What stages can I expect to go through as I adjust to my new retired life?
According to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) retirees typically go through stages as they conclude their careers and adjust to retirement, whatever this phase looks like to each individual. These stages are:

Reorganizing at Home
Many people feel a sense of relief when they can pay attention to all the unfinished chores at home. Retirees often reorganize space to accommodate their new lifestyle. This reorganization may involve staking out territory if living quarters are shared with someone else. Retired spouses, and others who live in the same household, usually have to redefine their roles and shared tasks, a process that may take negotiation and time. Along with roles and expectations, retirees may have to negotiate lifestyle and activity choices due to economic concerns and possible changed areas of interest. For some individuals this process occurs somewhat naturally; for others adaptation proves difficult.

Honeymoon Stage
Ahhh, retirement!  Days of leisure, pursuits long put aside, time with grandchildren . . . it sounds wonderful. NSTA lists this stage as the “honeymoon” period, which settles in soon after retirement. It is marked by feeling of being permanently on vacation. During this time, people become preoccupied plunging into those pleasurable activities that were put on hold. Others enter a period of rest and relaxation. Busy teaching careers permit limited time alone, so some people quite happily do very little in the early phases of retirement.

Not everyone experiences the retirement honeymoon. Teachers and others who actively pursued leisure activities while still busy with their careers are more likely to establish a retirement routine that is comfortable and productive soon after retirement.

Disenchanted and Reorientation Stages
Once retirees have indulged themselves in rest and relaxation, they may to experience a letdown. Following the honeymoon phase comes another period of adjustment. Some people may have a difficult time as they begin to feel a sense of loss for the productivity and meaning they found in their careers.

At this stage, retirees seek activities to help fulfill this void. To decrease feelings of disenchantment and to enhance satisfaction in retirement, retirees should take the opportunity to redesign the retirement experience. Determine the activities that you deem meaningful or satisfying.  Ask yourself whether working part time will meet your needs or you need, for example, a balance between traveling and working or volunteering and leisure activities. Make an “I’ve Always Wanted to Try” list and start chipping away at it. Experiment—you now have the luxury of time to try different activities to find the right fit.

Filling time shouldn’t be a problem—there are countless ways to be involved. Monitoring new teachers, writing for education journals, taking part in adult education, or donating your expertise to an elementary school can be productive outlets. Joining local organizations and volunteering in the community in which you live or where you taught helps one stay active and involved. You even can volunteer and travel at the same time through organizations such as Earth Watch or Global Volunteers.

Enlightened Stage
Mastering a comfortable and rewarding retirement takes some people longer than others. It takes time to figure it all out—your roles, your lifestyle on the income available, the best use of your talents, and choice of new activities to tackle.

When they do arrive at this stage, many people say that it’s really the best, most rewarding time of their lives. As one retired KDP member stated passionately, “I have a whole new way of looking at things now that the pressure cooker is well behind me. I evaluate all the possibilities and put in place the activities I really want to do that are fulfilling, fun, and challenging. I wouldn’t trade these years for anything!”