Are You Mentally Prepared To Leave Your Job?

It’s time! You overcame every obstacle, navigated through every challenge, and prepared your financial portfolio with such attention to detail that you are officially financially ready to retire. You put in the effort and your retirement date is approaching. But as you begin to offload your projects and responsibilities you start to wonder…Are you mentally prepared to leave your job?

We’re now talking more than just finances. What about your psychological portfolio? Have you taken inventory of the new personal resources you’re going to need in this next stage of life? Mentally preparing to leave your job is often a list item that gets overlooked, and as a result many men leave their jobs with a deeply unsettled and unprepared mindset for retirement. As it turns out, Socrates’s advice to “Know thyself” is still applicable even on the cusp of accomplishment.

Before you leave your job and enter retirement, prepare yourself mentally by investigating these three aspects of who you are.

1. Your Individuality – Who are you?

There is a reason why 40% of retired men are more likely to struggle with depression than employed men. Perhaps you’ve defined yourself by your occupation, but what you do (or have done) is not the same as who you are. Having a clear identity of who you are post-retirement is essential for warding off the potential crisis of retirement blues.

Advice: Avoid defining yourself by external factors.

You might be a husband, father, grandfather, brother, or friend… but that’s who you are to other people. The question you need to answer is: who are you to yourself when it’s just you and no one else around? Are you a learner? An explorer? A creator? A philanthropist? A teacher? A mentor? An advocate?

2. Your Values – What is your life purpose post-retirement?

Your values are connected with your identity and define what you care about. If all you care about in retirement is comfort, entertainment, and convenience then you might end up disappointed. Of course it’s important to find time and space for some much earned rest and relaxation, but many retired men report feeling restless and even anxious about a month into retirement. If the meaning of life is to give life meaning, then fulfillment in retirement will come from prioritizing values that benefit the greater good.

Advice: Consider what you are passionate about.

Your job used to be what got you out of bed every morning. What is your passion now? This may take some time to figure out, and you may have to trial a few ideas before finding a mission that resonates with you. (Read up on other tips of making the most of leading up to retirement in our blog – Making the Most of Your 50’s – Time for a Change?) Whether your passion is fitness, community service, or professional mentorship, being able to identify and act on your projects will allow you to enter into retirement with confidence and purpose.

3. Your Community – What are the relationships you will prioritize?

Psychologists are constantly advocating for the mental health benefits of living in community. Unfortunately, when men retire from work life, they are at risk of losing contact with the people they interacted with every day. This can leave a psychological void that can be difficult to process. It’s important to take inventory of the relationships in your life, and if necessary, identify opportunities to reignite or develop new friendships for a new community.

Advice: Keep your family and loved ones at the epicenter of your community, and then add on community outlets to that central core unit.

Find a new hang out to meet people. Whether it’s a fitness center, a church, a club, a non-profit, or even a coffee shop, build in the opportunity to include your community into your weekly routine. Filling your community portfolio with family and friends is a wonderful way to prepare for retirement.

Final Thoughts on Are you mentally prepared to leave your job?

In addition to practicing due diligence on these three areas of life, take time for some additional research and reflection. Know exactly what some of the most common pitfalls in retirement are and create an actionable plan to ensure your first few months in retirement are a success.

There is a wealth of information available to help mentally guide you as you transition into this new stage of life, and if you’re looking for a starting point of inspiration check out one of top 5 recommended books to read before retiring.

As always, we hope that you find worthwhile information here in Are you mentally prepared to leave your job? Want us to cover other self-help topics? Reach out to me directly through our Contact page or leave a comment below, we read each one! All the best ~ Glen.