Most people look forward to their retirement, but not many know about the psychological effects that come with retirement. After retirement, people may struggle with their sense of self or identity because they’ve spent most of their lives building themselves around their occupation. Who are you when you’re no longer working? Retirees with more time and less money on hand can also fall into depression or anxiety due to their retirement and feel at a loss of what to do with themselves. 

If you feel you fall into this category, know that you’re not alone. Transitioning from work to retirement can be difficult. Here are some tips on how to come to peace with this stage of life.

1. Emotions

Emotions may be prominent in your adjustment to retirement, and you’ll have to figure out a way to deal with them. Not all are positive—you may feel relieved and happy about this newfound sense of freedom one moment, only to fight anxiety and boredom in the next moment while you come to terms with the slower lifestyle. You might even feel guilty or depressed over your retirement. Suppressing any of these emotions is unhealthy, so you need to allow yourself to feel said emotions and handle them in a healthy manner: yoga, walking, reading, writing, or whatever else may help you work through it all.

2. Structure

Without a work schedule to plan your days around, you may feel a bit lost without that there to guide you. If you like having a schedule or a routine to follow, take the time to establish a routine for your retirement to give yourself that structure: plan different activities for each day in a way that suits you best. Take this time to exercise, be social, volunteer somewhere, or even plan when you wake up and go to sleep. Your schedule doesn’t have to be rigid, either. Simply planning when you’ll be eating your meals can give back your lost normalcy.

3. Volunteer

Are you going stir crazy without something to do but don’t want to go back to an office? Try volunteering with local nonprofits and charities. Not only will this give you a sense of accomplishment and purpose, but it’ll help to expand your social ties to other volunteers. Volunteering will also help your psychological well-being and physical health too.

4. Relax

Ultimately, you have time to figure out what you want to do. You don’t need to have your retirement planned out to the last detail before it even begins, and even if you do you might find that what you’ve planned isn’t as fulfilling as you initially thought it would be. Try experimenting with different activities and hobbies to find what suits you best and allow yourself to relax while you find yourself in this new way of living. Retirement is supposed to be a joyous time in your life—don’t stress out about it, and let yourself live the life you’ve always wanted to live.