If you’ve recently retired or are due to finish work soon, you’ll be planning for the years of leisure time ahead. You may be happy to have some free time at first, but when the novelty of doing nothing wears off, you’ll want an activity to get your teeth into. Maybe you already have one planned, but if not, this list of suggestions will set you thinking. Pick up the one that appeals the most to you and give it a whirl. If you find that these 7 activities are not quite right for your retirement, try another. The list will spur other ideas, too, so keep an open mind until you find an ideal activity for yourself.
Sports and Physical Activities
If you’re an athletic person, how about taking up a new sport? Have you tried hang-gliding yet, parachuting, or deep-sea diving? For a slightly gentler activity, you could take up canoeing, hiking, or river swimming, or join your local tennis or badminton club. There are countless sports and outdoor activities to choose from, especially if you’re able to travel to access the more specialized ones, so pick the one that excites you most.
Crafts activities in your retirement
Are you good with your hands? Perhaps you’re a neat sewer or an expert weaver or enjoy wood or metal work. Use your leisure hours to develop your skills or take up a brand-new craft. You might enjoy decorating cushions, shaping ceramic pots, making wickerwork furniture, or blowing glass, for instance. Whatever you choose, there’ll probably be a craft-relevant group to join. If not, you could start one.
Music
Retirement is a stage of life to take up a musical instrument. You’ll have plenty of time to practice, and your teacher will probably be able to put you in touch with other mature learners to play with. If you love singing, you could audition for a choir or, if you prefer, join an informal singing group. Perhaps, you’re a seasoned folk guitarist or jazz trumpeter, in which case, join a group to suit you or set up one yourself.
Free Expression
Do you have a novel inside you waiting to be written? If so, now is the time to put a pen on the paper or get clicking on your laptop. If your artistic forte lies in sculpture, drama, or dance, the same applies – now is the time to release your creative spirit. Invest in the requisite materials and equipment, join a group if you wish, and let your self-expression flow.
Travel
At last, you’re free to travel. You can take off in any direction, for as long as you like, without your boss screaming over the phone that you’re late for work. There’s a world of wonders waiting out there, so spin the globe and see what country’s facing you when it stops. Is that the one for you? You’ll probably find some of your retired friends have itchy feet, too, so why not get planning together?
Cooking
When you worked, you probably didn’t have much spare time or energy for cooking fancy meals. But, now you have all the time you want, so if you enjoy cooking, what stops you from getting to work in the kitchen and serving up high-class cuisine for your family and friends?
Community work
You may sense a calling to help your community. There’s always work to be done, of course, be it visiting the sick or lonely or contributing to a local project. Whatever services you can offer, they’re sure to be gratefully received.
Retirement offers a wonderful opportunity to pursue lifelong dreams and try new things, so make the most of it. There’s a world out there waiting for you, so enjoy it to the fullest.
