The Benefits Of A Hobby After Retirement

[duke]

Whether it be woodworking, gardening, knitting etc. Imagine working and finally retiring and not carrying on with a hobby. I bring this up as many people I know shortly after getting ill and dying. It's as if the body shuts down and disease takes over.
In most cases the reason is the daily grind stops and for those there is nothing to keep up a regular routine.
Your thoughts are welcomed.

 

[NickM]

I think hobbies have played a huge part in my wellbeing (mainly mental). They meant retiring (very early by most standards) was something I relished rather than dreaded.

 

[duke]

My wife often asks what will you do in retirement, I answer what I am doing now but for us and not for others.
Mentality is the key as you mentioned , a clear and satisfied mind is better than winning a lottery.

 

[Mike G]

I'm sure we all know lots of retirees, and can immediately picture those who are doing well. There is a hue amount of luck and genetics in whether or not health matters dominate retirement, but there is also a huge role for eating healthily and staying mentally and physically active. It doesn't have to be hobbies. Lots of my acquaintances do voluntary work, organise events, are active on committees, or belong to local organisations. Whatever you do, do something.

 

[Blackswanwood]

I agree, hobbies help with mental health and in easing into retirement.

My sense is that retirement shouldn’t have a set definition. It’s a period of your life where you can hopefully choose what you want to do and when to do it a lot more than perhaps you could before.

 

[Woodbloke]

Case is point was my 'uncle' (what we called him) who worked full time hours as a messenger for then Westminster Bank and then on top of that he had a newspaper barrow business at the now demolished White City greyhound track in London, so he was working a 14 hour day more often than not. He finished both jobs in the early 70's determined to do nothing, put his feet up and have a 'pipe n'slippers' retirement; a year later he had a massive stroke and was dead. He had no interests of any sort apart from Freemasonry and his two paid jobs - Rob

 

[Malc2098]

Immediately I retired, I started the process of designing and obtaining PP for my workshop. The next 18 months were taken up mostly with building it. I started making stuff in it with no clear idea of what I wanted to do with my time in in it.

Then covid happened. I don't know what I'd have done if the the workshop wasn't here during lockdown.

Then I found I really liked the idea of making instruments and that I got quite good at making them, and other stuff, especially seeking out my potential with the CNC machine.

Gawd only knows what I'd have done in the last 10 years if I hadn't had the workshop.

 

[Lons]

I'm of the same opinion Scott, I've never stopped since before I was a teenager. I've had and still have numerous interests including sports and hobbies, far too many tbh but my attitude was to try everything I could possible access.

What that meant was transition to retirement was seemless though I was lucky in that I had a business at thet time and wound it down very slowly so after 8 years of frantically working 7 days a week I started to take time off and we managed 4 to 6 week long haul adventures for the last 10 years before I packed in. My wife loved the holidays but wasn't overjoyed with the 3000+ mile road trips I'd arranged for each one.

I've been lucky as I've only had one major operation, a back problem nearly 40 years ago and that didn't sideline me for long.

You have to do it while you can is my attitude and I'm so glad we did as the far flung places are now a memory because of my wife's health and my football and more recently, twice a week golf outings are gone. Hopefully I can fly fish for a few years yet and woodwork is a must as I'd just fade away if I was stuck in a chair all day every day.

My wife is fully aware that if we ever come to downsize it will be to a large workshop with whatever accommodation happens to come with it otherwise I'm not going but the thought of moving house after 39 years horrifies me anyway.

 

[SamQ aka Ah! Q!]

I retired from teaching in June 2017. Our family unit was small, only 8, and almost immediately, we moved 253 miles (and "across the water") to consolidate it, be nearer our children. Cancer and Covid claimed two, one lost his job, marriage and mother in four months; another has just had major organ removal. A third is 92.
I would love to have had the time to "potter" and "footer"; it hasn't happened; the family 'turbulence' has got in the way - as has a near-100-yr-old 'new' house and its foibles.

To those of you, like Malc, AndyT, Duke, Rob, Lons, and MikeG, who have realised their ambitions and have a workshop and/or "an enabler", I say "Go for it!". Keep the rest of us encouraged to aspire and achieve! You are doing a great job!

I have a volunteer position as a "chippie" on a (tiny) heritage railway now, and the limited time (6 hours a week) that I can allocate to it keeps me sane. I have Diabetes 2 and a couple of similarly uncomfortable conditions that impair my physical (and mental) state, but aspire still to having my workshop back to the heady days of nearly a decade ago, when I was counting down to retirement and half-filling our compost bin with sawdust each week.

