If you are like many people, you are probably looking forward to the time when you can retire. It marks the end of an era and serves as a reward for all the hard work you have done over the years. Retirement is a time you can truly enjoy yourself and reap the rewards of all those years of being in the workforce, no matter what your chosen profession.
There are still more reasons you’ll love being retired. These are the 10 most notable.
1. Less Stress
Being retired means you no longer have all the same obligations as when you were working. Your kids have probably all flown the nest and are living on their own. You may have also already fully paid off your mortgage. As a result, there are far fewer demands on you, which means you experience less stress as a retired person.
2. Go to Bed and Wake Up When You Like
With retirement comes the ability to go to bed and wake up whenever you want. No longer do you have to set an alarm to wake you up early in the morning. You can turn in late and sleep in to enjoy whatever you like the next day. Sip your coffee in your pajamas while watching your favorite morning news program, talk show or game show. Since there are no obligations in terms of when you go to bed and when to rise, you may also find your sleep improving and that you’re feeling more rested each day.
3. Avoid Annoying Commutes
One of the best things about being retired is that you no longer have to deal with having to commute to work daily. Whether you rode public transport or drove to work, you no longer have to endure the crowds and excessive traffic during rush hour. It also leaves open more time for important appointments in the middle of the day, such as for medical or dental purposes.
4. You Can Wear What You Want
You no longer have to worry about planning what to wear to work. Instead, you can wear whatever you like and can dress casually in your favorite pair of worn jeans and T-shirts or even baggy sweats. After retirement, you no longer have to worry about wearing corporate pressed suits, uniforms or even business casual attire.
5. Spend More Quality Time with Your Spouse
If you and your spouse are both retired, you can spend more quality time together. Even if you’re the only one retired, you can still spend more time with your loved one. It can make planning date nights easier or you can simply spend time together in the comfort of home.
6. Be More Spontaneous
Being retired means it’s the perfect time to be more spontaneous. If you want to get out of the house and go for a refreshing walk in the park in the middle of the day, you can. You can even go away on a trip to another city, state or even country. Now that you have so much free time, you can be as spontaneous as you like.
7. Do Things You Love
While you were working, you no doubt had limited time for certain things. Once you’re retired, you can pursue creative outlets and do other things you enjoy. You may even want to take a course at your local community college that allows you to engage in a specific activity.
8. Exercise More
After retiring, you have more time to exercise. You can go running, walking, biking or swimming whenever you like or even hit the gym a few times per week.
9. Enjoy Cultural Pursuits
You have more time to go to the library to read, visit museums and go to art galleries. These cultural pursuits may have been difficult to enjoy while you were working.
10. More Relaxed
Finally, after you retire, you can relax more in general. You can experience the type of freedom that wasn’t there when you were working.