Friday I overheard a conversation between two retired people:
"Have a nice weekend!"
"Well, every day is a weekend for us."
"Yeah, still some days you feel like Monday."
This exchange intrigued me. How can one feel like it's Monday when retirement dissolves the structured workweek?
I asked around for insights. Some suggested that even in retirement, responsibilities and tasks like appointments can bring stress reminiscent of workdays. Others mentioned commitments, such as social events or volunteering like what I often do, which can be disruptive.
Retirement provides an opportunity to structure our own time, giving us order, stability, and predictability. Our time is either structured by external forces or by ourselves. A typical example of an externally structured life is dedicating a huge portion of your most energetic years to an institution, such as medical school, often extending well into your 30s.
Yesterday, I discussed medical school with a friend from Kansas. Without such institutions managing our time, we must discipline ourselves to achieve comparable accomplishments. A challenge for many indeed.
Some people thrive in a structured environment. I am the opposite. I struggled to sit still through entire classes in elementary school.
Here lies a paradox in our attitude toward structured and unstructured time. On one hand, we desire freedom and spontaneity, longing to control our time. Do anytime we want. We feel constrained if the structure is too tight. On the other hand, we crave structure and order. Predictability reduces anxiety and stress, making daily life manageable and great for maintaining mental well-being.
This love-hate dynamic with structure seems deeply ingrained in our psychology. Retirement allows us to craft a balance, maintaining order and stability while enjoying the freedom of an unstructured life.
Finally, finding the right balance between freedom and structure in retirement can enhance both productivity and physical and mental well-being. It’s essential to create a routine with life stability while allowing the flexibility to enjoy newfound freedom. Embrace this balance so we can lead a fulfilling and satisfying retirement life.