Yes, Retirement Coaching is a Thing!

Retirement Coaching training manual defines retirement as “a dynamic process whereby client and coach explore all aspects of designing a dynamic and rewarding retirement lifestyle, and serves to guide the client towards implementing a plan of action.”

Retirement ranks 10th out of 43 most stressful events in a person’s life, according to Holmes-Rate Stress Inventory, especially for those who have their identity tied to their work. Loss of identity, structure, purpose, community are some of the reason why depression rates, especially among men, double after retirement. While coaches do not offer therapy, a trained retirement coach can help mediate between the expectations of retired life and its realities. Especially if the coach has personal experience with retirement.

One of the plans I hear from people about their post retirement lives is that they will travel. This is a wonderful plan, but not a full time one. Before the pandemic, and having had this exact conversation with many people, I sat down and calculated how much I had traveled. (I too love to travel!) At the time, it had been 2190 days since I had retired. During that time, I had visited nine countries that took a total of 90 days. You do the math.  

I also hear, from friends and clients, that they are worried about not being relevant any more. Or that they are bored everyday, so they watch TV all the time. Or that their relationships with either their spouse/partner, or their children, or both, have changed for the worse. 

Working with a retirement coach to create a vision for your ideal retired life can prevent all the negative parts of this new life style. Yes, retirement coaching is a thing. I have the certification to prove it. If you’re planning to retire in the next year or so, connect with me. If you have recently retired and have gone past the “honeymoon” phase and are now in the “now what” phase, connect with me. I would love to be your guide in your journey.