospects God willing.
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Nah, no feeling like that when I put in my retirement papers. It was more the feeling of satisfaction of having survived the long haul to make it to that point. I remembered back to the Academy when staff told all of us youngsters that only a percentage of us would make it to a full career. Many were medically retired due to injuries incurred while on the job, several were killed in the line of duty, some decided that the job wasn’t for them and left for other lines of work… a few never passed probation or got themselves fired for misdeeds later on.
Shortly after retirement during the George Floyd stupidity I did feel a touch of guilt at not being out there with my former partners as they dealt with that then latest round of activity. But that was tempered with the realization that I was no longer the young buck that I had been, times and the job had changed, and the new generation was capable of taking cate of business without my aging rump being out there on the line anymore.
It was a good run while it lasted.
Congrats to you on making it to the end of your run.
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You’re dead right, there is some euphoria about cutting loose for good. And also I think it’s a natural thing as older fogies to believe that those who take up the baton will never be as good as we were, with all our experience benched for good. There’s some truth in that, but maybe tempered with the probability that the younger bucks are far more across current/latest circumstances/technology etc. than us, who have largely become set in our ways. We did the best we could, time to hand over for better or worse.
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Of course everyone’s situation is different,but in my previous department we were all 30+ year employees with pensions and 401"s,but we all still had trepidations about retirement,but one by one we all took the leap and all of us said,why didnt we do this sooner.But you have to have planned well and then trust your preparations.Again,one size doesnt fit all.We were all between 55-60 when we left.
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All major changes are difficult.
We humans don’t like changes, more pronounced in some of us.
Retiring, getting a new job, new hairstyle, moving to a new place,
new partner in life.
We know what we have, the routine is a security in itself.
Go out and enjoy life.
Whatever you do, make sure to stay active.
Relaxing and sinking into the comfy chair/sofa leads to a premature death.
Lots of retirees have relaxed themselves into an early grave.
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Lucky buggers
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I did not but I retired early at 58. It took me a bit at first to get used to it, but I’m glad that I left when I did.
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Good health advice-take walks every day or something like that. I do alot of traveling and camping with my dog. Get out of the chair!
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Hey mate … very similar circumstances …
Well, its over ….42 years in the blink of an eye
I have a bit of trepidation about it all, who wouldnt … but its a new chapter and something to look forward to …
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I truly hope you find peace retiring. I know people in similar shoes that feel/ felt the same way about retiring. No one can judge you for wanting to continue working however, I strongly believe if unwanted work stress is a factor, your health is more important.
Identify the feeling in your chest. There is good stress and bad stress. When you went to boot camp was it a good stressor? Anxiety and happiness can both have the same stressor feeling in your stomach!
Perhaps doing a pros and cons list may help?
I think I might be one of the youngest here to retire at 51.
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Sheese, I feel that way and I haven’t even retired yet, at 67 I’m ready for it but I know I won’t get enough from SS to carry me so I still have 3 years to go, thing is I work in a warehouse and with corporate trimming the work force more and more I’ve had more physical responsibilities added to me and frankly unloading container trucks is starting to hurt. Interesting thing is, during the Covid crisis I was on furlough for three months and the apprehension of even temporary unemployment helped me realize how much I am blessed and depend on the Almighty for provision in every aspect of life, even now it is a daily realization that He is in control and I’ve learned to surrender to His will. Not trying to preach but sooner or later you learn to let go . . . Cling to the Cross, lean on Jesus and follow God is my mantra now days. Hope this helps.
Cajun 
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Make sure you have outside interests to keep you busy. During my working years I saw far to many die within 6 months of retirement (mainly I think) because they had nothing to do outside work
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Yes indeed I’ve known a couple of cases like that – the adrenalin associated with stress that sustains some guys at work turns out to be the only thing sustaining them. Retire, no stress, goodnight nurse. To be fair they were probably also the kind of guys who had no time for doctors & check-ups, and mistakenly thought whatever symptoms they were ignoring would disappear when they retired.
My Dad was 110% committed to his work & research students as a Prof. Mech Engineering, Mum was terrified when he decided to pull the plug at 60. He had zero outside interests and no close friends outside work. So I started grilling him about our utterly mysterious/unknown family history – this was 1980, way before the ‘net. Turned out to be his lifeline, he seized on it with a vengeance bless him. I worked with him for the next 6 years while I was still in the UK but he carried on for another 20 years digging up our past. He died at 93.
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Good luck in retirement. I have friends that retired then went back to work after being bored. I’ve got at least 9 years to go and it can’t get here soon enough. I have a houseful of interests waiting for me to have the time for them.
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It’s what you make of it. My neighbors next to me and across the street are all “retired” being in the late 70’s/80’s and some home less now than when working full time. They volunteer at their church, food banks, old folks home, babysit grand and great grandchildren, etc. Those MFers are cutting grass at 10 am on a weekday flaunting their freedom. I am getting side eye from wife and having to cut after work. The oldest one I believe at 85, volunteers at the old folks home, she said it keeps her young. My dad at 83 is hitting 10k steps a day usually before 10. Hit 14k yesterday. He doesn’t let his medical issues slow him down. My mom who did it her way with smoking, drinking and sitting around is 6’ under before 70. You have options.
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What Ryan said. No question, a positive attitude and social interaction in any form typically extends life expectancy. That said there’s a big element of genetic luck – I’m sure we’ve all known people who had all the above attributes yet prematurely departed this life in a second, or within a year or so of seeming the picture of health.
Just like my Dad, I smoked for 50 years & we both gave up around 65. He made it in good health to 93, I’m 3 years clean & hoping I have whatever he had. It seems so unjust (and I feel so undeserving) when people who’ve never smoked can die of lung cancer.
It makes no sense, all I know is that every single day is a bonus. How’s that for a positive attitude?
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