Living well: things to do in retirement

Staying busy during retirement

Retirement is a big life change that–if not carefully planned–can lead to loneliness and aimlessness. By building a calendar of social events and a routine of enjoyable and stimulating activities, you can remain active, engaged and sociable. Here, we are exploring the many ways older people can live well in retirement, including ideas for physical activities, creative pursuits, volunteering opportunities, and social engagements. We will also cover the importance of creating a routine and trying new things in retirement, how to choose activities that work for you, and advice for families and caregivers. At Home Instead, our aim is to help people age positively and in place by bringing expert care to their home. For nearly 20 years, we have been providing the highest standard of care, and creating industry-leading training programmes for our Care Professionals that are accredited by nursing and medical professionals. Today, we are the world’s largest global domiciliary care network, supporting over 100,000 older adults with personalised, tailored care at home. So whatever questions you have about living well in retirement, we can help. 

What activities could older people do in retirement?

Retirement activities will be unique to each individual, and will depend on their interests and abilities. This time in your life offers an entirely blank calendar to fill with your preferred routines and pastimes. Below are a few ideas to inspire your weekly rituals and your bucket list of new things to try: 

Physical Activities

Getting movement into your week can do wonders for your physical health, even if you have limited mobility or health issues that make exercise more challenging. Some activities you could try adding to your week include: 

• Walking around your neighbourhood or nearby parks (the National Trust offers a discounted rate for those over 60) 
• Trying group fitness classes for exercise and social engagement, such as chair-obics 
• Swimming
• Gentle yoga or tai chi 
• Weight training to maintain muscle 
• Gardening activities in your garden or in a community allotment 
• Home improvements to make your living environment more homely  
• Walking a dog 
• Taking dance classes, whether solo or in a pair 
• Travelling, whether far away or in your local area to explore museums and historic landmarks 
• Gentle cycling 
• Playing sports like golfing, bowling, fishing or badminton 
• Playing games with grandchildren 

You can read more in our guide to fitness and exercise for the elderly.

Creative pursuits 

Retirement is an opportunity to try creative activities that involve making something, either alone or with others, which can provide a sense of accomplishment. In many cases this can also be therapeutic and, according to studies, may improve mental health. Some creative activities that could provide these benefits include:

• Scrapbooking 
• Researching and mapping out your family tree
• Sketching, drawing or painting 
• Making and painting pottery to display in your home or give as gifts 
• Learning to cook a new healthy recipe 
• Writing short stories, poetry, a novel, or writing your life story for family 
• Knitting, crocheting, sewing, or other crafts 
• Woodworking or DIY projects (Men’s Sheds are great places to make or repair items)
• Flower arranging 
• Writing and performing songs 
• Joining a local amateur dramatics group or choir 
• Building models 
• Taking pictures in your local area 
• Upcycling furniture or home decor
• Making jewellery to give as gifts 
• Making greeting cards

Brain training and cognitive exercises

There is conflicting research on whether brain training helps slow cognitive decline. For example, the Alzheimer’s Society states there is no strong evidence that this can reduce dementia risk, while studies from Harvard Health suggest regular cognitive activities in older age could potentially delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease by up to five years. Regardless, any sort of cognitive training could help to stimulate and challenge the mind, which can lead to new skills learned, and intellectual enrichment. Some ways to do this include: 

• Doing jigsaw puzzles 
• Doing crosswords, sudoku and other brain teasers 
• Using brain-training apps on a phone or computer (ask a relative to help with this) 
• Joining a debate club to hear new perspectives 
• Learning a new language 
• Learning to play a musical instrument 
• Taking a course to learn a new skill at your local college or online
• Spending time learning to use the computers in your local library 
• Playing games with friends and family (you can find some enjoyable games for old people in our guide) 
• Reading challenging books
• Keeping up to date on the latest news by reading the newspaper or magazines 
• Playing card games with friends, such as bridge or solitaire 
• Watching documentaries and discussing learnings with friends 
• Teaching your knowledge to others, such as your grandchildren 

Volunteering

Volunteering is a fulfilling way to connect with others in your community. One 2022 study found retirement may be linked to small decreases in the importance of self-development, social status and societal contribution, compared to having a career, so volunteering could be a helpful way to maintain a sense of purpose and contribute positively to your community. Some ways you could volunteer include:

