Simple Pleasures In Retirement

"Little Things Mean A Lot" by Edith Lindeman and Carl Stutz

While working, it was easy for me to forget to relax and have fun. It was easier work hard and spend money to have fun, i.e. the work hard, play hard approach. In retirement, I have tried to break away from this syndrome and invest in more relaxation time for myself. Here are some of my favorite "simple pleasures:"

Hot baths - The last time I routinely took hot baths was in high school when I was nursing sports injuries. Recently, I have been taking occasional hot baths in the evening and enjoying reading a paper. I have come to enjoy my 30 minute hot baths. I sleep better and my sports injuries seem to be healing faster.

Sleeping later - When I was working, I would wake up at 5:30 AM before my alarm clock buzzed. Since I was regularly awake before 6 AM, even on weekends, I assumed I would continue doing so in retirement. Wrong! I now wake up at 7 to 7:30 and usually when my alarm rings. Occasionally, I have been sleeping until 8 or 9 AM. It's been great to sleep until our alarm sounds.

Playing with our three year old - Anytime or any place, I can plan with our daughter when she asks. Games, painting, or building, I can do it. Recently, she commented that she missed me because I was doing some part time seasonal work.

Here are "simple pleasures" I will try in the future:

Reading books - Although I am not an avid reader, I do enjoy reading for enjoyment. There are several books on my "to read" list that I still need to crack open :-)

New hobbies - I've always wanted to become competent at enough magic tricks to do an amateur show. While I have become good at several tricks, I need to significantly expand my repertoire in order to do a show.

It's amazing how much I didn't appreciate these simple activities while I was working.

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This is not financial or retirement advice. Please consult a professional advisor.

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