Do you need holidays once you retire?

Retirement; it is just one long holiday that never ends, or should you still go on holiday?

Once you wake up in your own sweet time, rather than to the call of an alarm clock and have far more choice over how you spend your time, do you need or even want to go on holiday? The answer is a resounding yes!

Expert opinion suggests that breaks away are just as beneficial for retirees as those still in the workforce. Here are a few good reasons to take a break:

To avoid feelings of loneliness

One of the biggest potential pitfalls of retirement is the social isolation some people experience. This tends to be greatest for those who are single or living alone, or for married retirees whose spouses are still working. Work brings you into contact with a variety of people every day – co-workers, clients, and fellow commuters. Without that structure and contact, it’s easy to get into the habit of being alone, which can encourage feelings of loneliness or even depression. Holidays generally entail some form of travel and give travellers the opportunity to interact with many different people.

To take a break from routine

Baby boomers may spend as much as a quarter of their lives retired. Many retirees maintain close links with their families and even shoulder responsibility for looking after grandchildren. The routine of keeping oneself busy can become rather mundane, so it’s nice to break it up every few months with a stimulating change.

To feel stimulated and challenged

Holidays take us to new places, offer the opportunity to try new experience, food, and language. It is a great way to ‘feel alive’ and enhance a sense of accomplishment. It’s joyful to share the experience with travel companions, document it in photographs and bring back stories when we return. To enhance one’s sense of self.

Retirement can bring on something of a personal crisis – how do you define yourself now that you are not ‘a lawyer’ or ‘a teacher’ anymore? It is easy to become defined by our job, it does, after all, take up a large part of our lives, and when it goes, there is a void to be filled. Developing an interest in travel, or devoting time to an experience you had whilst travelling can open up new possibilities.

To fulfill lifelong dreams

While you are working and raising families, travel often has to take a back seat. Once you are retired, many dream of travelling more and seeing sights they had previously only dreamed about. A sense of wanderlust is a wonderful thing to foster, you never know who or what you will encounter in your travels. Dreams keep you looking forward, which is important, no matter what your age or stage.

To strengthen relationships

More and more families are separated by geography. Once you have the time, travelling to visit is the best way to remain close. Travelling can also foster closeness in marriages – if you are just the two of you in a foreign land or situation, why would you choose to spend that time arguing or fussing about meaningless things? It is a far better option to create new memories and rediscover the things you first fell in love with.

Life is precious and often all too short. If travel is on your to-do list, make the most of the extra time afforded by being retired and pack your bags!