16 Best Things To Do When Retired and Bored

It’s often said that retirement is the golden age of a person’s life. In many ways, it is just that. You’re financially stable, you’re set in your ways, and you have much less of day to day stress to worry about. That should be the time to start a new and rewarding chapter.

However, it’s also a time of transition. So much of our lives revolve around work and professional accomplishments. Life tends to slow down and change drastically in retirement, and many find the transition to be uncomfortable. They find themselves bored and without clear goals.

This shouldn’t discourage you. There are plenty of things to do when retired and bored, and it’s just a matter of finding the ones that you’ll see as the most rewarding.

Here are a few to consider and research before it’s time for you to retire.

1. Charity Work

Taking up charitable work is one of the best things a person can do with their spare time. It will give you a chance to help people and to be involved in making the world (or at least your community) a better place. It’s also a chance to meet new people and to become a part of a dedicated group that’s closely knit even beyond their cause.

It’s also a perfect task for a retired person. It requires skills and expertise that you have and have already perfected during your working life, but it’s less stressful and less demanding than actually having a job and a nine to five obligation.

Start with researching charities in your area and those that are popular amongst your friends and peers, but you can always go broader than that and work on something that you care about.

2. Sports

There are plenty of sports that are suited for the elderly in particular and joining a team or a local gym isn’t only about passing the time when you’re bored. It’s also good for your health overall. It’s best to consult your doctor first and to make sure you’re up for it and that you pace yourself.

Sports are always more fun when done in a group. You could join in local teams, or you could create your own teams and support groups to help you out when you’re practicing a more solitary activity such as running.

This is also a chance for you to travel a bit and meet others that are competing or just enjoy a sport. Those friendships are often strong and long-lasting even when formed in old age.

3. Remodeling a Home

Remodeling a home is a big and engaging project. It often takes quite a lot of time and requires you to plan things through and to work with many different contractors. All of this is much easier to accomplish if you’re retired and have the time to dedicate to it.

It also helps if you have a small retirement savings account since these projects can be costly, especially if it’s an extensive remodeling. It’s an especially rewarding experience if you’re moving into a new home when you retire. That way you get to make it just perfect as you’ve always wanted it to be.

Sometimes these remodeling’s are needed to make the home more secure and better suited to the needs of a retired and elderly person. These are the first things to worry about. Even if you feel healthy now, have in mind, that things can change.

4. Travel

Everyone has a bucket list of places they want to visit. It’s called that way because those are the countries to go to before you kick the bucket. Retirement is the time to do it. There are discounts for seniors and now you have plenty of time.

Make a list, and all the preparations you need, but don’t hesitate to simply embark on a trip and finally visit all those places you’ve dreamed about. These are the trips that will be more fun and memorable if you bring your friends and families along.

These trips don’t need to be exotic or too expensive. When planning them focus on experiences more than accommodations or the length of stay. That’s what truly counts.

5. Teaching and consulting

A lot of the time, retirees have a problem with transitioning to day to day life without their job. One of the ways to make the transition smoother is to make it gradual. You could still be involved with your field of work via teaching and consulting to those who are just getting started.

These services are much needed and appreciated. The years of work you’ve put in, provide you with a unique experience and point of view about the job and the industry. It’s something that those who are new to it could benefit from immensely.

This is a way to earn some extra money during your retirement. It can be done at your own pace and at your own prices. Obviously, it’s a way to finance your new way of life and accomplish other things on our list.

6. Babysitting

The role of an extended family can’t be emphasized enough in the life of a child and a young married couple as well. There are also a few things that bring such joy to the elderly as their grandchildren. It’s a way to feel young and to care about someone once again.

Having a grandparent close by is also of great help to the parents, especially early on when the stress of having a new baby is the most difficult. It’s useful to a bored grandparent as well because carrying about a baby or a toddler is pretty much nonstop work and all of it rewarding.

Here it’s essential that all parties establish clear boundaries as to how involved the grandparents should be and when they can be expected to help out. That’s easier on everyone since it’s important and often tiring work.

