Happy and Healthy After Retirement

A study from Australia shows, rather than while still a worker, someone who has retired more able to enjoy daily activities.

The level of enjoyment of life that lasts at least one year after a retirement or stop working full time, the researchers wrote in the journal Age and Ageing.

There is evidence to suggest, that the notion of retirement that often lowering the pleasure and happiness of life is wrong, says study co-author Tim Olds from the University of South Australia.

On the one hand, a person that is already retired it can lose social relationships. But on the other hand, retirement offers the opportunity to do things you've always wanted to do or have not been performed because busy with office work.

"We found evidence that someone is very likely to be happier when they retire," said Olds.

Enjoyment of life was not because of retirees can spend more time doing the things they like, Olds noted.

Instead, retirees can better enjoy and get more pleasure from daily activities because it does not pursued by time in activities that you like.

The conclusions obtained after the researchers recruited 124 pensioners that have stopped work at least three to six months. The group is composed of half men and half women, with an average age of 62 years.

At the beginning of the study, and 6 and 12 months later, Olds and his colleagues asked participants to recall their activities in the last 24 hours.

Respondents were grouped into eight categories based activity: physical activity, social, self-care, sleep, watch television, relax, traveling, and doing part-time jobs.

Participants were also asked to complete a survey about the health, well-being, sleep quality, and loneliness.

Compared to before undergoing retirement, enjoyment of life ranked on average increased significantly during the first years of the study. Overall, the ratings of enjoyment of life is also associated with health and better sleep quality.

Over the last few months before retirement, respondents enjoyment decreases when driving to work starting, slightly increasing time off work, and rose again at the end of the working day.

After retirement, physical activity and social activity has ranked highest pleasure, while doing part-time jobs had the lowest pleasure, according to the report.

However, participants who continued to work part-time after retirement reported that enjoyment of life continues to increase, although not significant.

"People have different experiences when choosing to work part-time after retirement," said Kenneth Shultz, a social gerontologist and professor of psychology at California State University at San Bernardino.

"You do not have to deal with pressure from the company, and people tend to be emotional in it."