Retirement - List of Best Activities to do Besides Travelling

As seniors finally hit the long awaited retirement stage of their lives, they may quickly acknowledge that retirement may be accompanied by boredom and overall lack of activity. Retirement may initially start out feeling like a vacation, but soon the days may feel long and drawn out, with the same routine as usual.

Going from a hard working individual to a “bored boomer” may lead you feeling like you have lost a part of your identity, or that you have lost challenge in your life, you may even start to feel depressed and your body may be in poor condition due to the lack of activity you participate in.

You may hear from other seniors that a great way to beat a case of the bored boomer is by traveling, but travelling can be expensive, tiresome, and at the end of the day is not everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, there are many ways you can enjoy retirement in the comfort of your own community!

1. Revisit your passions: What were you passionate about when you were younger? Was it cooking? Art? Woodworking? Take a moment with yourself to reflect on the things you loved to do earlier on in life. Check online for clubs in your community that support your passions. Pursue them alone if you would like. The point is, allow yourself to experience the joys in life you may have had to sacrifice for the adult lifestyle.

2. Get a Job or volunteer: This may seem a little counter intuitive to the idea of having “fun” after retirement, but many seniors find that having a low stress job allows them to be productive, make some extra money, and interact with others around them. Not up for being adhered to working a certain amount of hours in a week? Volunteer! The world could always use more selfless helpers. Volunteering can be rewarding and it is a great way to give back to your community.
   
   

3. Check out the senior center in your community: At senior centers you can find...well seniors of course! Many senior centers offer a variety of activities such as crafts, cooking classes, “field trips,” and even educational classes. It is almost like you are at camp again! Attending a senior center can give you the opportunity to meet other seniors in your area and stay socialized!

4. Get a pet! Retirement can get a bit lonely sometimes, and a furry friend may help ease any negative feelings you may have. Most animals are a lot of responsibility, but you will have more time at home to take care of them! If you feel like you are in good enough health to adopt a new friend, this may be a great idea for you!

5. Revisit love: If you are a single senior and don’t want/already have a furry friend and maybe want more love in your life, consider online dating. There are plenty of dating websites and apps made especially for seniors, and more widely known dating apps allow you to set an age range of people you would be interested in dating. Getting back into the dating pool, or getting into the dating pool for the first time, may be intimidating at first, but worst case scenario, you make a new friend!
   
   

6. Sign up for a sport or exercise class: Staying active is so important in older age. If you join a team sport or an exercise class, you can be around other seniors who also want to maintain an active lifestyle. There are plenty of sports that seniors can still actively participate in. Try pickleball, tennis, or even zumba!

7. Revisit your education: Keeping your brain in function is very important in older age. Try enrolling in your local community college. Many community colleges offer financial aid if you need it, and you can be around groups of people of all different ages. If you don’t want to enroll, you can ask the professor to audit the class and you can just learn for fun!

Old age may seem like a bore, but there are so many fun activities you can do besides traveling that are easy and budget friendly!