Retirement life

[BG2015]

So I retired in the summer from my teaching job after 29 years. I'm nearly 57 so I've retired, early but my love for the job just wasn't there anymore and after recovering from a cancer diagnosis in 2021 I just decided life was too short.

Im waiting to start my very flexible part time freelance job delivering speed awareness courses which I plan on doing for about 12 hours a week.

But I am loving having a slower pace each day. I can't say I've been bored at all.

I've enjoyed swimming three times a week, walking with a local Nordic walking group, meeting a couple of friends for coffee, reading, cooking new things from scratch for our evening meal ( I live with my DP, adult son and his gf), watching TV and just pleasing myself.

Anyone else newly retired? How are you finding it?

Not me yet, but husband is and he is way more relaxed already. I am hoping to retire early but got a few years left at work first. He finds it harder when the weather is bad but has plenty of outdoor things he does.

Congrats on your retirement. I think it took me 8-12 months to get into the flow of retirement where everything just slows down in a very peaceful way and it doesn’t really matter how long things take (rather than feeling under pressure to Get Things Done in a 2-day weekend). I love it!

(I agree it’s more challenging in winter when interests like gardening and campervan trips dwindle. So report back OP!!)

I stop teaching July 2025. It’s taken a while to settle into a new rhythm. I focused mainly on my fitness from October to Spring. Blood pressure down. Weight down.

I signed up for a pottery class and a language course with Adult Learning which started this term.

Not missing the pressure of school at all.

Also stopped teaching in my 50s but am bored after a year. I have picked up a few new hobbies but I need a part time job really. Havent been able to find one, well done you, any tips?? I miss the adrenaline rush of teaching but not the stress, I am definitely healthier.

I did apply for a couple of retail jobs, got interviewed, kept on file for a few months but no actual job offer. It’s a tough market for part time jobs at the moment.

I took ill health retirement from teaching with long Covid and chronic fatigue 2 years ago, and I still miss being in the classroom and the students, but life feels far less fraught.

I'm realising that I was very close to burnout and actually it's probably a combination of CF, long Covid and the workload. I'm still struggling a lot with my health and energy levels, and I wonder how the heck I kept teaching for so long.

I'm very happy at home now with a slow pace of life and doing very little.

I also took slightly early retirement at the end of the summer term although I was a school office manager not a teacher. I’m loving it and finding I now stop waking up at 3am every morning stressing about something. I am starting to look for something for a couple of days a week just to give me some routine but also to help top up my pension a little. So far I’ve just enjoyed spending more time with DH (who has also retired but has a small job for 2 days a week), meeting friends whenever we want (it just so happens our best friends also took early retirement around the same time as me), we’ve joined the National Trust again and I’m able to take my elderly mum out more who is showing signs of dementia so I want to keep her mind as active as possible. I am also able to do the weekly shop during the day which, when you are taking an elderly DM with you who can’t remember what she’s put in her trolley so usually takes over 2 hours, is a total luxury as previously I had to do it after work and we wouldn’t get home until 8.30pm.

I want to do some volunteering at a cat rescue if I can (I’ve done enough with kids having run a Brownie Pack and then worked in a SEN school so it’s time for my first love …. Cats 🤣

I feel like I can breath again and once I had got over constantly checking for work messages I feel like I’ve finally let go. I’m looking forward to my unknown future and working out what I would really love to do rather than what I have to do!

@Anotheremptynester the speed awareness courses are delivered by ex teachers, police and driving instructors and although I don't think you could live off it, it's definitely a good (& very flexible) way of topping up a pension. It's self employed so if you want to take a month off doing it, you can - you just don't get paid. 12 hours pays about £800 but then you need to take tax off that.

I looked at these courses as I think I saw them mentioned on teacher's FB group. Do you need good highway code knowledge to apply. Left teaching in January and about to leave my PT job due to arthritis so a little earner would be useful. My poor mobility means retirement not going as planned so far. 😢

No you don't really need any specific Highway Code stuff, if you drive you know quite a bit anyway. You just need a decent laptop with strong wifi ( a second screen is useful but not essential), all your training is done via zoom (not paid) over 2-3 days. Trainer was really good and very easy going. You have a couple of tests where you need to deliver a short section of the course to the trainer 1:1 and complete a quiz/test (really easy). You are then paired with a mentor for 4 sessions (a bit like shared teaching) once you feel confident, you then deliver them on your own.

Its with a company called TTC.

So this week I've been swimming twice, walked twice - once to the shop and the second with a walking group, had a coffee and a chat afterwards. Finished my 5th book of the month. Tidied the garden up a bit and got rid of dead plants etc. baked some cookies (won't do that again as I ate at least a quarter of them 🙈). Cooked from scratch, sausage and mash with onion gravy, lasagne and salad, chicken and chorizo pasta and broccoli and Stilton soup.

Spent an hour with my parents discussing the cruise we are hoping to go on next year.
Watched some TV and did some ad hoc cleaning throughout the week.

So I retired from teaching at Christmas and the weird thing for me was realising that I could take my time on things and spread out all the household tasks.
You can also get trades people to call within a reasonable time when you can be at home at flexible times.
The big thing I miss is chatting to colleagues and I have found you have to work hard to make new connections.
I thought of taking up a little job or doing some charity work as many on here suggest but when it came to the crunch I realised I didn't want to be tied to fixed hours at the moment so I haven't done that.
I haven't even contemplated supply as many do. I've had enough of teaching!
I do what I want when I want.
I go to a community allotment a couple of times a week which gets me talking to new people, keeps me physically active and encourages me to cook new things from scratch with the produce.
Every other day my husband and I get up early and go Geocaching. We we end up walking quite a few miles each time and the Geocaching app takes us to places we never would have thought of. We also set caches and Geocaching puzzles which activates the grey cells.
We are hoping to go abroad soon, taking advantage of those cheaper holidays in term time that we couldn't access before.
Looking back 9 months, time has flown by and I don't miss teaching at all.

