Archive note: This text comes from the old archive of Nomika Epilekta and is carefully preserved for historical and informational reading.

Retirement is a period of very intense changes and rearrangements in a person's life. Daily life stops having the form it had for so many years, with waking up in the morning, long absence from home and daily social contacts being interrupted abruptly.

With retirement, a person can rest, have plenty of time for himself or herself to devote to pleasant activities, and be freed from bosses, worries and cares. At the same time, however, the network of social relationships enters a crisis, since the people with whom the person had worked until then are no longer part of the daily routine.

Thus many retirees experience the transitional period that follows retirement with intense depression and feel that their life is no longer interesting. The feelings they experience may be particularly changeable, because on the one hand they want to rest, while on the other the emptying of their day seems useless and desperately empty to the point that they cannot handle it.

On a psychological level, many retirees experience the loss of their work as grief, with feelings similar to those caused by the loss of a loved person. They refuse to accept the new reality and are angry and sad. The process of accepting retirement can prove particularly difficult.

Some believe that their life is now on a downward course, that they have grown old, and they feel "useless" or "incapable". This may be particularly dangerous for their health, since it can develop into unbearable sadness also expressed through physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach aches, malaise and psychosomatic dermatological problems.

What is especially important in order to avoid the unpleasant situations described above is for the retiree, as soon as possible, to find new interests and occupations that will give meaning to life after retirement. Participation in groups where there is cooperation among the participants can be especially beneficial, because they somewhat resemble the work environment. Retirees can find such groups in voluntary organizations, where they can have an active role that will help them remain active.

Organized short excursions arranged by municipalities and travel agencies can be equally helpful, since retirees can create new social contacts and friendships with people who share common interests.

It is important that the retiree should not be pressured to do something he or she does not want, but should personally find activities that bring pleasure. Some may therefore choose gardening, jewelry making, exercise, travel, playing cards or painting.

Especially in Greece, moreover, it is very common for retirees to take care of their grandchildren, something that fills most of them with joy, since grandparents usually enjoy the unconditional love of their grandchildren and are a particularly beloved and central figure in the Greek family. At the same time, they can feel especially useful, because they help their children significantly and allow them to devote themselves to work without worrying about which stranger is watching their children, while also relieving them of the cost of a nanny. Grandparents are usually the safest solution for childcare.

Participation in raising their grandchildren fills them with joy and reduces the unpleasant feelings caused by retirement, since in a way caring for the grandchildren is a new and perhaps more pleasant job. Most retirees find the time they spend with their grandchildren particularly enjoyable and are relieved from the depressive feelings caused by the loss of their work.

Advice to the children of retirees

  • Do not neglect them. Especially at the beginning, they need your interest.
  • Help them find new interests.
  • Try to strengthen their self-esteem by asking for their help and, in this way, making them feel useful.

Dimitra Theofili, Social Worker-Psychotherapist,
www.dimitratheofili.gr
dimitratheofili@yahoo.com
2107226438