Hi Mick Here... about to retire feeling anxious

by Michael
(Ireland)

I have put in my papers to retire after 32 years in the police, and since then I wake up every morning with a knot in my gut, I would like to know if this is normal..

I could work on for another few years and if i do will i have the same feelings when i put in my papers.

I have something to go to I work for a charity organisation and they have a post for me over seas. My friends tell me Im doing the right thing , but I have a lot of doubts. Is this normal?

Some of my friends that have retired have different stories. some say the felt the same way as i do, others say they had everything planned . The only thing most of them miss is the comrades they worked with.

it will be new to me a new chapter in my life. I really hope im making the right decision.

Any body who felt the same as i feel now?

Is there ever the right time to retire and will I feel the same way if i put it off for a few years?

Thank you very much writing this has helped... hopefully I will get some advice .

Comments for Hi Mick Here... about to retire feeling anxious

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Mick I'm in the same boat!
by: Billy/USA Ohio

Mick,

Just to let you know I too have 32 years working as a police officer. Funny, today I called the retirement board and scheduled an appointment and planning on retiring in April 2017. I too can work another year but have recently decided to leave early. I have been going back and forth in my mind trying to decide if I'm making the right move also. I'm a detective with a city police department but have been working on a drug task force for 17 of my 32 year career. I actually have two places of employment, with to different families of officers and friends that I will miss being around. It seems that it is a small world, as two officers with the same amount of time working similar jobs, on two different continents and having the same anxiety about leaving their jobs for retirement. Anyway I wish you all the best in life and retirement. Respectfully Billy T
You are doing the right thing .
by: Helen

I think you are already doing the right thing by having something to go to as you put it .

Where I went wrong ..... I didn't plan it . If you have charity work in place you will fill the gap left by work and replace work with something worthwhile . I think the big thing is that after we finish work we cease to feel important to anyone . Some lucky people have families to take up part of that slack . Having charity work sounds the perfect solution as you will make a new group of friends .

I agree with Wendy that if you feel anxious now you will most likely feel the same if you delay .

Best of luck !
anxious
by: Rose Raintree Arlington Wa.

I think we all become somewhat anxious about the unknown. I retired 3 years ago and being active and healthy not sure what I would do and it has been a process, but I am so happy now.

Yes the most thing I missed was the relationships and having that purpose. But the great thing is you can create new relationships and new purpose that at this next chapter can perhaps be the best of your life. so don't let your anxiety or fear of the unknown keep you from embracing that next chapter.
Who Isn't Anxious?
by: Mark in Maryland

Hi there Mick. First and foremost, after surviving as a cop for 32 years you should feel deeply in your heart that you have given your very best to the communities you served, and you will truly retire as a hero. Don't ever doubt that.

My best advice to relieve some of your anxiety about retiring is to sit down and make a list of all the things that used to bring you unending joy as a child and young adult. Nothing that you used to love doing is too trivial to put on this list.

Now in a best case scenario you should be able to cycle through the items on your list maybe a half dozen times during your first year of retirement. The cool thing is you will have virtually unlimited time to re-dedicate to these things that bring you peace and happiness, so if for example you enjoyed motorcycle riding as a young man, take a month or even two to locate a replacement machine.

The more work the bike needs the better for the newly retired Mick. I used to enjoy drawing as a child, and since I have been retired for almost two years now, I have completed at least six pieces of artwork that now hangs in the homes of my two grown children. You have no limits, my friend. But you don't have to fill every waking hour with activity either.

The really, really cool thing about being retired is that you can spend as much time as you want doing absolutely NOTHING!

Trust me when I tell you it is a beautiful thing to take your favorite portable chair down to the river's edge and simply sit and watch the sea birds fish and appreciate the incredible beauty of the natural world.

You are about to embark on a journey of rediscovery and all you have to do is carpe diem!

Wendy OOOOH, Good One!
Hang in there, Mick!
by: Briar/USA

Hey Mick,

Yes! I think lots of us have similar thoughts - I was gung-ho to retire, but got bored after a while. I felt I didn't have enough money to do what I wanted, and I didn't feeel I could really continue what I was originally doing (I was a chiropractor for 26 years), nor did I want to do that anymore.

I started laying around trying ot
figure out was wrong, then what to do about it. I didn't know what else I could do. I'd done the same darn thing for 26 years, for crying out loud! I'd forgot what else I might be able to do.

Finally, I started asking myself what I thought I'd like to do, if I could do anything. What were some of the things I did during that 26 years that I enjoyed? For me, I realized that I was always the one doing the writing of reports, letters, ads, etc. THe other doc's in the office always asked me to do that stuff because they weren't good at it, and didn't like to do it.

So I began to pursue different aspects of writing, and what new technology would I have to learn etc. So far, I've taken some on-line classes, and am progressing toward my writing goal, developing a website, looking at ways to promote it etc.

I'm telling you, it's like having a whole new lease on life! It's something to look forward to, and it's something I enjoy and am good at doing. I'm really excited about it, and just want it to go a bit faster!

