Dec. 26, 2019

This paid piece is sponsored by Avera.

Like many things in life, the secret to retiring well is all about planning.

Plans come naturally for some. Other people think solely of finances and 401(k)s when they consider a close to their career.

Shortchange yourself like that and you’ll end up spending a lot of emotional energy.

“Regardless of the age at which it happens, retiring is not just a change. It’s a process of transitioning into new and repurposed beginnings,” said Laurie Dirnberger, a trainer and consultant with the Avera Employee Assistance Program, or EAP. “Well-being and life satisfaction in retirement years flow from a framework that welcomes transition as the pathway to change.”

Starting on time

One of the best ways people can prepare whether retirement is decades down the road or right around the corner is to start establishing more life balance – now.

“No matter what you do, be it a doctor, teacher or truck driver, if that’s your entire identity, it’ll be hard to make a transition to something else,” said Dr. Clarissa Barnes, Avera Medical Group hospitalist and medical director of the Avera LIGHT program. “Retiring is a transition that requires work for success. It’s natural to worry, but you’ll worry less if you begin building balance in life today.”

The Avera LIGHT Program is provided to all physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners across the health system to provide support and tools needed to help reduce stress, optimize workflow, improve work-life balance and prevent burnout.

It’s never too soon to evaluate those activities and relationships that make up your life.

“For some, work is just a job, and their passion is pursued outside of the workday. Retirement offers some the opportunity to live out their sense of calling with repurposed values and identity,” Dirnberger said. “Perspective changes with age and wisdom.”

Your ideal retirement may come at age 65 or after that. Your perfect idea for those years might be providing pro bono babysitting for your grandchildren. It might be a pastime, side project or hobby. It can be many things at once.

“Too often in life, we see things as either/or when many times the choices are actually both/and,” Dirnberger said. “People who ‘unretire’ often do so because they are unprepared for the emotional transfers that shift when one’s job ends. What will living look like when working ends?”

Conversations with care

Fine-tuning the plans for post-work life should not be done in a vacuum. Since the vantage point on what retirement will look and feel like starts early, it’s best to discuss the future with those around you.

“There’s always room for mentorship and to talk to people who retired five years ago and see what they faced and how they felt,” Barnes said. “Of course, if you have a spouse, you should talk about the plans with them. Make sure you’re on the same page as you envision future plans.”

Barnes said when she was a primary care physician, many patients who retired made more appointments with her during their first year of retirement.

“They might have mood changes or weight gain. It was an adjustment they faced, in part because they had not fully reflected on a balanced life or their post-career identity,” she said. “I was glad they came to me because we could talk about it and start there with it.”

Seeking help from a counselor, mentor or health care provider can be a way to “catch up” if your retirement planning wasn’t as robust as it could have been.

“I encourage people to reflect on how their successes in life speak to their personal significance, and when you reflect on these out loud, it will help you find your answers,” Dirnberger said. “Retiring well is about more than financial decisions, and it requires reflection and, in some cases, conversations with people around you, life coaches or consultants, so you can make your best decisions.”