J.F.D.I. Chaps. I found the first step always the hardest one, after that you had momentum.

 

[duke]

I'm of the same opinion Scott, I've never stopped since before I was a teenager. I've had and still have numerous interests including sports and hobbies, far too many tbh but my attitude was to try everything I could possible access.

What that meant was transition to retirement was seemless though I was lucky in that I had a business at thet time and wound it down very slowly so after 8 years of frantically working 7 days a week I started to take time off and we managed 4 to 6 week long haul adventures for the last 10 years before I packed in. My wife loved the holidays but wasn't overjoyed with the 3000+ mile road trips I'd arranged for each one.

I've been lucky as I've only had one major operation, a back problem nearly 40 years ago and that didn't sideline me for long.

You have to do it while you can is my attitude and I'm so glad we did as the far flung places are now a memory because of my wife's health and my football and more recently, twice a week golf outings are gone. Hopefully I can fly fish for a few years yet and woodwork is a must as I'd just fade away if I was stuck in a chair all day every day.

My wife is fully aware that if we ever come to downsize it will be to a large workshop with whatever accommodation happens to come with it otherwise I'm not going but the thought of moving house after 39 years horrifies me anyway.

Fly fishing, did that in my early to mid teens, loved it. Something to think about and a new rabbit hole to fall into. I imagine the fly tying forums have heated debates.

 

[HdV]

Just like NickM I have been lucky to be able to retire quite young after I sold my company. People warned me about, what around here is called, "The Black Hole". They mean no longer having any obligation and by extension not doing anything anymore. Well, sometimes I wish. But no, it seems I have been more busy than most people with a normal job would be. (I say it like that, because as an entrepreneur you make crazy hours that are not representative anyway.) The dogs, woodworking, a large garden of 2 hectares, and recently a second house abroad that was/is in need of renovation have kept me off the streets. And that is not even counting all the hours I put in to support open source projects.

But I do recognise what you are getting at. My take is that you need to work both your body and your mind to stay healthy. Staying physically active prevents your body from degrading too much. It will anyway, but let's try not to make it too quick. You need to maintain your muscles and you need to try to stay at least a little bit flexible in your joints. A human body was not made to be static, so don't be. The same goes for your brain. You need to keep learning new things and/or make an effort to keep thinking about things to keep your brain cells/synapses active and to prevent the build-up of chemical compounds that should not be there. That does not necessarily mean going to the gym or back to school/university, but do try to push yourself a little bit. I have seen quite a lot of people around me who didn't with bad results. Genes are important, but what you do to maintain your physical and mental health are too.

 

[fuse]

Theres a really good book on fly fishing if you can find a copy....

Ive just put the retirement notice in last week
Trepidation ensues as its 7 years short of the official age and money is going to be tight.
Very tight
Life expectancy in my family hasnt been great so Im thinking I may have another 15 years
The employer is not the best shall we say and as they have had all my best years they just aint getting my final ones.
The OH has got plans for those but I might get to all the stuff I currently have no time or residual energy.

 

[duke]

I retired from teaching in June 2017. Our family unit was small, only 8, and almost immediately, we moved 253 miles (and "across the water") to consolidate it, be nearer our children. Cancer and Covid claimed two, one lost his job, marriage and mother in four months; another has just had major organ removal. A third is 92.
I would love to have had the time to "potter" and "footer"; it hasn't happened; the family 'turbulence' has got in the way - as has a near-100-yr-old 'new' house and its foibles.

To those of you, like Malc, AndyT, Duke, Rob, Lons, and MikeG, who have realised their ambitions and have a workshop and/or "an enabler", I say "Go for it!". Keep the rest of us encouraged to aspire and achieve! You are doing a great job!

I have a volunteer position as a "chippie" on a (tiny) heritage railway now, and the limited time (6 hours a week) that I can allocate to it keeps me sane. I have Diabetes 2 and a couple of similarly uncomfortable conditions that impair my physical (and mental) state, but aspire still to having my workshop back to the heady days of nearly a decade ago, when I was counting down to retirement and half-filling our compost bin with sawdust each week.

J.F.D.I. Chaps. I found the first step always the hardest one, after that you had momentum.

You have had a rough go of it, the volunteer railway chippy work sounds very satisfying.

