Your retirement: Instead of having a boring retirement

submitted by Russ and Marilee, active retirees with PhD's

For probably the first time in your life YOU are the one to make the choices. Here are some tips to help you stay active and engaged during the relaxing years of life.

1. Plan your to-do's
When you retire make sure you and your partner plan how you're going to spend your time and resources in those special years.  We had friends who never talked about what they were going to do and assumed the partner had the same thoughts.  Needless to say they had very different plans and a stormy start!

2. Help the community
We strongly encourage volunteerism.  Thare are many organizations who can benefit from your expertise AND you can usually choose your hours.

3.Choose fitness 
It is important to incorporate exercise in your day and a combination of aerobic, strength training and flexibility training is best.  It benefits all parts of your body and even 15 to 30 minutes can make a large difference.  It even helps your brain repair itself and we need all of that we can get:)  (G. Bortzokis MD at UCLA)

4.  Pace yourself!  
More than once we have been so enthusiastic at an opportunity that we have overcommitted ourselves physically and timewise.  As much as we don't wish to focus on it, we are not 30 or even 50 anymore.

5.  Do one thing different every day!  
This is another way to keep your mind active.  Put a different shoe on first,  brush your teeth with a different hand or walk a different route. Small challenges to your routine keep those synapses fired up.

6.  Keep learning! 
Learn a new skill. Play a new musical instrument or learn another language.  We have become Master Gardeners and Master Naturalist and are always looking for new opportunities to add to our knowledge.

7.  Keep social
As we age, friends become even more valuable.

8.  Stay positive
Negativity pulls you down and uses energy.  Get rid of items that you don't like and spend time with people who lift your spirits - hopefully one of them is your partner.

9.  Take a nap
As we age naps refresh you.  This is another wonderful aspect of retirement. Brain Rules has an entire section dedicated to the importance of naps. Did you know NASA scientists see huge improvements in their astronauts ability to complete complex tasks after a refreshing nap? Sleeping as little as 26 minutes in the afternoon has a huge effect on your attention to detail.

10.  Enjoy your environment
Find something to do outside every day. Taking out the trash doesn't count.