As you may know, people react differently to retirement. For some folks, it is the best time of their lives, a time for adventure, fun and excitement. A time when they can kick up their heels, relax, and enjoy the free time on their hands. For others, retirement is a period of boredom and insecurity. This is because they aren’t used to the flexible schedule and miss meeting and socializing with others in work related activities. They also miss the predictability of their days and nights. That said, everyone can find joy and happiness in retirement and beat the retirement blues. In fact, you can have a retirement filled with meaning by simply following these 5 tips:

1. Refocus your life – Do not consider yourself retired in the traditional sense. Yes, you no longer work for your past employer but you are certainly not at the end of your rope. You are refocusing your life, pursuing other options you’re at a more positive turning point. This is a time for celebrating a new beginning!

2. Increase your Social Circle – Stay connected to those events and people that you previously enjoyed during your working career. Don’t be afraid to have a social life. Join clubs and associations that interest you and get to know new people with similar interests.

3. Plan Events – Get to know people of diverse interests. Become an extrovert. Plan a dinner party or other event and invite people. Don’t be afraid to reach out to new people to strengthen other positive relationships. Not only will you increase acquaintances but you’ll gain a feeling of connectedness to familiar and unfamiliar group members.

4. Prioritize Health – Maintaining good health is paramount to your success as a retiree. Therefore, you must take a preventive approach to good health. Do not wait until something is wrong to seek help. Examine your health and health habits now. Continue with your regular annual health checkups. Hire a personal trainer. Look into techniques for improving your overall well being, such as swimming, walking, weight training, yoga and meditation.

5. Stay in Shape – Stay in shape with exercise and a healthy diet. Choose an exercise activity that you enjoy and one that you can stick to. For instance, you might try Pilates, Jazzercise or even Karate. If you prefer to work out solo, there are many appropriate books as well as videos that you can utilize in your health quest right from the comforts of your own home. Just don’t be afraid to try. In addition, you can also join a gym or take exercise classes with others. The better you feel, the more you will enjoy your retirement.

6. Join a Cause – After retirement, you may decide to join a worthwhile cause. Not only will this improve your self esteem but you will also make the world a better place and enrich a lot of lives, including your own.

7. Increase your Knowledge – Learning is a lifelong and exciting process. In this age of technology, take time to brush up on your knowledge or take that class that you’ve always dreamt of taking such as a cooking, painting, sewing, or computers. Do whatever you can to become a more educated and knowledgeable person.

8. Update your Looks – Yes, you’re retired and now is the time to let your fashion sense shine. Find a great hairstylist and get good hair stylist. Get a manicure, facial or pedicure. Change your wardrobe to reflect the new and improved you.

9. Explore your Dreams – Now that you have extra time on your hands, do what you’ve always wanted to do. Retirement is a perfect time to fulfill your dreams. Now is the time to accomplish all the things that you only dreamt about in the past. Do it now!

10. Maintain a Youthful Attitude – Be energetic and enjoy the time you now have on your hands. Retiring from a job does not mean you have to give up everything. Just because you may be older, you can still be youthful and vibrant. Age is an attitude. If you act although you’re old- you are. If you act like you’re young, you’ll be young. Be proud of your veteran. Attitude is everything; let others be inspired by yours.

There are many things that you can do to find your purpose and meaning in retirement. By maintaining a positive attitude and zest for life, exploring your dreams, updating your looks, increasing your knowledge, joining a worthy cause, staying in shape, prioritizing your health, planning events, increasing your social circle and refocusing your life, you can do it!

2006 © Dr. Cynthia Barnett

Dr. Cynthia Barnett is a “re-fired” educator who has reinvented her life, moving from the schoolhouse to an entrepreneurial venue. Dr. Barnett is the author of “Stop Singing the Blues: 10 Powerful Strategies for Hitting the High Notes in Your Life” and RE-FIRE, Don’t Retire : 7 Powerful Strategies for an Extraordinary Life Now and in Retirement.(http://www.stopsingingtheblues.com/). She was featured in Time magazine for their article about women in mid-life who have reinvented themselves. If you liked today’s article, stay tuned for more FREE articles, FREE teleseminars, FREE tips and other resources to help you create a blueprint for an extraordinary retirement. Dr. Cynthia Barnett 203-855-9714 doctorcynthia@refiredontretire.com http://www.refiredontretire.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cynthia_Barnett

Retirement is a superb opportunity to develop new interests and make new friends. Here are you some ideas about how to make the transition from your working life to your life after work as smooth as possible.