 

[Lons]

........ I imagine the fly tying forums have heated debates.

I don't know Scott, I've never visited one but they're likely to have banned the subject of how to sharpen your hooks.

I've been fly fishing most of my life, on and off as time permitted and now it's once or twice a month for a few hours. It can be a rabbit hole regarding equipment and more so if you tie your own flies. DAHIKT

 

[duke]

Just like NickM I have been lucky to be able to retire quite young after I sold my company. People warned me about, what around here is called, "The Black Hole". They mean no longer having any obligation and by extension not doing anything anymore. Well, sometimes I wish. But no, it seems I have been more busy than most people with a normal job would be. (I say it like that, because as an entrepreneur you make crazy hours that are not representative anyway.) The dogs, woodworking, a large garden of 2 hectares, and recently a second house abroad that was/is in need of renovation have kept me off the streets. And that is not even counting all the hours I put in to support open source projects.

But I do recognise what you are getting at. My take is that you need to work both your body and your mind to stay healthy. Staying physically active prevents your body from degrading too much. It will anyway, but let's try not to make it too quick. You need to maintain your muscles and you need to try to stay at least a little bit flexible in your joints. A human body was not made to be static, so don't be. The same goes for your brain. You need to keep learning new things and/or make an effort to keep thinking about things to keep your brain cells/synapses active and to prevent the build-up of chemical compounds that should not be there. That does not necessarily mean going to the gym or back to school/university, but do try to push yourself a little bit. I have seen quite a lot of people around me who didn't with bad results. Genes are important, but what you do to maintain your physical and mental health are too.

Agree, when you have been running your own business you learn to cope with the stress of what's up next to pay the bills. Kind of conditions your mind to deal with bigger problems. Working out upcoming projects in your mind is better than scrolling instagram. Which can consume a lot of valuable time.

 

[Cabinetman]

Since retiring I’ve got rid of virtually everything I owned, the house goes on the market next week, moved to America and got married, moved within America and started on my new workshop.
Plenty to stop me getting bored in all that lot, but not enough actual woodworking to stop some muscle loss. The workshop will be finished soon and I will be able to really get stuck into a few of the projects on my list, my new bench is first, but definitely if I wasn’t doing something with my hands I think my mental and physical outlook would be a worry.
Ian

 

[Malc2098]

Fly fishing, you're gone need J R Harltey. IYKYK.

 

[Woodbloke]

Much the same story here. I've been doing this wood mangling lark since the early 70's, the first ever project I did was to make and fit a loudspeaker (using 12mm ply) into the glove compartment of my first motor, a Standard 10 (remember them?) with the previous proverbial 'one lady owner' who did 30,000 miles in it with the manual choke acting as a convenient hook for her handbag. I still have the Eclipse coping saw used to cut out the speaker enclosure.

Scroll on a few years to teaching it for a couple of decades, then a short stint as a pro cabinet maker and finally building the current 'shop around 2003 so it's now nearly a quarter of a century since I built it from proper old fashioned railway sleepers, 50mm thick council slabs (they're a bit heavy) and marine ply. Like others have said, without the 'shop and a thought provoking, time consuming hobby I'd have been in my box long ago.

SWIMBO has a passion for travel and would instantly go to any godforsaken spot on the face of the Earth at the drop of a hat. That 'interest' has been passed onto me although I draw a very definite line at road trips, especially as it's me wot's behind the wheel and SWIMBO who does the goofing. I once made the huge mistake of allowing her to drive our Defender down a hairpin pass in the Swiss Alps with a vertical drop over the side of the road; she was busy looking out the side window, not the windscreen! We have though, cultivated a massive interest in all aspects of Japan and it's culture so that's where our travels now take us; it's just the flight time (14 hours) which can be a trial - Rob

 

[Doug]

I started taking my pension in April & I’ve never been so busy, I don’t know about taking up a hobby if this is retirement I’d be better off back in full time self employment

 

[Accipiter]

Couldn't resist

 

[Accipiter]

I'll admit now that my retirement came out of the blue on one of my shifts... I'd intended to retire when I got to 68 yrs - in 2019 rather than January 2017 at 65ys and 10mth. I had an 'altercation' with a junior department manager who I'd continually helped out a number of times. I'll not go into details but this was the last straw to 'break the camels back' as the saying goes. I even phoned the site manager to inform him I'd resigned "as of that shift time" (around 17:30), he'd said "I'll come up and speak with you" and never showed.