7. Get Educated

Many feel that retirement is a time to go slowly and keep your obligations light. That’s true for some people but not for everyone. There are those who believe that it’s actually the perfect time to return to school and start a new chapter in your life.

There are plenty of university courses that accept seniors and that can be quite rewarding and challenging for a retiree. Have in mind that all the governmental assistance for students won’t apply to you and you’ll have to pay for this yourself.

This can be something that’s related to your old field of work and education but it doesn’t have to be. This degree doesn’t have to be practical or something that you can turn into a steady job. Now, you get to learn just for the fun and intellectual excitement of it.

8. Find a Hobby

This is probably the broadest idea on our list and it can keep you away from boredom and monotony for years if not decades. It’s up to you to decide what that hobby should be since it can be pretty much anything you want.

Here are a few ideas that are popular, but that is by no means all there is.

Woodworking

Woodworking is a rather common hobby because of what it offers to those who partake in it. Half the fun is in learning about the craft, getting better at it and assembling the right tools and equipment. It’s also a rewarding hobby because it’s practical and the things you make can end up being useful items needed around the house.

Beekeeping

Beeping is another popular option for those who have a space for it and the money needed to invest in the needed equipment. It’s also a hobby that can pay for itself because you could sell the extra honey and return the investment into it. There’s a close community of those who work with bees as well, and you’ll enjoy the company.

Gardening

There’s always something to do around the garden and again preparation and learning about it is just as fun as the actual work. It gives you a chance to plan your work ahead of time, and have a new project every season or every year. It’s those mid-range projects that keep the gardening looking new and keep the hobby interesting.

Photography

Photography is one of those hobbies that can start as a slow burn and end up consuming you altogether as time goes by. There are countless things to learn about the craft and chasing that perfect photo can sometimes be the only thing you do all day.

Cooking

Learning a new skill is always fun and especially so for an elderly person because it shows that you still got it and that there are fun and exciting opportunities up ahead regardless of how old you are. Cooking is one of such skills and also a practical one that could come in handy. There’s no end as to how elaborate it can become if you dedicate yourself to it.

9. Investing

Retirement is a good time to change the way you look at your finance. Most of the time is spent preparing for the future and organizing your finance so that you pay down debt and have a small saving. This can change when you retire and you can start dipping into your savings more openly and without too much worrying.

This also changes the way you invest. The goal of investing in this age should be to leave something to your kids and family. This means you can focus on short term investing and the projects that will yield a greater return in a short amount of time. These also come with a greater risk.

Embarking on this change shouldn’t be something you do on your own. It’s important to involve experts as well and to get advice on the matter from financial advisers and tax accountants first.

10. Learning a New Language

Everyone can learn a foreign language and it can be done at any age. However, it’s usually more difficult and takes longer, when you’re elderly. This isn’t a reason not to do it. Learning a new language will open up a whole new culture for you and that’s something you can’t put a price on.

It’s not enough to take lessons and do your homework, but that’s a good place to start. If you really want to learn, you should try to read books and watch movies and TV shows even if you’re not able to catch all of what you read at once.

If you’re able to, it also helps a great deal to travel abroad and to be in a country where that’s the only language to hear. It’s the fastest way to learn especially if you have to talk to get by.

11. Read More

Reading more is on everyone’s to-do list but it’s always difficult to find the time to actually do it. Retirement is the perfect time to stick to it and find a new love for books. There’s nothing too complicated about developing this habit. Make a list of books you want to read and devote a portion of your day to it every day.

Some like to form small book clubs where they discuss the book with their friends and peers. It’s a way to get a deeper appreciation of the book and to make it into a communal activity you can share with those who matter to you.

Consider starting a reading diary as well since it helps you contemplate what you reading more deeply. It can be done in the form of a small blog. After a while, it can even attract some readers.

