Tips For A Happy Retirement: Living, Loving, And Lifetime Learning With Tina Eng
While retirement is all about freedom and choice, it can also be difficult to figure out how to spend your time.
It’s also certainly a problem that Occupational Therapists (OTs) are used to addressing.
We recently sat down with Tina Eng, a retired Occupational Therapist who entered the field because of her passion for helping people maintain meaningful activities and occupations. After many years of helping others in their occupations and retirements, Tina is now navigating life in her own retirement and shared some tips on finding ways to remain social, finding purpose, and the importance of lifelong learner during retirement.
Tip #1: Learn new things
Learning new things is important for the aging mind, but in retirement, it can be easy to get into a routine that lacks new challenges. “I try to keep myself as mentally fit as possible by writing short stories, songs, and taking online classes through master classes,” Tina said.
MasterClass offers classes for $15 a month from top thinkers, artists, and influencers on a wide range of topics, like food, music, writing, design, business, science, and gaming. The instructors include people like Alicia Keys, Samuel L. Jackson, Gordon Ramsey, Malala, and Bill Nye. Tina enjoys using MasterClass to learn photography, the ukulele, and story writing.
Another service Tina enjoys is BrainHQ, a brain training program with online exercises that target core cognitive skills like attention, memory, and processing skills. ”When you pass an exercise, you move up a level like a game,” she said. “I like that it challenges you.” BrainHQ has both a free option and a $14/month option with more access.
To learn Mandarin, Tina is using Rosetta Stone, a language learning software that focuses on real-life scenarios in bite-sized lessons.You can get Rosetta Stone for a year for 7.99/month. While it’s something she wished she started younger, learning Mandarin is something she’s always been interested in doing and she enjoys the challenge.
Although there has been a big shift to online experiences, if you prefer in person experiences, many communities have courses to teach seniors how to use the computer or other programs and skills. Try your local library, senior centers, or recreational centers — it can be a great way to learn new things and socialize!
Tip #2: Feed your passions
It goes without saying that retirement comes with a lot more free time, but once you stop working, you realize just how much time there is to fill. Tina suggested finding something you enjoy and exploring it. “I’ve always had a love for the arts. I’ve been learning the guitar, writing my own songs, and taking painting classes,” she said. If you like playing sports, find a local community league or join a pickup game at the park.
Ask yourself: What’s that one thing you’ve always wanted to learn or have always been drawn to that you never had the time to focus on before? Now is the time you can do it!
Tip #3: Find ways to be social
Social connection is important for everyone, but when you’re retired and no longer have the consistent interactions from workplaces, you will often need to go out of your way to socialize with others. “Something as simple as smiling and saying hi to strangers could start a connection,” Tina said. “They may say hi back and introduce themselves, that’s how I got to know my neighbors.”
For Tina, there are various opportunities she utilizes to socialize. Every weekend, she plans out restaurant dates with her friends in which they go for a walk then eat together. She’s also active in local community groups and looks for volunteer opportunities where she can meet others while finding purpose by helping those in need. Finally, Facebook has been a great resource to connect with old friends and join groups.
It’s essential during retirement to socialize regularly. In fact, according to one study, 19% of older adults suffer from frequent feelings of loneliness. Health risks associated with loneliness and social isolation are comparable to the dangers of smoking and obesity, increasing mortality risk by up to 30%, so finding ways to spend time with others is both fun and positively impacts your health.
Tip #4: Stay physically active
Exercise is an important part of staying healthy, and retirement can be an opportunity to workout consistently without life getting in the way.
“[While I was a practicing therapist] many people shared with me that once they started working or having kids, it was difficult for them to maintain their active lifestyle,” Tina said. “This is a great opportunity to start doing some of those activities again.”
There are many community leagues and classes where you can do some of the activities you enjoyed growing up, but you can also opt to do online fitness classes. While there are sites, like Apple Fitness and Peloton, where you can buy a subscription for a variety of fitness classes, YouTube has many fitness classes you can try for free. Your physical activity now will have a drastic influence on your health, mobility, and quality of life in the future.
Tip #5: Read new things
Reading improves brain connectivity, vocabulary and comprehension, relieves stress, lowers blood pressure and heart rate, helps you sleep, fights depression symptoms, and prevents cognitive decline as you age, but Tina shared that reading new things can provide additional benefits. “Reading things you wouldn’t normally read can open up your world,” shared Tina. She subscribes to magazines like Scientific American to read content outside of her typical genres.
Join your local library and check out physical or online books that provide you with new perspectives. Tina also uses Audible, a subscription service for $15/month where you can listen to audiobooks, podcasts, guided wellness, and more.
When you retire, the work doesn’t stop on your last day on the job. Filling your life with enriching activities and meaningful connections takes some time and effort, but if you put in that work, it can lead to lifelong fulfillment and joy.