ABSTRACT
The process of retiring takes us on a psychological journey as people move from one life stage to another. All transitions are like this, in that they require us to learn new ways of being and adjust to a different set of expectations and roles. Whether your disengagement from the workplace comprises a oneoff celebration or a long goodbye, there is at least one study suggesting that marking the event with some kind of public ritual is beneficial. Life changes are often followed by disorientation, mood swings, experimentation and setbacks. Higher levels of education are associated with delayed retirement, perhaps because the well-educated are more likely to be in occupations that are interesting, fulfiling and associated with better working conditions. Retirement can be worked toward more gradually and social supports put in place to assist not only with health care but also with making the change from worker to retiree.
