ABSTRACT
Each life transition can throw readers off because readers get anxious about how this transition will be made and this can cause a “tightening up” psychologically. Retirement is merely a life stage transition. A psychological approach can help with goal setting; managing personal, couple, family and work changes; and reflecting on life goals. Distorted or unpleasant thoughts, known as “thinking traps” or “thinking errors”, may lead to feel negatively and also act in ways that reflect these negative thoughts rather than what we would normally do. People can pull away to protect themselves from readers' being unsettled by change, or their emotional pain. Negative thoughts, thinking errors and thinking traps may dent our confidence, lower our mood and make feel hopeless, vulnerable, depressed and even out of control. Fear of the unknown and heightened anxiety about not being in control is also often expressed by people approaching retirement.
