For some, retirement can be defined by loss of income, identity, and sense of purpose
FOR MANY of us, it is the thoughts of retirement (or early retirement) that help to keep us sane amid the relentless grind of work. We are buoyed up by utopian visions of ourselves relaxing on a beach somewhere, with the toils of our working life behind us.
From a health perspective it would be reasonable to assume that the reduced stress and relaxed lifestyle which retirement promises would boost longevity. In fact, some studies suggest that the opposite is the case and that mortality rates actually improve if we stay at work longer.
For example, a 2005 study of thousands of employees at Shell Oil (as reported in the British Medical Journal) found that those who retired at 55 doubled the risk for death before reaching age 65, compared with those who did not retire until aged 60. The same survey found that the risk of dying early was 80 per cent greater for retired men than for women.
A comprehensive study of 17,000 adults carried out by the European Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition also found a connection between early retirement and early death among people who are otherwise in good health. Over a seven-year period, researchers found the number of deaths among retirees was 51 per cent greater than among their same-aged counterparts who were not retired.
Why would this be so? In Deepak Chopra's book Ageless Body, Timeless Mindthe author talks about the impact of retirement on health and specifically the increase in cancer rates and heart disease among men who were healthy before retirement. The problem, he says, is a false perception that one's useful days are over - "this is only a perception, but for someone who holds it firmly, it is enough to create disease and death. By comparison, in societies where old age is accepted as part of the social fabric, elders remain extremely vigorous."
The mandatory retirement age, he argues, has the effect of setting an arbitrary cut-off date on social usefulness - in other words, on the day before his retirement a man contributes energy and skills to society, while a day later he has essentially become dependent on that society. In that sense, retirement can be brutally abrupt and therefore defined by loss - loss of income, identity, sense of purpose and even a valued social network.
The question of whether or not retirement can have a significant impact on mental and physical health is of immense importance to our society - particularly since we have an ageing population who are living far longer post retirement than was the case when the retirement age was first established.
"I don't think that there is concrete evidence that health automatically deteriorates on retirement," says Eamon Donnelly, a retirement consultant with the Retirement Planning Council of Ireland.
"But I do think that if you haven't taken care of yourself while you were working, it will become significantly more pronounced when you haven't got the distraction of work to keep you going. It may be the catalyst of ill-health but it's not the cause."
Gerard Scully of Age Action Ireland agrees. "Men generally don't look after their health as well as women and we don't deal with stress particularly well either. It is not so much that we physically deteriorate when we retire - but if you don't have a healthy life and then everything that validates you is suddenly gone, it can have an impact on physical health."
Researchers believe that the male identity is intrinsically linked to work which explains why men feel so bereft when they retire. "For women, being a mother or wife comes first and then they will say I am also an accountant," says Donnelly. "She identifies with other roles first. For men, their work is their identity. When that's gone they are wondering, how can I make a difference now?"
This problem, he says, is particularly pronounced when the man is retiring from a high-powered executive role. "When you have the P-word - power - in the mix you have an added problem because the man might try and convert that type of behaviour into this personal life which is a recipe for disaster."
Of course, not every man facing retirement feels this way. "For many people retirement can be a rewarding time when they can enjoy the fruits of their labours and look forward to enjoying new tasks and activities," according to John Heuston of the National Council on Ageing and Older People.
The key to contented retirement is preparation under the key headings of money, health, time and relationships. Clearly retirement will be more comfortable and less stressful if you have money and health in abundance but men need to take the necessary steps to secure these well in advance of their retirement age. "It's vitally important to address the issues of finance and health early rather than looking at them in retirement when it might be too late," says Donnelly.
Retired men often speak of the daunting task of facing into a week when you have literally nothing to do - where time essentially becomes the enemy. "Men need structure in their lives," says Scully, "and if you don't put that structure in place well in advance, whether that is hobbies, part-time work, or volunteering then men find it very hard to live their lives."
Key relationships (particularly with your spouse and children) can change dramatically post retirement, says Donnelly. "You are suddenly thrown together and expected to get along in a situation where both of you have less space and there is less money available.
"Women are much better at forming relationships than men and they are more likely to have their lives organised so it can be very disrupting for them to have a man around all the time."
• A new information booklet produced by the National Council on Ageing and Older People, Look After Yourself, Look After Your Mental Health, is a thoroughly useful guide to good mental health practices in later life. The booklet can be obtained from GP surgeries or from www.ncaop.ie
'I was someone's appendage'
FORMER DIRECTOR of sales and marketing at RTÉ, Colm Molloy took early retirement from the State broadcaster at the age of 61, partly, he says, because his own father had died before reaching retirement age. "It was a very onerous and responsible job," he says, "but also a very fulfilling one. I just felt I was the right age to go."
He struggled initially, he says, with the loss of identity and his social network. "People look at you differently. If someone asks you what you do and you say that you are a director, you have status. When you say you are retired, people have a perception that you are no longer contributing, that you are old or 'past it'.
Up to 80 per cent of my interpersonal relationships were based around work and about 20 per cent were friends and family. When you retire you walk away from 80 per cent of your relationships and are totally reliant on the 20 per cent."
His relationship with his wife, Marie, also changed dramatically.
"It's about learning to accommodate each other because you are sharing everything all of a sudden. You are sharing space and time. The relationship changes and becomes more of a partnership."
He remembers becoming acutely aware that his wife had a large number of friends and acquaintances that he wasn't even aware of.
"We would go for a walk near our house and a walk that should take 40 minutes would take two hours because she would be introducing me to her friends. For the first time I was someone else's appendage - I was Marie's husband."
He advises men to plan for retirement. "Before you retire sit down with your life partner and discuss the changes that are going to come. Work out the things you want to happen most in retirement and what are the things you want to happen least.
"Make sure the things you want to happen, actually happen."
In relation to health, he encourages retired men to get a full check-up every year. "I am slower, fatter and playing worse golf than I used to," he laughs, "but I am still enjoying life to the full."
Enjoying retirement
Stay active - make a list of the abilities, skills and experience that you have gained from a lifetime of work. They may be extremely useful in part-time work or for a charity or community organisation.
Renew contacts with neglected family members and old friends.
Renew your interest in the hobbies and activities you enjoy.
If you can afford it, travel. The early years of your retirement can be the ideal time to become a nomad.
Eat a balanced diet and exercise regularly. If you smoke, it's never too late to quit! If you drink, do it in moderation.
Keep a positive attitude towards life. Do things that make you happy.