5 Ideas to Remain Productive after Retirement

Many are often confused as to what they will do post-retirement. Few get some assignments, but most have to settle with the new environment. They have to get accustomed and set their new routine. However, it is a must for them to remain productive after retirement to feel useful and get a sense of accomplishment.

One big problem that arises is within the home itself. For years the routine was to leave for the office in the morning and return in the evening. One used to look forward to the weekend when they would enjoy staying at home. However, now that they have all the time, day after day, to stay at home, they find it so difficult.

Finances are one issue, but the bigger issue is to find people with whom one can talk, to find people who can give them some recognition.

Let’s talk about five ideas that retired people can easily do to keep themself busy, happy, and satisfied.

1. Job hunting
2. Consultancy
3. Self Employment
4. Serving the Community
5. Serving the Community, individually

Job Hunting

This is the most common idea one can suggest. It’s not easy. Still do try. Maybe a little re-learning, updating with the latest tech, can help.

Consultancy

Another option, for which there is a requirement. This will depend on your expertise and reaching the right organisation.

Self Employment

One can start some business on which you have experience from your earlier job, on which you have confidence. However, you must be aware of the risks too.

Serving the Community

You can opt to join some Voluntary Organisation, or NGO as they are commonly called. The work of the organisation must be of interest to you. However, before joining one must find out about the organisation in detail, who is in the management, their financial status, etc. Most have their websites, which can give a lot of information. Talking to a few beneficiaries can give a true picture too.

Serving the Community, individually

Even if one does not want to join a social organisation, there are a number of opportunities to work on your own.

Let’s talk of a few examples.

1. A retired person, living in a housing society, decides to help neighbours with their day-to-day issues with the municipal office or power company, or water board office. Payment of regular bills or communicating with departments is not easy for many. This retiree helps others in these chores. His services become very useful, specially for those who stay alone and are not very tech-savvy.
2. A retiree decides to spend time with very elderly people in the neighborhood. Four hours are allotted daily for this work, in which this retiree attends to three to four persons.
3. A retiree decides to educate the house helps, the house maids who come for their part-time work in homes. Even poor children are given this free education. A daily routine is made to spend four hours for these classes.
4. A retiree comes up with the idea of forming a 60 Plus Club for seniors in the neighborhood. A WhatsApp group of all is made. Every morning, all are asked to give a greeting message, like Good Morning or Jai Sri Ram or whatever. If on any day someone misses on giving the morning message, a few of the other group members try to contact this person or in rare cases even make a visit. This exercise is done to keep track of the health of all. This retiree even spends a couple of hours talking on a mobile with elderly group members, who just need to talk.

There can be many such examples. Even you can contribute by giving such ideas.

The whole idea is to keep oneself busy with some work that is of interest, which creates happiness within, and at the same time, this work helps the immediate neighborhood where one is staying.

There are cases where retired persons have faced domestic issues, once they started spending their full time at home. In the office, there were helps available who would bring tea, several times, on just a call. In the office, one gave directions to subordinates all the time. After retirement, if the retiree does not change self, problems would certainly arise, as the expectations and their delivery are very different at the office and at home.

Author Bio

Vijay Maroo is a volunteer with EKAL, Vidya Bharati, and Param Shakti Peeth. He has launched https://neversayretired.in – a resource for Senior Citizens towards Nation Building. He is also the brain behind http://BharatMahan.in – a portal for positive news. You can follow him on Twitter.