Make sure you do not fall for these common myths about happiness in retirement!
We all want our golden years to be amazing, but there are a lot of myths about happiness in retirement! While wanting to have a happy retirement is a normal thing, do you know how you can achieve it?
The fact of the matter is that a happy retirement looks different for each and every one of us, and falling for these myths about happiness in retirement may bring about the opposite reactions. They may end up making you more miserable than you would have thought possible!
You may think that having some things and even putting an accent on material wealth is going to make you both feel better and help you have the happiest retirement out there, but the research in the field of happiness has shown that it is not as simple as that.
Sure, it is a cliche to say that money does not bring about happiness, but there seems to be more truth to the matter than we have ever thought. It is not just a good book or movie trope; it is actually true!
If you are curious about some of the most common happiness myths about retirement, make sure you keep reading, as we will dispel them together!
How does a happy retirement look for you? How do you envision your golden years going? Do not pay any attention to the happiness myth around you, and tell us what your heart desires in the comments! It’s a safe space here!
Happiness Myth 1: Without money, you will never be truly happy.
This is probably the most prevalent myth about happiness in retirement that you are going to see paraded around. We also mentioned it a little bit earlier, but we do have to get into the meat of the problem now!
A lot of people live with the impression that without a substantial amount of money, they will not be able to live a happy retirement. Do not get us wrong; we are aware that money is needed in order to make sure you are comfortable.
However, the money you need is the funds to make sure you have all your basic needs covered and that you are comfortable. Money to be able to cover the likes of housing, clothes, food, and to pay your bills! If you have these areas covered, then you do not need to worry about these things; the amount of money you have extra will not dictate how happy you are.
They will let you enjoy more things, but just having the money is not going to automatically ensure you have a happy retirement.
Money does not matter as much as other things in the grand scheme of things, and this has also been shown through research done with people who have won big sums of money at the lottery.
People were happy in the moment, but after a while, they did not report feeling any happier than before the big win, and some even reported that they hoped they never won as it brought them more problems than happiness.
Do not bank everything on money; it’s just a retirement myth!
Happiness Myth 2: Not working another day in your life will bring you only happiness and relaxation.
A lot of people believe in this myth about happiness in retirement, but the sad reality is that, as much as you could have gotten fed up with your job when you no longer have to go to the office, you may not end up feeling as happy and elated as you expected.
If you have been working for the past 35 to 40 years or even longer, be it for the same job or different ones, you may end up having a jarring realization. A lot of retirees report that not having that structure in their lives and knowing what to do daily has brought them more confusion than happiness.
Indeed, they have been happy that they do not have the everyday obligation to deal with anymore, but in the end, the lack of schedule and structure has taken them by surprise. There are a lot of retirees who end up getting depressed or anxious since this is a huge change to their schedule.
It is best that you get prepared ahead of retirement so that the change will truly bring you happiness and not shock you and make you feel lost if you are quite cold-hearted, especially if you are someone who thrives off of having a set schedule.
Happiness Myth 3: The older you are, the more unhappy you will be.
Some people hype up the retirement life, while others end up trying to scare you about what is going to come. Another common myth about happiness in retirement is that, as you age, you will find yourself less and less able to be happy.
Life deals us all a different set of cards, but in the end, most retirees do not agree with this fear-mongering myth! Studies have also confirmed that most seniors end up becoming happier as they age and that they have also slowly developed less and less intense negative emotions, especially compared with younger adults.
It is not that you are never going to have periods of sadness when you are retired, but rather that you are going to slowly be able to be more satisfied as you grow older.
A lot of retirees report that they are less prone to stress as much as they did, they feel more stable emotionally, and overall, they are happier with their lives as they age. Even with the losses that come with aging and the curve balls life throws at them, most seniors report that retirement is a happy time in their lives!
Remember, your life is as happy as you make it, so do not fall for such myths!
Happiness Myth 4: Without a relationship, you will never be as happy as you could be.
A lot of retirees worry that if they’re not in a loving, supportive relationship, they will not have a happy retirement. This is one of those myths about happiness and retirement that you should not pay any attention to.
Indeed, being in such a relationship is going to be amazing, and if you have someone like that attached to you, then you can pretty much forget any worries about happiness as together you will be able to deal with anything.
However, if you have lost your spouse or have divorced, you do not have to think that being single in retirement is going to make you miserable. Friendships can be just as meaningful, and there are a lot of single retirees and seniors who report that they are even happier than when they were in a mismatched marriage.
This does not mean that you will not miss your spouse if they have passed, but they would want you to be happy, not wallow in sadness.
What’s more, we should mention that even if you are in a fulfilling relationship or marriage, it does not mean that everything will amount to a happy retirement.
You should not be basing all your happiness on one person, and expecting your significant other to bring you that fairytale happily ever after is unreasonable and unfair to them.
Happiness Myth 5: Happiness is determined by genetics and you can not do anything about it.
Another happiness myth that is circulating is that happiness is determined by our genetic makeup and that once you have reached your happiness limit, there is nothing left to do.
While research has suggested that everyone has a “set point” when it comes to how much happiness they are capable of due to their genes, it is not the only thing that will determine how happy you are. And it definitely does not mean that once you retire, you are going to be miserable!
Besides that research, there is also half of your happiness levels that are not dictated by genetics. They are made up of about 10% of the life circumstances you have had to deal with and about 40% of the choices and actions you take to contribute to your own happiness.
You can be fulfilled and happy in your retirement, and you can make your own. There is a lot of control we have; do not let myths tell you you are going to run out of the ability to be happy!
If you want to read more about how to have a successful and happy retirement, this book you can get from Amazon is a great read on the matter!
If you have realized that these myths are not to be trusted, you may also be left with a lot of questions about how you can have a happy retirement and how you can get to that point! If you are confused and need a little bit of guidance, then we recommend that you give this article a chance: Retire Happy: 4 BEST Tried-and-Tested Tips for a Fulfilling Retirement.