When you’re no longer bound by the rigid structure of working life you can start to do things in a different way. You can be more relaxed and only do those things you really want to do.

A most  important message to take away from this article is that it’s vital to find time for interests other than work, or family and make time for your personal interests too because everyone, even you,  needs and should deliberately make time to relax and have fun.

Retirement is a time for making new friends as well as consolidating the friendships you have already. Bear in mind that you may lose contact with many of your workplace friends because your friendships may have been based on the camaraderie of the workplace rather than any ongoing connection or common interests.

You may want to spend more time with your partner which is excellent for your common interests.

However you need to have some space and time for you too and allow your partner time and space for his or her own interests which may not be of particular concern to you.

With or without your partner you may also want to explore:

1. Finding out about clubs and societies you could join so you will meet people with similar interests to yourself.

2. Renewing contact with old friends and relatives you have lost touch with.

3. Getting out in the fresh air each day on your own or with partner, friends or with a rambling group.

4. Signing on for courses to learn something entirely new, something you always wished you knew more about.

5. Taking the  chance to follow those dreams and find out where they take you.

6. Reviewing your health and well-being yourself by taking an objective view of your habits in relation to eating and exercising, smoking and drinking alcohol. You know what you have to do so start today and make a small change each week until you  know you are doing the best for yourself.

7. Visiting to your GP. There are screening tests available for those who are retired. Take advantage of them all so if you have something which is at a very early stage and causes no symptoms, you can have treatment if need be and so prevent a more serious disease developing in the future.

Susan Kersley is a retired doctor who became a life coach. She encourages you to have a life after work and live your dreams. http://getreadyforretirement.co.uk http://lifeaftermedicine.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Kersley

What are the vital steps you must take to enjoy a happy retirement?

1. Make plans:

There are two sorts of plans: the big picture and the nitty-gritty details.

a) think about how you would like your life to continue after work; daydream about your ideal scenario because until you do that you may find you just drift along and nothing much happens except for not going to work.

b) as well as the big plans it’s important to decide however loosely what you plan to achieve not only this week or this month but also today.

2. Keep fit

You have a responsibility to your body to care for it so that it won’t let you down when you expect it to be able to do the  new things  you are hoping to do with it during your retirement.

This means at the very least to keep walking at every opportunity if possible; taking the stairs instead of the lift and making sure that at a minimum taking at least thirty minutes of exercise each and every day. This should include some stretching too. Doing this will  keep your joints mobile and your heart beating healthily.

3. Keep healthy

Not only exercise but making  sure you eat well with plenty of fruit and vegetables,  organic when possible and available,  lean protein, low saturated fat, low salt and sugar too.  Also drinking enough water to keep you hydrated and limit the amount of alcohol

4. Be sociable

Since you may find you have less of common interest with your former work  colleagues it is useful to do some things you didn’t have enough time for while you were working. If you have hobbies you’ve neglected or things you’ve always wanted to learn then take the opportunities which retirement offers you to explore new avenues and  discover not only new interests but also get to know other people who share those.

5. Do your own thing

If you find that others are pressurising you to do certain things during your retirement and you really want to do something else, then be assertive and make sure that some of your week is for you to follow your own spirit. Of course there may need to be compromises on both sides  which is fine so long as you do what  you want some of the time too rather than spending every day doing something you really would rather not.

Susan Kersley is a retired doctor who became a life coach. She encourages you to have a life after work and live your dreams. http://getreadyforretirement.co.uk http://lifeaftermedicine.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Kersley

Do you know people who seem to be naturally joyful and wonder what their secret is? I believe that the feeling of joy can be cultivated, nurtured and expanded no matter what your starting point is. As a psychotherapist I have had a special interest in studying the blossoming field of Joy for the last two years. There is an area of study in psychology called positive psychology which explores all of the factors that lead to the positive emotional states like joy, contentment, fulfillment etc. Paul Pearsall, Ph.D, author of Super Joy (Don’t you just love the title-not just “Joy” but “Super Joy”!) refers to himself as a Joyologist. As soon as I read that I thought, “What a great idea-I’m going to be a joyologist too.” Feel free to adopt this title for yourself—no degree required– just a deep desire to learn what needs to happen to bring yourself more into this wondrous state in your day to day life.

So that is what I have been doing both personally and professionally—learning what brings people into that state of joy. This past spring I started a Joy group with clients who had an interest in learning with others how to bring more joy into their lives (all fellow joyologists!). I jokingly asked clients “I’m thinking of doing a Fear group or a Joy group—which would you like to join?”

