The 6 Stages of Retirement - Stage 4

'It's just a stage you're going through...' - how many times have well-meaning friends and family members said that to you over the course of your lifetime? And don't expect them to stop now, because, as far as retirement is conce ed, there are six identified stages that most retirees go through to varying degrees. In this article I take a look at Stage 4 - The Disenchantment stage. The Disenchantment stage is where letdown - a feeling of disappointment or uncertainty - can occur. You've done many of the fun things you wanted to do but now the honeymoon (and maybe the budget for the fun activities) is over, and it's time to face the reality of being retired. Maybe you're starting to feel a bit bored or lonely. Maybe those fun activities you always wanted to have time to do don't feel so much fun when you have all the time in the world to do them and can do them every day. Maybe you've put on a few pounds and you're starting to feel sluggish or less like your old self. Maybe you feel like your energy retired at the same time you did and you're struggling to get going again. Maybe you've achieved all the goals that you set for your retirement and you're left feeling 'What's next?'. The disenchantment phase can become a real problem for up to 20% of all retirees and can lead to depression if not managed correctly by identifying the causes of your dissatisfaction, dealing with them and then designing and implementing a satisfying and enjoyable retirement lifestyle for yourself. The potential pitfalls of the Disenchantment phase include:

Forgetting to replace the retirement goals/'bucket-list' items that you have already achieved with new ones, so that you always have something inspirational to strive for

Not finding ways to replace the benefits that you obtained from your work, which include: financial stability, time management, a sense of being useful, status and socialization and companionship.

Allowing yourself to become bogged-down in everyday, mundane activities that leave precious little time for the things you really love and want to do

Becoming derailed by something that completely blows your retirement plans out of the water - such as a recession, a divorce or health problems, and not taking the necessary action to get yourself back on course

Becoming aware that you and your partner are 'getting under each other's feet' and that your relationship has deteriorated since you retired, but not doing anything to resolve the situation to your mutual satisfaction

Discovering that your expectations for your retirement and those of your partner don't match up and not taking action to try to blend the two together in a mutually agreeable and satisfying way

Letting the extra pounds pile on until weight management becomes a real problem for you

Allowing the disenchantment phase to go on too long before taking action to turn things around

Not recognizing when disenchantment has turned into depression and not seeking medical help to get yourself back on track