We've probably all heard the stories about
people dying shortly after retiring. As if suddenly not having a focus in their lives, such as daily going to a job, somehow disrupts their living patterns to the degree that it proves fatal for them.
Or are such accounts merely urban legends? The article linked below discusses this phenomenon, cites some studies done on it, and suggests reasons for why this may actually occur in some cases.
From article:
"Studies have repeatedly shown that people who retire early tend to die younger than those who continue working. But that’s partly because people who are ill or unhealthy are more likely to retire than those who are in perfect health" (That is, they likely would have died earlier anyway, regardless of retirement status).
"Couldn’t the stress of a working life be deadly in its own way? Yes, but research suggests that too little stress might also be a killer. While some retirees live active, healthy lives, peppering their days with tennis matches and volunteer work, others languish in front of the television. The everyday routine of getting up, going to work, interacting with colleagues, and striving for professional goals can keep people more physically and mentally fit than a quiet yet dull retirement."A number of us here have already retired (me, for instance) and others will soon do so. The effect that such a major lifestyle change is going to have on us, and on our activities, our relationships, our attitudes, etc., is certainly one of the things that we need to take into consideration before taking the retirement plunge.
(BTW, in my own case, as of now, nine years into retirement, everything from a retirement standpoint has been going just fine, thank you).
www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/01/joe_paterno_are_people_who_retire_more_likely_to_die_.html