In my practice I have always been committed to assisting clients to live more freely and authentically. I use breathwork and a psychospiritual process called Inner Bonding to help clients connect more fully with their bodies and by doing this they connect with their authentic feelings. Once feelings that have been held in the body are expressed and released a feeling of lightness follows. When these denser emotions are freed the natural upwelling of peace and joy surfaces. What I hoped would happen for myself and my clients was that this state of peace and joy would just continue to grow until that was the natural state of being in the world. In many cases, myself included, maintaining this state consistently was just not happening.

That is when I began my exploring, asking the questions “What is happening here? Why is this feeling so difficult to consistently maintain?” What I found was that most people lived in a state of suppression of their core essence—the part of us that is in a state of joy. There also seemed to be an addiction—a deep attachment to feelings of anxiety, fear and depression. I found that people loved that state of joy and peace but they didn’t have the tools or support to maintain these feelings. They had much more practice and support in being able to maintain their previous state of anxiety, depression and suppression. I had clients report that if they felt too joyful it scared them because they weren’t used to the feeling. They would often hear parental messages like “Don’t get so excited” “Be quiet” “Don’t be so full of yourself”. Another common message was “I don’t deserve to feel this good.” Some clients reported that when they were feeling joyful friends and family who were in a less joyful state didn’t know how to react to them, or even worse they criticized them. Clients became aware of their own choices that would bring them from that state of joy back into anxiety or depression. There were fears about what would happen to current relationships if they maintained this state of joy and connection to their authentic self.

I wanted myself and my clients to be able to move more and more into that state of joy. What I found in my own personal process as well as in my work with clients were the following keys to living with more Joy.

1. A deep intention and commitment to being in a joyful state. This is the most important key to Joy. Our energy follows our intention. This is a moment-by- moment choice. What within me needs to shift in order to open up to the joy of this moment? What are your beliefs about joy? Do you think it’s something that just happens to you or something you can actively cultivate and move more into in your life? Your beliefs shape your experiences. Notice how you react to joyful people—are you drawn to them or do you make judgments about them (i.e. they are fake, flaky, flighty, strange)?

2. Tools. Learning specific exercises and activities that helped shift them into a state of joy. Clients were able to identify things they could do to move them into a more joyful state. For each person this was different. Some would move into expressing gratitude or appreciation as a way of shifting into joy. For some a favorite activity would be their path to shifting. Others would have a favorite memory of a joyful time that would help them recapture those feelings.

3. Awareness of negative programming/messages/false beliefs that did not support Joy.When clients embraced the intention of being more in a state of Joy a lot of the old messages that blocked Joy would come to the surface. Once these messages were at the surface they could be healed and released. The feelings also held in the body that were associated with these beliefs/experiences also needed to be released so the body was free to fully embody the Joy. Having a breathwork session or other emotional process work to move this energy through was essential. Trying to move into Joy without releasing held in anger, fear, grief is like trying to get a hot air balloon loaded with rocks off of the ground—you just don’t get very far. What one needs to be mindful of in doing emotional process work is not to get stuck in processing old feelings over and over again. This can be an unconscious way to feel safe—exploring the feelings of the past rather than taking the loving actions to live fully in the present. Pay attention. I hear from a lot of people lately who do a lot of personal growth work-”I’m sick of attending another workshop, reading another book—I just want to live”. This is their authentic self crying out to just be, express, love —to be in Joy. So releasing the past being mindful if it is bringing you more fully into the present.

4. Support.Connection with others who have the same intention to bring more joy into their lives. This is very powerful. I have always been such a believer in the transformative power of groups. Anytime I want to make a change in my life I look for a group of like minded people who can support my efforts. Being a part of a supportive group can also meet our deepest needs for a sense of belonging and connection, as well as provide wonderful opportunities for laughter and play. Unless you already have a group of joyful people around you-a joy group would do wonders for supporting you on your path of Joy.

5. Being in the Present Moment opens us up to Joy. There is so much Joy in each moment if we fully are present to it. Having the mind in the past and future takes away from the Joy and peace of the present.

6. Following Dreams and Passions. What are your deepest dreams and passions? Taking loving action to manifest these dreams can open you up to tremendous energy and joy. A lot of the depression people experience is from the suppression of their authentic self who wants to just express itself fully in the world. Many of our dreams are a way to express the gifts we are here to share. What can be important is to pursue the dreams without concern for the outcome. An example is someone who has a dream of singing. If you are concerned about others giving you approval for how great of a singer you are, the creative process will be tense and not very joyful. If your intention is just to express yourself fully and to enjoy yourself as you are singing your experience will be totally different. The intention we have as we pursue our dreams can either make the experience a fun adventure or one fraught with tension and anxiety.

