Facing the stress of retirement

Picture: File RETIREMENT is supposed to be the time when we take things easy

Picture: File RETIREMENT is supposed to be the time when we take things easy

Published Oct 13, 2017

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RETIREMENT is supposed to be the time when we take things easy and relax after the pressures of work.

But a study has found that nearly one in five of those who retired in the past ten years is now more stressed than when they were in employment.

They blame many of their problems on financial pressures and being treated as free childcare by relatives. And nearly a quarter of retirees wish they had stayed at work for longer.

Eighteen percent said they were more stressed since retirement, while 13% said their health has suffered since giving up work.

Newly-retired women were more likely to report feeling more stressed, at 23%, compared with 13% of men. Missing former colleagues was reported as the biggest retirement let-down, with 35% saying they miss the social interaction of work.

And one in five retirees feel they have lost part of their identity since leaving the workplace.

For many pensioners, their depleted finances were the source of most anxiety. The survey by Prudential found that 29% miss their pay packet, while one in eight complain their adult children still expect subsidies from the “bank of mum and dad”. A fifth also said being a source of free childcare is a cause of stress.

Of the more than 750 retirees surveyed, only 13% said they are disappointed with how their retirement has turned out. - Daily Mail

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