12. Spend more time with friends

A great benefit of being retired is that now you have more time to do what you like and what makes you happy. There’s no example better than being able to spend time with your friends and to enjoy their company.

Use your retirement to throw small house parties, to barbecue and to go on field trips with your friends. It’s how you make the most of the time you have and that’s a way to never get bored regardless of how much your professional life has slowed down.

It’s also important to remember that you can make new friends and start new relationships even as an elderly person. All the hobbies and activities we’ve mentioned above are a chance to meet new people and start such relationships.

13. Moving to the countryside

Moving to the countryside is a common choice after retirement because it combines many of the things we talked about before. It’s a chance to spend more time outdoors and to be active and engaged in fun hobbies.

It’s also a chance to form a new and closer community of friends since that’s how life is in the country. At the same time, it will lower the cost of living for you and your family and allow you to live on savings and thus have more disposal income for your new more laid back lifestyle.

Life in the city can be too fast-paced and stressful. Moving to the country gives you a chance to make things simpler and to get away from all of that at least for the majority of the time.

14. A part-time job

Having a part-time job is something many retired people end up going back to. There are multiple reasons to do so. It’s a way to earn more money and fund your hobbies and interests. However, for many, this isn’t the main reason to get back into work.

Most decide to work again because they like having something to do and somewhere to be every day. These responsibilities are what keeps retirees from getting bored of the time they have on their hands and it keeps them productive.

15. Start a business

Starting a business is one of the most engaging things a person can do. There’s also a risk involved in it and that’s why most don’t start it while having a day job. The retirement is, therefore a perfect time to start your own small company and to dedicate time and effort to it.

It’s not an easy thing to do and you’ll need to prepare for the chance that it may go bust. This is what happens to as much as 50 percent of all businesses. You should also go for it only if you have the savings needed to take that hit.

Once the company gets too big, if it does, you’ll need to hire workers and to let go of some of that control you’ve built while building the company. It’s an exciting way to pass the time and you’ll never get bored.

16. Public service

Our interest in politics mostly focuses on national and big-league politics. However, that’s not all there is. A lot of work can be done on a local level by focusing on the needs of your immediate community. Going into public service may require you to run for election and that’s best done if you’re known in the area and if you have a record of work behind you.

It’s sometimes a rather rewarding thing to do because it allows you to stay active and to turn your ideas into something useful for your community. It also means that you should live a more public life and that’s not something everyone is comfortable with.

The ability to do so, also very much depends on your career before retirement and it’s up to you to decide is that something you’re willing to try.

What not to do

Sometimes it’s equally important to figure out not to do and to avoid making mistakes this late in life. Most of these will come naturally to a mature and experienced person, but it’s still worth noting since the change in lifestyle can be hard on some.

Worrying too much

Having too much time on your hands can lead to anxiety and worrying. This is especially true for those who have health problems and have something to worry about. It’s something to avoid. Spend your autumn years as peacefully as you can.

Spending too much money

Most people have more money when they retire since they can dip into their savings and lead a less structured life. However, it doesn’t mean you need to do it. It’s temptation but one you don’t need to fall for if you have other things in your life.

Getting too involved in your kids’ lives

Being a grandparent is a rewarding task and having more time to spend with your kids is too. This doesn’t mean you should become too meddlesome about their lives or become a third wheel. Talk about roles and boundaries openly and you’ll do good.

Summing things up…

Retirement is one of the last big changes you’ll go through in your life. It can be difficult but it can also be the best time you’ll have. The key is to find things to do when you’re bored and retired. Everyone goes through that phase of boredom and aimlessness at first but that’s why plans and activities are important.

You’re also an older and wiser person and that’s what should guide your new lifestyle. Use your experience and your knowledge to help others and to focus on activities that will benefit both you and members of your community.

Don’t forget to have fun along the way. You’ll have more time and more money to do it, it’s just about changing your daily routines and changing into a retired person that takes things slowly and enjoys their hobbies and past times. It may take a while, but when you do it, that’s where the new chapter truly starts.