We have a lot of trips planned
Krakow in October
Amsterdam in February
Cape Verde in April
Cruise with P & O to see the total eclipse in Spain - August
Thailand/Malaysia for all of November (so excited about this)

2027 trips are under discussion now too.

Thank you for this, OP. I'm going in November (two years before I get any pension payments, but I've had enough), and I was beginning to wobble a wee bit. Would I be bored (even though I've got a WFH self employed job to lean on and to occupy my time)? Will I find things to do? Your list of 'doings' has encouraged me anew. I'm doing the right thing, I know it.

I work as an invigilator and there seems to be a demand. I work at a school and college and there’s work available in January, March, April, May, June, July and December. It’s a zero hours contract so very flexible. Can be a bit boring at times but I also read and scribe for candidates and generally invigilate rooms where all the candidates have access arrangements eg word processor, rest breaks, extra time etc.

Unexpected early retirement earlier this year.

It's wonderful.

After 40+ years of working in high pressure, long hours demanding role its utter bliss not to have to schlepp around the country all the time, working against the clock and targets.

The days seem to slip by easily enough.

I have crafty projects on the go, getting fitter. Lots of pottering in the garden. Enjoying pegging out the washing and cooking (have never really done much domestic stuff over the years as DP was at home doing a large majority ).

I take an occasional peep at LinkedIn but can honestly say that I don't miss it at all.

Plans are to do a bit of very part time work, learn a language and the piano to keep my mind active, Get super fit to keep the body in shape and try a couple of new hobbies for fun.

The freedom is utterly blissful.

Retired in summer after reaching for 31y. Just couldn't work that hard anymore. Will need to work to supplement my.pension as live alone. . Started a probationary period in an office. Reserving judgment. Not sure if for me. Still incredibly tired.

I reired in early summer at 61, after finishing months of cancer treatment. Who knows if it will come back, or how long I have?

I'm still quite tired from treatment, but I'm enjoying not rushing around, have joined a choir, met up with friends, gone to exhibitions, the cinema and have theatre tickets booked. And getting things sorted in the house because I'm around for workmen, and have lots of time to sell stuff on Vinted or take stuff to the charity shop. It's great!

@BatshitCrazyWomanI was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 aged 52 and I've never felt the same since. It was a deciding factor in my decision to leave teaching.

I retired from a good career, in my early 50s 2 years ago. I moved to be closer to family & became a carer for family.

I have done lots of local volunteering

I work PT as an exam invigilator

I have done some travelling (but restricted due to caring responsibilities)

I am now applying for PT & FT jobs with more hours.

Most other retired people that I have met are much older 60 to 90s

I feel that I am still young & energetic & need more to occupy my mind & body !

This week looks like this

2 days seasonal fruit picking with locals (paid job)
Volunteered do some tasks in community orchard which were completed
1 day stall at local Repair Cafe
Attend monthly quiz
Attend a couple of exercise classes
Applying for jobs online
Caring duties

@WinnerSpinner sounds like you're keeping busy and active.

This week I've had no car so I've not been able to go swimming ☹️ which I've really missed. I've done a couple of local walks though to keep up with my fitness.

Ive done some prep for my new job which starts next week. I'm very nervous about it but once I get going I'll be fine. I have 4 mentoring sessions and then I'm on my own.

Also I've been asked to meet with a charity that helps adults to read, so I'm just waiting to confirm a time for a chat with them. It's something I'd love to do.

Lovely food I've cooked this week has been: beef stew with dumplings, chicken risotto, lasagne & salad and sweet potato and chorizo soup with crusty bread.

Also finished my book (The God of the Woods) and started a new one. I've now read 53 books this year.

We're off to Leeds for the weekend to see a band we follow so I'm looking forward to that.

I can’t tell you how much I’m enjoying my life now. This week I’ve been able to take my DM to a lovely NT property where we had a lovely little walk followed by lunch outside to include the obligatory NT tea room scone! I’m determined to give her some lovely trips out even though sadly she doesn’t remember too much about it the next day.

I’ve been able to take DM to a couple of hospital appts without having to beg for time off from work

DH and I have started walking regularly with our besties who have also just retired. They have a lovely dog and we live in a beautiful place with lots of countryside. We walked over 21,000 steps yesterday which I haven’t done in a long time!

We’ve got friends we have been meaning to catch-up with coming this weekend and so looking forward to it.

I’ve contacted the cat rescue I would love to volunteer with and they seem really keen so have invited me over to see the sanctuary and to have a chat. I am beyond excited about that.

I actually had the head space to sit down with my DS25 and have a proper conversation with him about his job and how he’s being encouraged to go for a promotion. Can’t remember last time I had time for that.

I’ve been checking online for a part-time or bank job just to top up my pension a bit so I don’t have to draw down as much from my pension pot.

And most of all I have time to breath. It actually feels like a physical thing. The relief from not working is far greater than I realised it would be.

Retired in June after working 40 years and loving it. I do quite a bit of grandchild care so have to be available from 3pm most days but lovely to have a morning beach walk, then lunch out and chill for a bit. I'm fitting in more exercise classes and crafting and doing a better job of keeping the house clean. DH retired at the same time so perfect really.

@Icequeen01 I totally agree about having time to breathe, it's such a great feeling.
I have to keep stopping myself from feeling I HAVE to be doing something all the time. It's nice to just sit and read or plan meals. I don't feel as tired and it's not such a worry when I'm awake in the night, knowing I haven't got to spend all day in a classroom teaching 30 children.