The highest stress levels in life come during periods involving change. Loss of a loved one, divorce, and change of jobs are listed as times of stress. Adjusting to retirement is often overlooked as far as stress, but such an abrupt change of lifestyle needs to be handled carefully.

Phase-In Retirement

One coping mechanism is to phase-in retirement. Avoid the shock of one day "going full steam ahead" to a phase of your life without professional goals. To accomplish this, consider a period of diminishing workload. Job sharing, consulting, and mentoring offer ways to ease into retirement. Another effective technique for transition is a part-time job in another field such as court bailiff, substitute teacher, or a volunteer at a hospital or school.

New Goals

After working a lifetime, an individual entering a period of inactivity can suffer emotional distress. If staying semi-active in a workplace is not desirable or available, find a new area of interest. Retirement offers the opportunity to explore new challenges and make lifestyle adjustments, which can be fulfilling. Artistic endeavors and furthering education are challenging endeavors, which are often neglected during the "working" phase of life due to time restraints. Retirement presents an excellent opportunity to develop as a person.

New Horizons

Too often, successful people become depressed and detached within three years of retirement. Death is not unusual. The feelings of separation and loss of direction in life become overwhelming. With proper direction, a retiring person enters a period of growth and contribution.

• Approach retirement as an opportunity for growth.
  
• Ease into retirement.
  
• Avoid periods of inactivity, which can lead to loss of self-esteem.

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