For many people, mental wellbeing is tied to having a clear sense of purpose, a good quality of life, and a secure living environment. It’s very common for your mental health to take a hit when you experience significant life changes, periods of transition, and disruption. This could include the death of a loved one, downsizing your home, changing jobs, ill health, and, of course, retirement.
Change can be frightening and unsettling, but it doesn’t need to be. Having a clear plan and strategy will mean you’re well-positioned for whatever life might throw at you and can give you a sense of control in turbulent times.
Planning supports your mental wellbeing
Moving from your working life into your retired life is a significant life change. It’s a total shift from a long-established routine (which most likely included regular social interaction, feelings of fulfilment, and a sense of purpose and stability) into an expanse of unstructured time with an endless number of ways in which to fill it. You’ll spend years counting down to your retirement date, but if you don’t plan for what happens next, you are likely to wake up on day one of retirement thinking, “Oh goodness, I have no idea what to do with myself”.
This can be extremely overwhelming. Without a proper plan, you may find yourself drifting through your later life without direction. This can feel demoralising, making it even more difficult to motivate yourself into action. If it persists for a long time, you may find yourself feeling depressed. It’s essential to plan ahead to ensure that the transition is smooth, emotionally and practically.
By the same token, you are likely keenly aware of the fact that either you will outlive your partner, or your partner will outlive you. But awareness means very little without taking action to plan for that eventuality, so that when it happens, you know it’s already taken care of. Nobody particularly wants to think about ourselves or our partner dying. But grieving a partner (or a parent, or a grandparent) is already tough enough without the added stress of having to put their affairs in order at the same time.
That’s why we place so much emphasis on your future plans. How you’ll fill your time in retirement is just as important as how you’ll get there. Planning for after you’re gone is just as important as making sure you are set up to live your life to the fullest.
Planning your future doesn’t have to be difficult. We’re here to make it easy.
What can I do?
1. Plan!
The peace of mind that comes from having all your ducks in a row, knowing exactly what is needed and when, with a clear strategy that helps you stay focused and ignore the ‘noise’, is priceless.
We are offering free one-hour discovery meetings from now until 16th December 2021, as part of Financial Planning Week (11-17th October). These sessions will give you, a friend, a family member, or a colleague the chance to speak to Nicola, our financial planner, to understand how putting a proper, holistic financial plan in place can benefit yourself and your family. Book your meeting by either by calling us on 01234 713131, or emailing us at info@janesmithfinancial.com, citing ‘Financial Planning Week’.
2. Understand the signs and symptoms of mental ill health
They can affect anybody at any time, but especially around those big life changes we’ve talked about. If you can notice them early, you can act on them before you reach a point where it feels too difficult to address them. Sometimes these symptoms can come on very slowly over time, so it can be hard to notice them. Make sure the people you regularly see in your life – friends, family, carers – understand them, too, so that they can catch them even if you don’t.
3. Time for you
You may have heard the phrase “self-care” recently. This simply means having several things that you can do to soothe and cheer yourself up, that you know work without fail. It might be a favourite song that always makes you smile. Maybe it’s shutting your husband out of the kitchen while you bake a cake, or going for a drive down your favourite country route. Maybe it’s looking at old family pictures or going for a walk. It could be taking a cup of tea in the garden or reading a book. It doesn’t matter what it is, so long as it’s something that lifts your spirits.
4. Regularly update your plan
Life, circumstances, and priorities all change over time. Revisiting your plan on at least an annual basis is crucial in making sure that they reflect your wishes and intentions accurately. It’s a short exercise with a big impact – it’s comforting to know that it’s all in hand.
The first step
With a plan in place, when the unexpected happens or a big life change approaches, you’ll understand how, when, and why things need to happen. We’ll be right there to help every step of the way – we’re only a phone call away.
If you would like to take advantage of our free one-hour discovery meetings, please call us on 01234 713131 or email us at info@janesmithfinancial.com, citing ‘Financial Planning Week’. If you have any friends, family, or colleagues who you think may benefit from speaking to us, please do pass on the details to them.
This communication is for general information only and is not intended to be individual advice. You are recommended to seek competent professional advice before taking any action.
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