Many of us struggle with our older years because we no longer have a job to focus on, as we have for most of our lives. Here’s a strategy which I have found helpful. Plan two things to do each day. You do not have to frantically seek to fill up every minute. These two activities can be brief; there’s no need to be busy throughout the day. For example:
- Sign up for an online event on a topic that interests you
- Plan to catch up with an old friend (it’s usually better to start with an email to arrange a convenient day/time.)
- Go for a walk in an area you haven’t visited for awhile, or discover someplace new
- Volunteer for a organization that does work you relate to (e.g. one that helps other older adults, like DOROT or Front Porch)
- Engage in a physical activity that you enjoy: e.g. swim, bicycle, pickleball
- Pick up a book that you’ve been planning to read but ‘haven’t gotten around to yet. Most libraries make it easy to search and check out books online.
- Learn about a new technology, especially one that many others are currently learning about (e.g. become familiar with AI)
- Listen to a podcast about current events, or about any other area that interests you. Have you tried The Daily?
- Plan to visit a restaurant you haven’t tried before, or a type of food that you rarely have.
- Spend time with someone who is going through a difficult time.
- When you can, reach out to someone you have only met online and arrange to meet in person. (I did this last year with friends I met through GetSetUp and had a wonderful time.)
Whenever you can, plan activities in advance so you don’t wake up to an empty day on your calendar. Sometimes it is wonderful to be able to spontaneously do something that suddenly comes up, which was rarely possible when you were working full time.
Another option is re-watching old favorite movies or TV shows (many you can find for free at Kanopy or Hoopla (available through your public library) or the Roku Channel.
But of course, as I’ve mentioned before, involve other people whenever you can. I’ve spent much of my life doing things myself, but I’ve learned how wonderful it can be to plan activities with other people. Look for experiences you can enjoy over a period of time, such as a class that lasts several weeks, either online or in person.
But start by picking two activities a day.