• Finding a cause close to your heart and researching ways to fundraise for them 
• Helping out at your local community centre
• Working part time in a local charity shop sorting through donations
• Helping with a local environmental cause, such as a beach clean-up effort 
• Mentoring younger people in your community 
• Getting involved in activities at your church or place of worship 
• Becoming a tour guide in your local area or museum 
• Teaching a class at your local library to share a unique skill you have 
• Collecting donations for your nearby food bank
• Helping set up a charity fundraiser, such as a coffee morning 
• Making things for your local charity shop, such as knitted blankets 
• Walking dogs for a local animal shelter 
• Volunteering at your nearest hospital 
• Visiting local care homes to see friends, relatives or acquaintances there 
• Creating a community garden with bee homes, birdbaths and other features to support the natural environment 
• Reading to older friends who may have vision issues 
• Delivering meals to older friends who are unable to leave their home regularly 

Social engagements 

Loneliness is commonly experienced by older people who live alone or who have lost touch with friends after retirement, but studies have found friendships may be connected to higher levels of happiness and satisfaction for older adults, so it is important to maintain social bonds. To ensure you do not become isolated after retiring, plan ahead and have events in your calendar, whether that means making new friends or keeping in touch with old ones. Some ideas for how to remain social include:

• Checking bulletin boards in your local supermarket, church or library to find clubs that interest you
• Having friends over for tea and cake on a regular basis
• Visiting other people who may not be able to leave home as often 
• Joining or starting a book club
• Gardening during times when neighbours are usually out, such as during school run hours or when postal workers are active
• Walking your dog in a local park and speaking to other dog owners
• Looking for events for single retired people if you would like to meet a romantic partner for companionship
• Checking your community centre or day centre for upcoming events, such as coffee mornings or lunch clubs
• Going to weekly meetings at a local place of worship and speaking to attendees 
• Joining fitness classes for older adults
• Booking a group travel excursion (many are organised specially for older people)
• Hosting a board game night for your family 
• Attending local council meetings to speak to other community members 
• Communicating with others in Facebook groups and Meetup communities

You may find more information in our guide to how to make friends in your 50s and older.

How can families help older adults stay busy in retirement?

Families may be an important source of motivation when it comes to planning retirement activities, since some older people feel hesitant to try new things, commit to weekly plans, or even to leave their home. There are many ways families can support older relatives in staying engaged and busy in order for them to remain happy and independent. Encourage your older loved ones to pursue hobbies that interest them, sign up to volunteer work, attend social activities, and more. If they would like support in attending any gatherings, you could take them along to the first visit to help them feel more at ease.You could also choose a bonding activity you both enjoy, organise a weekly board game night with the grandkids, drive them to a volunteer project they have shown interest in, assist them with fitness activities, help them access online communities, or have them over for dinner once a week. There are many ways to help them slowly adjust to retirement, and avoid feeling lonely or isolated during this new phase of life. You can learn more in our guides to the the signs of loneliness in the elderly and handling stress and anxiety in older adults.

How can home care help older adults stay busy in retirement? 

There are so many ways home care workers can support older adults in their retirement years and improve their quality of life, such as:

• Providing companionship, emotional support and other general care
• Helping with transportation to local events, places of worship, classes and more 
• Helping set up video calls with far away loved ones 
• Encouraging them to participate in hobbies and activities they enjoy
• Helping with health and mobility issues to manage any conditions so they can continue to go out and socialise 
• Helping to plan for social gatherings in their home
• Finding and setting up things like puzzles, board games and other cognitively stimulating activities
• Taking on tasks older adults may find tiring, such as housekeeping, so they have more energy to focus on fun activities  

If you or a loved one is approaching retirement age and wondering how you will cope, our supportive Care Professionals can help to map out the ideal retirement routine for you, and support you in taking action on this each week. From general companionship and mobility care to complex care and home help, whatever support you need to embrace retired life, you can reach out to your local Home Instead office to discuss your options.We’re an award-winning home care provider and part of a worldwide organisation devoted to providing the highest-quality relationship-led care for older people in their own homes. Arranging care for yourself or your loved one shouldn’t be stressful, so whatever questions you would like answered, feel free to reach out to the Home Instead team to discuss your needs.