So... It maybe took me 12~18 month's to come to terms with not going in to a work environment ... money things to sort as only getting the state pension (started it March 2016...) while sorting out the company/private pensions - which didn't give the expected returns promised!

Up until then my interests/hobbies had been sketching/painting, Falconry (for 40 years), woodworking (especially turning Falconry blocks from 1898/9) and Bonsai from around 2000 - visit to The Japanese Garden in St Mawgan near Newquay in Cornwall. Also photography to support my son...

I spent too much time on the laptop after retiring... but, in some ways that saved me! I came across/stumbled upon YouTube videos for Bonsai... that rekindled my interest and the one's I'd put in garden containers had to be sorted... and others joined the collection.

I also stumbled (or someone/something? ) brought woodworking videos in my feed... and that ignited the spark to sort the 'shop... along with my daughter becoming pregnant with our grandson - and wanting me to make her a rocking chair for *before* the birth... I managed to make it, not quite before the birth, but I'm still somewhat surprised I managed to do do in the cramped 'shop which had become an untidy dumping ground after my mother passed away in 2005... (father in 1992).

I still have/do the Bonsai and working on resurrection of the workshop (getting there but slower than I'd thought/hoped) but no longer do the Falconry (for a number of reasons) or the painting...

Since 'retirement' I now find myself required to give my time to family members - wife doesn't drive... which takes away from the time I could be spending in the workshop

 

[HOJ]

I start drawing my state pension from next week, had to wait another 2 months past my 66th, and in the same boat as @Doug , but now being more selective, in fact I’m turning some work away, I will carry on with renting my shop, which in the scheme of things is still affordable, and as long it wipes its nose I’ll carry on with it, but I do have the option of making more use of the two options I have at home, if it comes to it, and scaling things down, that will mean selling off a lot of gear though, but I now work more gentlemanly hours, so, no, I won’t be there at 7.00 am!

I have already started on developing a side line, rather than doing the big joinery, still very much woodworking, but smaller scale items, including a bit of woodturning (but only when needs must) I might even be tempted to do some craft fairs next year, with my new line of interest, plus its using up all the years of crap offcuts that I knew would come in handy one day..

And I have applied for a bus pass as well, I can catch it outside my front door, so I may even go on a trip as far as Norwich, now and again, might be a quick return though, but that’s as far as I want to go, be happy if I never see another hotel room or the inside of an aircraft, again, having worked away from home over a 20 year period in the past.

 

[Cabinetman]

I start drawing my state pension from next week, had to wait another 2 months past my 66th, and in the same boat as @Doug , but now being more selective, in fact I’m turning some work away, I will carry on with renting my shop, which in the scheme of things is still affordable, and as long it wipes its nose I’ll carry on with it, but I do have the option of making more use of the two options I have at home, if it comes to it, and scaling things down, that will mean selling off a lot of gear though, but I now work more gentlemanly hours, so, no, I won’t be there at 7.00 am!

I have already started on developing a side line, rather than doing the big joinery, still very much woodworking, but smaller scale items, including a bit of woodturning (but only when needs must) I might even be tempted to do some craft fairs next year, with my new line of interest, plus its using up all the years of crap offcuts that I knew would come in handy one day..

And I have applied for a bus pass as well, I can catch it outside my front door, so I may even go on a trip as far as Norwich, now and again, might be a quick return though, but that’s as far as I want to go, be happy if I never see another hotel room or the inside of an aircraft, again, having worked away from home over a 20 year period in the past.

It’s good to be planning and thinking, quite understand you keeping your new sale line under your belt but would like to see it at some point.
Ian

 

[RogerM]

I retired at 55 when the stress finally got to me. It was only after I had retired that it became clear how bad it had been. I got stuck into some major kitchen and garden landscaping projects, and keep fit with twice weekly racketball ( a bit like squash, played with a larger, more bouncy ball) and organising monthly cycling trips for our local U3A. Lots of travel for the first 10 years, although I find that the wanderlust has abated somewhat now, but will be doing the Coast to Coast cycling route (Whitehaven to North Shields) in September. I have kept busy with various DIY projects, although my absence from active participation in this forum over the last year betrays that I have been doing fewer of them. Overall, having turned 73, I am completely content with my lot.

