Warning signs you may not be ready for retirement you have health Concerns without a Plan 1

The last thing I considered when I decided to retire was my physical and mental health. I felt good, was in not bad shape, and I was excited about retirement. Those who have been following me know that the excitement about retirement for me lasted one day and then I went back to work.

I was not alone in ignoring my health and wellness. Many people approaching retirement overlook or ignore physical and mental health changes and fail to develop a proactive health and wellness plan. There are various reasons why this happens, often stemming from misconceptions, fears, or a lack of awareness. I want to talk today and tomorrow about some of the common reasons for neglecting health and wellness planning, along with some thoughts to overcome these justifications.

We deny that we are getting old, I define old as anyone who is 10 years older than me. I do this as a joke and understand that as I age, I may be limited in what I can do. However, there are some individuals who resist acknowledging that they are aging or may like I did when I first retired, feel invincible despite their age. They might believe that significant health changes won’t affect them, or like me they feel young at heart and equate that with physical health. Having worked with seniors since I fully retired in 2014, I understand that embracing aging is part of living well. Acknowledging that the body and mind change with age allows us to make proactive choices to support health. Ageing as an opportunity for self-care and living more intentionally. Many age-related changes can be mitigated or managed with a proactive wellness plan, helping  us to feel our best for as long as possible.

One of my pet peeves with the medical system in my province is that there is no focus on preventative care. So, going to the doctor to get ideas on how to stay healthy or having a yearly check-up does not happen  unless you pay for it out of pocket. I hope it happens in your jurisdiction. So, the cost of a yearly checkup is prohibitive for many seniors as is the idea of getting bad news from doctors. These two ideas prevent people from regular check-ups or facing mental health concerns. In addition, some people may worry that finding a problem will negatively impact their retirement plans.

If you can afford it, regular check-ups often catch health issues early, when they are more manageable and easier to treat. Facing health concerns can actually preserve our quality of life and extend our enjoyment of retirement. If you can try to reframe health check-ups as empowering as they give you control over your health, rather than letting conditions progress unchecked.