If retirement is throwing you for a loop, you’re definitely not alone. Coleman Barks, a poet and translator, writes this about his last day of teaching at the University of Georgia: “I missed giving my final final exam. I slept through it. The alarm didn’t sound, or I turned it off in my sleep. I’m buying a new clock. But maybe it’s perfect this way. They wrote me such letters. I’ll...
“Happiness is only real when shared.” —Chris McCandless, from Into the Wild According to the Social Security Administration, nearly 80 million people are retiring at a rate of about 10,000 per day. Meanwhile, since 1990, divorces among the 65+ population have tripled. Coincidence? Probably not. Sociologist Stephanie Coontz, director of research at the Council on Contemporary...
Tess Simonetti, a retired elementary teacher in Massillon, Ohio, has seen it firsthand. “When I began teaching, there was little to no involvement by grandparents with the students,” she says. “By the end of my career, many more grandparents played a large role.” Grandparents today are more involved in their grandkid’s lives than ever before. And they’re being...
While they make great pets, Border Collies are, first and foremost, workers. They’ll look for jobs to do around the house. Bred to herd sheep, they’ll herd children and other pets. They love solving problems. In other words, they’re happiest when they have a purpose. Sound like someone you know? According to psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, purpose is essential for all of us. During...
When it comes to longevity, genetics, diet and exercise are the factors we usually think of. But according to a recent study by Boston University School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, our attitude about all of that—and life in general—can have an even greater impact. Researchers found that the most optimistic participants, who were tracked for up to 30 years...
In a recent poll by Eligibility.com, about half of the respondents believed that Medicare is free when they turn 65. Not even close. Premiums, deductibles, and copays—with no out-of-pocket maximum—could put a big dent in your retirement savings. “I’d say a full third of people we talk to, who are just starting to do their research, are surprised—even flabbergasted—that they have to pay anything...
According to a recent study by the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, yoga injuries are on the rise, especially among older adults. Over the past 13 years or so, the rate of yoga injuries among adults 65+ has increased more than eightfold. But isn’t yoga supposed to be good for you? Yes. But you have to be informed. Thousands of yoga teachers are being certified each year, and...
Three years ago, Dahti Blanchard retired from teaching at Swan School in Port Townsend, WA. Today, at 67, she’s the oldest resident Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) with East Jefferson Fire Rescue. It all started when she saw a sign calling for volunteer EMTs and acted on a dream she’d had for 30 years. “I was curious as to whether I’d be able to physically do the test, and went for...
We all know that exercise and diet are important contributors to a long and healthy life. But there’s another factor, as or more important: the quality of our relationships. “Good, close relationships appear to buffer us from the problems of getting old,” says Dr. Robert Waldinger, a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Waldinger directs the Harvard Study of Adult...
What if we spent all of our days Improving our minds, learning new ways to be lazy —Mary Chapin Carpenter, “What If We Went to Italy” Retirees are often advised to stay busy. We’re expected to volunteer, take classes or travel. And, for the most part, it is a good idea to stay active. However, for many Type A personalities, it can be challenging to slow down enough to actually...
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