 

[AJB Temple]

Fully agree with the general sentiment here. I first retired in my early 40s. That lasted about 2 months. I have a tendency to start businesses. I will never actually "retire" as I like working and interacting with people, though I only work as much as I want to. We started a restaurant business (I love cooking and can do it a bit) and that has got a tad out of hand.....and I like teaching piano students (as long as they have some talent). After building several buildings and making a large kitchen from scratch, woodwork has taken a bit of a backseat as I'm too busy.

 

[Accipiter]

The one thing holding me back NOW is lack of *spare* funds, as the years go on, since retirement. I may have time on my hands but...

The freezing of the tax free 'personal allowance' amount (as for everyone) has had and will continue to have a greater effect regarding any *disposable* pension funds (from state and *private* - small as they are... and not as large as I was lead to believe when paying into them) over the next 5 years - having been frozen/extended to 2031... Two of the private pensions aren't index linked so no increases over the years - just a monthly payment since the 1stdate of drawing. So, if contemplating retirement make sure your funds are sufficient heading towards the future. Mine were in 2017... not so today.

Considered going  back to paid employment but very slim chances at my age... and demands on my 'free' (?) time by family members...

I/we don't go to the pub, eat out or take holidays abroad... travel as little as possible (around 4,000 miles annually) in the diesel Dacia Logan MCV 65 plate, which was free for road fund licence until a couple of years ago - last cost was £20. Still have MOT and services plus insurances... Own our own home but...

What's the saying? "Asset rich but..." Not destitute but feel as if heading in that direction...

(Sorry to be maudlin - haven't had any drinks, honest

Add at 17:56... I'm putting this down to remembering my father's passing in 1992

 

[CHJ]

Based on my experiences I would say personal wellbeing after retirement is dependant upon having an existing sound hobby or significant project to aid the transition and fill the void left when retiring from the enforce routine of full time employment.

Very early voluntary/self induced retirement, actually turned into redundancy because someone in admin didn't get their act together during protracted prevarications (Afraid we will have to pay you six months pay in lieu of notice Sir) resulted in the ability to concentrate on property/plot enhancements as funds allowed for a couple of years or so but a series of family bereavements and their protracted precursors left me personally at a low ebb.

On a day out in the south Wales valleys as part of a self recharge routine we were into, a simple little wooden bowl for sale in a little hidden craft workshop caught my eye (form-quality of finish-colour whatever).

Subsequently sat at home looking at it a lightbulb moment said there is no reason you could not achieve similar.

And so the saga began of a new hobby that for several years became an obsession but only after the rude awakening to the fact that the move from precision engineering and electronics to hand co-ordinated craft skills using natures produce can be a much bigger challenge than envisioned.

A new late life hobby that resulted in twenty one years emersion in a whole new world.

 

[Accipiter]

For family bereavement you have my sympathies Chas... as well as the redundancy. Today is the anniversary of my father's death in 1992 - the day after his 68th birthday - from a heart attack. I still haven't got over it after all this time... Being made redundant exactly one month after his passing wasn't expected either and the double whammy had an undesirable effect on us all. Didn't help later either when I found out he'd had a massive argument with my elder brother who walked out on him while he was having the attack. I guess he (maybe) panicked but... It took me around 6 years to eventually find full time employment in an industry I'd no experience of but received training for: spindle moulder operator in a smàll pine furniture factory in Sutton Veny. Another kick in the crouch was training someone else to do the job and then being *laid off* (NO payment) as the guy I'd trained was on less money that I was.

During my long stint of unemployment - applied for many jobs and, at 41, was either too old ( !!!! ) or too experienced... having retai supervisory and retail management experience - I did some temporary work at a local dairy/creamery. After being laid off from the pine factory (November 98) and knowing the Christmas Cream period would be starting I began work back at the dairy. Around three weeks after the lay off, I got a phone call from the guy telling me I'd got a job back with him as the CNC operator... he'd sacked the guy. He said he wanted me to start right away... told him I couldn't because I'd signed a contract at the dairy until the New Year - 1999. He said "See you Jan 4th then"...

I didn't go back as I'd been asked if I'd want a full time job at the dairy, starting sometime in 1999. I started there in February. In March '99 I got a phone call from the guy I'd trained on the spindle work... he was well upset. Seemed the pine guy had shut up shop without telling anyone of the workers. They turned up Monday morning to find it all locked up and stripped of ALL machinery and stocks... His son's wife had just had a baby - his son worked there as well. They couldn't get any benefits as they'd no proof of being unemployed! Two weeks later I heard a pine factory opened in Westbury - being run by one of the 'supervisors' from the old place...