7. Lifestyle Changes. What changes do you need to make in your life to open you up to more Joy? For many people slowing down and not being as busy is essential to opening up to Joy. A common issue that I work with when clients start working with me is creating balance in their life. Many are exhausted and the only time they have to themselves is the time during our sessions. It is hard to be in a state of Joy if we are rushing around and feeling overwhelmed with day to day life. Letting go of connections and activities that are draining in order to make space can be very helpful. A good way to do this is to let your body decide. Think of an activity that you have on your schedule next week-close your eyes and breathe—when you think of participating in the activity does the energy lift in your body and you feel good/excited or does your energy drop? The body never lies. Our mind may give all the reasons why we should do this or be with this person but our body will always tell the truth. If it is an activity that you must be a part of you can ask your body (authentic self), “What can I do to make this experience more enjoyable for myself?” Just breathe and listen to the response you get back. Even if you love all of the activities in your life, too many can take away the joy of each activity. We need time to savor activities and the people who are in our life. Look to see if you are on overload and make the necessary changes. De-cluttering the space around you can free up time and space. Again you can let your body decide when getting rid of things. Does your energy lift and feel good when you look at the object you are trying to decide on. Ideally everything that surrounds you should be uplifting and pleasing to you. If an object is neutral or brings your energy down, let it go so someone who would truly value it.

8. Movement/Sound/Breath-Being fully in our body allows us to feel joy more completely. Do you know what the sensation of Joy feels like in your body? For some it can be a fluttering sensation in their hearts or a lightness throughout their body. Some people have not felt joy in so long they forgot what it feels like. Movement can bring us more fully in the body. What ways do you move that bring you Joy? —dancing, biking, walking, yoga, running, skipping. Many of my clients love to dance, feeling very joyful and alive as they move. I give assignments to clients to have frequent dance sessions throughout the day—the more stressful the day the more dancing. Dancing helps to move energy through the body. Our bodies are meant to move and we tend to live lifestyles that are very movement restricted. I joked with a client yesterday that wouldn’t it be nice if the clinic she worked for had noon hour dance sessions for the clients and the staff!! What sounds bring you Joy? Is it listening to birds or beautiful music? Do you find joy in singing? I find most people love to sing yet don’t allow themselves to express this very often. Next time you are in the car just start belting out songs—songs that you know or just make them up. Don’t deprive yourself of this joy any longer. Children who are naturally in that state of Joy move and make sound all of the time—just notice this the next time you are around children. Full connected breathing helps us to be more fully in our bodies. How do you breathe throughout the day? Some people notice that they hold their breath throughout the day. When you hold your breath you are cutting off oxygen and energy to the body, decreasing your capacity to feel joy. Breathing fully is opening up more fully to being alive—it is like saying a big YES to life.

You may have noticed some things from the list that resonate with you and can assist you in moving more into Joy. There may be things you could do that weren’t listed. Take a moment right now and just close your eyes and breathe into your body asking the question “What do I need to change for me to bring more joy into my life?” just let go and see what comes into your mind. Next ask your body again “What could I do every day that would bring more joy into my day?” breathe and relax and let the answer float into your mind. Now make a plan to implement this in your life possibly sharing this with a close friend or loved one. You can find someone to be your joy buddy-someone to explore with and support you. I have a friend who is also a psychotherapist turned joyologist who is my joy sister. I have another friend who started a clown troupe years ago called “The Angels of Joy”. Taking these loving actions to bring more joy into your life can be a fun and playful adventure. I wish you all of the joy your heart desires.

Shelley Riutta MSE, LPC is a pioneer in the Holistic Psychotherapy field. She specializes in Transformational individual counseling, Presentations and Workshops. For her free Workbook “What Do You REALLY Want: Finding Purpose and Passion” and free monthly tele-classes visit her web-site at http://www.RadiantLifeCounseling.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelley_Riutta

When Terri came to my office, she was so overweight and out of shape she could barely get out of bed. It took her hours to run basic errands, even grocery shopping. Hauling all that extra weight around made life difficult.

So we tried a new approach to exercise.

She walked for 45 seconds and then stopped.

She rested and then did it again.

That’s it.

Then we added the progressive element. After her first week of walking for 45 seconds followed by rest, we slowly increased the challenge.

In just 4 months, she lost 45 pounds. Today, Terri has dropped over 68 pounds and she’s still going.

Did you ever think you could lose 45 pounds by walking for 45 seconds? When I tell people this story, they’re shocked. But I have Terri’s progress recorded from the very beginning.

