In this article about how not to get depressed in retirement, I share with you advice from the scientific literature that can help you reduce the risk of depression after retirement.
These tips are offered for informational purposes to begin managing this period of your life on your own, but they do not replace the advice of a health professional.
That said, I invite you to discover the following advice.
1 – Prepare for your retirement
The first piece of advice is to do everything you can to organize your retirement as much as possible.
In a previous article, I highlighted the importance of psychologically preparing for retirement in order to better live through this important transition period.
But effectively planning your retirement is also important to reduce the risk of depression once you retire.
The study by Ju & al. (2017) shows that people who do not plan their retirement are more at risk of suffering from depression compared to those who prepare for it in advance. This effect is even more marked among people who have low incomes when they retire.
This study confirms the importance of mental and overall preparation to improve the quality of your life in retirement.
The next tip is to choose when to retire.
2 – Choose when to retire
The legal age for retirement varies from country to country, but as far as possible it is important to choose when to retire.
The meta-analysis conducted by Li & al. (2021) shows that people who voluntarily choose their retirement have less risk of suffering from depression compared to those who do not.
Even if you have the right to retire, if you do not feel ready do not rush.
Learn to resist solicitations from your professional or personal environment that seem to push you towards the exit.
Take all the time you need to make a thoughtful decision.
The next tip is to improve your self-efficacy and expectations.
3 – Improve your self-efficacy and expectations
In psychology, self-efficacy is defined as the perception that an individual has of being able to cope with a given situation.
In the specific case of retirement, self-efficacy is defined as individual perceptions of the ability to successfully manage the specific challenges related to the new retirement situation.
The study of Topa & Valero (2017) shows that people who have good self-efficacy and positive expectations regarding retirement are less at risk of suffering from depression.
This means that to protect your mental health you need to strengthen your sense of self-efficacy. To achieve this you can start by identifying all the factors that you can manage and that depend on you.
Then, it is important to question yourself about the expectations you have regarding retirement. To act on these expectations, you can change the meaning you give to retirement or take concrete actions to improve the quality of your life.
The next tip is to develop your social life.
4 – Develop your social life
Having a social life is important at all stages of life, but it is even more important once you are retired.
The study of Shiba & al. (2017) shows that people who participate in recreational social activities are less at risk of becoming depressed compared to those who do not.
Now that you have this information, you can think about the hobbies that interest you and start signing up for activities that interest you.
Doing this will allow you to expand your circle of contacts and at the same time improve your health and your social life.
Doing this can be difficult for some people, but stepping out of your comfort zone is essential to feel better on a daily basis.
Remember that you are the only ones who can change your life for the better and it starts with the decision to step out of what reassures you and blocks you right now to move towards the new life that awaits you on the other side of your fears.
Conclusion on how not to get depressed in retirement
In this article on how not to get depressed in retirement, I have offered you advice from scientific research that will help you improve the quality of your life in retirement.
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Read this article in other languages
Français : Comment ne pas déprimer à la retraite : 4 conseils issus de la science
Italiano: Come non deprimersi quando si va in pensione: 4 consigli dalla scienza