Many people look forward to retirement as a break from work and fixed routines. Daily life becomes more flexible, and there is more time for family and personal interests, writes the media outlet Be.
However, research shows that the transition is not only about practical changes.
It also affects how people experience their everyday lives and their role in society.
For many years, working life has provided structure and clear frameworks. When it ends, this structure disappears, and adjusting to that takes time.
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Less recognition
In the workplace, people regularly receive feedback from others. This may come through collaboration, tasks, or results that are acknowledged.
According to Ouest-France, studies show that the challenge of retirement is not necessarily due to a lack of activities.
Rather, it is more about no longer having a clear role or tangible results.
At the same time, many daily interactions disappear.
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Phone calls and professional relationships become fewer, which can change the sense of being part of a community.
A new identity
Over a long working life, one’s job often becomes an important part of one’s identity. It is a way of understanding oneself and one’s place in society.
When work ends, many need to find new ways to define themselves.
Research on aging indicates that well-being in retirement depends on whether one can build a new identity through social or personal activities.
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The greatest challenge of retirement is therefore not free time, but the loss of a fixed role and the recognition that comes with it.
Sources: Be, and Ouest-France.
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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.