Retirement 'harmful To Health', Study Says

[Mike45]

Palmal

I have never had the type of job that gave me breaks. If I'm not on vacation time then I am at work. I consider myself fortunate that I have a good job. No other options.

When I decide to quit there will probably be no going back. Another would have taken my place.

The decision to leave will be a final one so I have to be sure of my decision.

[PalMan]

Palmal

I have never had the type of job that gave me breaks. If I'm not on vacation time then I am at work. I consider myself fortunate that I have a good job. No other options.

When I decide to quit there will probably be no going back. Another would have taken my place.

The decision to leave will be a final one so I have to be sure of my decision.

-

You always have options, but first step is to realize that.

Completely understand these days wanting to keep a secure job, but life is short if you don't enjoy it then actively prepare yourself to move on to something, ideally better but if not at least just better-because-its-different.

Anyway give it time, very few sectors are left that stable anymore, you'll probably find the landscape changes out from under you in a few years.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Neversure

I agree that generics has a great deal to play in our health. The problem is we just don't know what OUR genes have planned for us.

I worked with a guy that had a similar story about his father and mother so he stayed at work instead of retiring with his wife as she repeatedly requested. He was 70-72 and had a debilitating stroke. Now she has him at home. In a wheel chair drooling out one side of his mouth. He might live to his 90's. Not only was he robbed so was she.

Most people die by 85. I think I will not plan for more than that.

I don't know many people in excess of 70 that have a quality life.

I would be happy with 65, another 8 years (2 years less than EU retirement age).

Edited May 22, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[Mike45]

Neversure

I agree that generics has a great deal to play in our health. The problem is we just don't know what OUR genes have planned for us.

I worked with a guy that had a similar story about his father and mother so he stayed at work instead of retiring with his wife as she repeatedly requested. He was 70-72 and had a debilitating stroke. Now she has him at home. In a wheel chair drooling out one side of his mouth. He might live to his 90's. Not only was he robbed so was she.

Most people die by 85. I think I will not plan for more than that.

I don't know many people in excess of 70 that have a quality life.

I would be happy with 65, another 8 years (2 years less than EU retirement age).

I think you are being overly pessimistic. My father is 80, traveling and enjoying his life. The last ten years have been very good to him. I'm hoping for the same but am not overly optimistic about it happening. The thing is you still have to plan to be alive and make sure you don't run out of money.

[Mike45]

PalMan

Well I hope it has worked out for you but it sounds very much like wishful or theoretical thinking.

I don't have to wait for my sector to become unstable. I have found most of the people I know that have retired did so because they just couldn't accept the alternative that required change and adaptation. I suspect the same will happen to me.

Palmal

I have never had the type of job that gave me breaks. If I'm not on vacation time then I am at work. I consider myself fortunate that I have a good job. No other options.

When I decide to quit there will probably be no going back. Another would have taken my place.

The decision to leave will be a final one so I have to be sure of my decision.

-

You always have options, but first step is to realize that.

Completely understand these days wanting to keep a secure job, but life is short if you don't enjoy it then actively prepare yourself to move on to something, ideally better but if not at least just better-because-its-different.

Anyway give it time, very few sectors are left that stable anymore, you'll probably find the landscape changes out from under you in a few years.

[PalMan]

Well I hope it has worked out for you but it sounds very much like wishful or theoretical thinking.

I don't have to wait for my sector to become unstable. I have found most of the people I know that have retired did so because they just couldn't accept the alternative that required change and adaptation. I suspect the same will happen to me.

-

Up to you.

Keep learning new skills, expanding your networks of contacts in the area you want to move into next, be ready when circumstances look right or you get bored with the same-old.

Life's too short to keep doing stuff you don't enjoy. Ultimately you want to find a way to make a living that you'd be willing to do for free.

That way you don't even want to "retire", you just adjust your work patterns to your changing preferences.

Obviously once you're getting past the age most people consider appropriate for retirement you need to be in an industry / skillset where being perceived as ancient doesn't matter anymore, and unlikely that will be a job with an employer, need to be fully freelance by the time you hit 60 IMO.

If all that seems too much of a challenge, consider yourself lucky to have that luxury, that's the way the world of work is heading for the next generations, few employers will want stuck-in-a-rut fulltime staff costing full benefits, most jobs will be in industries and job categories that currently don't exist.

Which is why our kids' education needs to be all about creativity, keeping curiosity and the desire for learning new things burning their whole life long. The actual content they're teaching these days is mostly obsolete by the time people hit the job market, never mind future decades.

[Jangot]

I assume that if you extend the chart shown in post 21...if you retire at age 70, you will die when you are 69??

[ghworker2010]

I find life more relaxing on the whole. There are different stresses involved here but my health certainly has not suffered.

I am more chilled out. I have a good woman to snuggle up to. Friends I can visit. I can go to bed when I want, have a beer when I want.

Who wants to work every day until they are about 65 / 70 and ready to drop and then have a couple of years to 'enjoy' their meagre pension before they pop their clogs.

I totally relate to the above comment. Im in my 40's and now semi retired.

I think stress at work or in retirement is ultimately bad for ones health. Good health is the gold card in life

[Genericnic]

I don't agree with this in the least. I certainly hope it's not true.

The study, published by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a think tank, found that retirement results in a "drastic decline in health" in the medium and long term.

The IEA said the study suggests people should work for longer for health as well as economic reasons.

The government already plans to raise the state pension age.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22550536

Depends on what you do in your retirement. My late step-father said you could either wear out or rust out. He did the former and I am doing my best to follow his example.

David

[billd766]

I assume that if you extend the chart shown in post 21...if you retire at age 70, you will die when you are 69??

I hope not.

Both my Dad and my Mum died in their 69th year and I am 69 today.

Oooo Errrrrrr

[Mike45]

I assume that if you extend the chart shown in post 21...if you retire at age 70, you will die when you are 69??

I hope not.

Both my Dad and my Mum died in their 69th year and I am 69 today.

Oooo Errrrrrr

Happy Birthday! May you have many more.

[billd766]

I assume that if you extend the chart shown in post 21...if you retire at age 70, you will die when you are 69??

I hope not.

Both my Dad and my Mum died in their 69th year and I am 69 today.

Oooo Errrrrrr

Happy Birthday! May you have many more.

Thanks Mike I am working on it.

My latest plan is to preserve some of the internal parts of my body by pickling them a little every day with alcohol.

It worked great last night.