This new approach worked for Terri… and it can work for you, too.

If you want to get a taste of it, here are three simple steps you can take to get started right now:

1. Find an exertion level. Push yourself until you’re breathing heavily, until you’re at a level where you feel it would be hard to carry on a conversation. You can do this by running, biking, on a machine at the gym, etc.

2. Stop and recover (dynamic rest). Now measure your heart rate. You can do that with a heart rate monitor or by finding your pulse. When you feel your heart beating, count the number of beats for six seconds and multiply by 10. That’s your pulse rate.

3. Record your progress. How long did it take you to reach a high level of exertion? How long did it take you to recover? What was your heart rate? Write it down.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Sears is a practicing physician and the author of PACE: The 12-Minute Fitness Revolution. He is also a nutritional expert, a fitness expert, and is certified by the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine. One of Dr. Sears's patients, Rik Pavlescak, was able to lose 48 pounds of fat and build 24 pounds of new muscle after just three months on the PACE program. Find out how Rik (and dozens of other people like him) did it here.]

If you look up retirement in Thesaurus, you will find it includes such words as aloneness, aloofness, desolation, detachment, hiding, reclusion, reclusiveness, remoteness, retreat, seclusiveness, separateness, separation, solitude, withdrawal.If you believe what you read, all retirees are rather a sad bunch, sitting around by themselves waiting for the inevitable. NOT SO! One of the top searches in Google Keyword Tool is “Retirement Communities”, which if you visit the one just down the road from me, is chock full of 60-100 year old men and women having an extremely social life. In fact I know one couple in their 80s who if you want to visit them, actually consult their ‘social diary’ and if you’re lucky they can fit you in ‘next week’!

So what do they all do? Well, in this particular village, they have bowls, tennis, swimming, dancing, boot-scooting, 2 restaurants, a bar, bingo and last but not least, lots of friends to do all these things with. So I certainly wouldn’t describe the majority of retirees as reclusive or desolate.

However, if you do find yourself going into a decline or missing work (really, there are people who do), but you’re not ready to go into a retirement home just yet, here are a few suggestions to get the mind and body active again.

Janet works from home in Tropical North Queensland as a business coach and entrepreneur in network marketing. Her office overlooks the magnificent rain trees, iron barks and ghost gums on her 5-acre property, which is home to lots of wildlife such as kangaroos, frill-necked lizards and many different bird species. She is passionate about both her business and helping others to also achieve their dreams. The marketing platform she uses has assisted in the success of some of the top earners in the network marketing industry including people like Gregg Davison and Michael Force. For information on the business, click here http://www.wealth4lifeonline.com or to find out more about Janet, check out her blog at http://janethoughton.wordpress.com  Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Houghton

Yes, we are all growing older all the time, that’s just a fact. The clock doesn’t stop ticking because you looked in the mirror and didn’t like what you were looking at. Are you happy with yourself? Are you ok with the changes that have started manifesting in your body, with your health?

Are you someone who hopes your life will improve on its own when you retire from work without having to do anything yourself? Maybe you believe that life without work will be wonderful and you will find it easy to cope, or maybe you are dreading the changes which you believe will come from changing the daily routine from work life to retirement.

You may be waiting for someone else to plan your life for you but it’s important to realise that you have the power to make the changes you want for your new life. Don’t wait for other people to tell you what to do but decide for yourself that retirement is a chance to change everything if you wish. You can decide what you want and be pro-active in making changes because the best way to initiate these is to start something you’ve always wanted to do because like it or not your life will be different and you have to come to terms that it won’t continue in the same way when you retire.

To enjoy your retirement you have to decide what you want, set your goals, and when you do that, others change in their response to you, when one thing in your life changes then everything else changes too.

So what could you do? Let’s suppose you always wanted to travel but you’re not sure where to go to or how to make arrangements for your journey. If you know someone who has the lifestyle you would like then get in touch and talk to him or her about where they went, what sort of travel arrangements they made, what costs were involved and as you talk notice your reaction to what you discuss so you become clearer about which aspect of travel appeals to you and what you will do next. Is there something which you could copy? Notice how you feel when you imagine what would it be like to be him or her.

Then put what you learn about the essence of your colleague’s lifestyle that you admire into what you do and notice what happens, how you can do something similar and how almost without effort you are able to look forward to a new lifestyle as you begin to enjoy your retirement.

Susan Kersley is a retired doctor who became a life coach. She encourages you to have a life after work and live your dreams. http://getreadyforretirement.co.uk Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Kersley