You having been a policeman - well, that's great! I bet if your'e still interested in that general field you could get into online PI types of work. Tracking people down, certain types of fraud, online security; providing security consultations to businesses for their premises; Really, the world being what it is, there must be a ton of options for you to at least consider. I think it sounds rather exciting and could be quite consuming. I actually looked into selling personal security devices, but decided I just didn't know enough about it. I'm just a secret agent type wanna-be :)

Maybe you aren't interested in staying in police related fields - then you'de have to ask yourself some of those open ended, out-of-the-box questions, like I did. What part of your job did you like best? Or did you hate it all? Look at your wish list of 'coulda, woulda, shoulda". Is there something you have always wished you had done instead, but maybe it was too scary to contemplate at the time? Take some classes. Surf the net. Look around. Ask questions. Dream a little. Dare a little.

Sure, there's going to be a transitional phase. It's OK. Let it happen, but also know that you have some free time to look at new options. It doesn't HAVE to be an ending (as it felt to me). It can be a beginning! And that's FUN!
Good luck! Don't worry too much. Move forwaard one small step at a time. There's no hurry now. Get your feet under you, and head in that new direction? What's the worst that can happen? You make a mistake? Big deal! Move on to something else.

Take care, Mick. Good luck. You'll do fine. THis is great place for you to come.

Briar

PS You know, I was in Ireland once, many years ago. I remember the cliffs of Morair (bad spelling, sorry, and Dingle with it's crazy wiggly streets, and buying a hand made woolen blanket in a room above the pub, and the nicest people ever, and the cutest boy who smiled and winked at me, and a man who looked like a leprechaun who was playing a tin whistle, and a donkey who stuck his head in my car window and ate my apple, andand showing the owners of a tiny restaurant how to make a real 'yank' hamburger, and trying to go fishing after having bought some 'worms' wrapped in newspaper - when I opened the paper the darn thengs had all these legs and were huge, squirming all over the place. I was so startled and horrified when I opened the newspaper and they all came spilling out that I shrieked out loud! The fishermen on the pier told me the things could bite! They were very nice and helped me bait the hook, but That was about it for me and fishing in Ireland! When you're scared of the bait, the experience loses it's charm! haha

Take care. Hang in there. It'll be OK
Briar
Retirement papers
by: Joe W.

Michael,

I'm curious to know why you submitted your retirement papers if you had the opportunity to work another 2-Years. I have a feeling that your not too happy about what's happening to you since retirement.

Volunteering is great but in a lot of cases others are making the important decisions for you. I'd say get control of your own life now then through self-discovery figure out what you really want to do including going bavk to work for another 2-Years. Good Luck!

Joe W.
TRANSITIONING
by: Loyce!

Life is always changing and we can choose to change or not. Long-time jobs encase us in a bubble of comfort and yours is about to burst and you'll experience life outside your bubble and you are feeling the impending change. You can choose to adapt or become a hermit; choices are always with us.
Making decisions about the future
by: Elna

Dear Michael: Did you have anxiety about choosing police work before you went into it? Or did you look forward to it?

Also was there something in your very young life that you secretly dreamed of wanting to do when you grew up but never told anyone about it?

And is there anything that you could really get excited about if you thought you could get up in the morning and go do it?

It is pretty normal to be anxious about any kind of life change, even if you chose it. But it may wise to also consider doing something totally different.,,something that turns you on despite the financial compensation you get for it. If you are computer literate you could even come up with a job of your own making that you could do from your own home and live your life on your own terms.

The key is to be open to anything that you would love to do.

Amazing how the anxiety lessens when you embrace it

Blessings, Elna
About to retire feeling anxious...
by: Janet

Hi Mick,

Feeling anxious is part of making a decision to retire. It is a new chapter in your life.

I worked in my profession and retired after 32 years. There was a five year incentive in which many of us paid into in order to be able to retire five years earlier. I am most happy that I took advantage and made the decision to retire when I did.

Unfortunately, my husband passed away suddenly November 28, 2014. I am grateful that I had the almost seven years being retired before my husband passed.

Every retirement situation is different, you may decide to continue working or you may decide that you want to work a few more years. I am sure after careful thinking you will decide what is best for you.

Believe me, feeling anxious about retirement is an experience that many face. I wish you all the best.

Janet
When to Retire?
by: Wendy, www.retirement-online.com

Everyone is different.. but if you feel anxious now, you'll likely feel anxious in a few years.

Just think --- you've worked police work for many years. You don't have to think about it, you just do the job. You know that job.

Leaving work, you are no longer the police. You won't have the same friends either. Life changes.... but it can be very very very good too!

You DO have soemthing new to go to! That (in my book) is just HUGE! You can stick with it, or try something new later.. but you have the FREEdom to make those choices. Right?

I worked 35 years for local government, retired at 55 as the Retirement Manager. Even after helping thousands retired, I was anxious.

Many walk away without a second thought... many others, like us, over think it. It IS a process, it is a HUGE lifestyle change, it does take some getting used to.

BUT -- I can truly say my life is SOOO good now. I can't EVEN imagine going back to work.

Just my two cents! Wendy

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