How on earth do people work into their 60's and beyond.

[BG2015]

DP and I were talking earlier (he's now asleep at 7.15pm) and saying how do people work into their 60's and 70's.

My DP is 59, he works in demolition which can be quite an active job. He's out of the house at 6am as they travel all over the country and he often isn't back until 6pm.

I'm a teacher recently dropped to 4 days after ongoing health issues after having breast cancer in 2021. Im 55, 56 in February.

We're both knackered. Neither of us sleep very well at all. We eat healthily and used to go to the gym 2/3 times a week but now only manage walking as our form of exercise.

I'm desperate to change jobs, planing to retire at 58 and get a part time job in an office. I think once I retire DP will reduce his hours and slowly retire.

But how do people have the energy to keep working. A teaching assistant at my school has just retired at 71 and I really don't know how she's kept going.

The thought of working till 67 fills me with dread. This is so wrong.

My mum is in her 70s and works 3 days a week as a mental health nurse. She moved to a less physically demanding role a few years ago, in a specialist unit with low risk patients. I would say she finds it challenging as she is not in perfect health and its tiring for her. She does need the money after a few financial difficulties and she helps to support a disabled grandchild so i would say thats the main reason shes continued to work.

I do think she cares a lot about the job (if not always loves it) and thinks its very worthwhile to look after people and she is someone who likes to be busy, interact with people and get out and about, she always says my purely office based job WFH sounds awful. Mentally she is still sharp, I would say but maybe she's a little more anxious than when she was younger and gets stressed easier. Overall, she can certainly do the job well, but it does take its toll on her health and wellbeing as she is often too tired for leisure activities.

I retired in my late 50s, I was in the public sector and it just became too stressful. The problem is that in some jobs the customer is stressed, angry, upset, unhappy and they take that out on the person who is attempting to deal with them. They don't understand that they can't just have what they want and, no matter what is said to them, they get unreasonable. I just got fed up with being shouted at, being threatened, having unstable people try to throw things at me.
I ended up ill due to the stress. At least I don't have that anymore.
It's often not just the physical aspect of work that cause problems but also the mental load. The stress, if you like. And I got fed up with people telling me that they thrived on stress. No, you don't!

@MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira thanks for this. I see what she does and it's a worry.

I'm 61, still full time. It hasn't been a problem so far.

Yesterday I was chatting to someone who has worked at the same company since 1968. 😮 I found it hard getting my head around that one.

I understand that teaching can be harder as you get older.
You are fortunate to be able to access your pension at 60, most have to wait until 66 and beyond.

Most people I’ve spoken to say working keeps them young.

I know a teacher in his 70s! Although I personally wouldn’t stay in teaching that long.

I know many people who either go PT or change to a less stressful job as they get older.

Many people I know have gone to worse paid but more rewarding jobs.

I would definitely both start looking into work you could do.

Perhaps something you’ve always wanted to do but couldn’t risk the career change or couldn’t afford the drop in salary.

I wfh. I've logged on this morning and I have no work. No emails have come in. Nothing. The work and people I manage are ahead of schedule. My job is pretty simple and not stressful. And that's why I've stayed on the pay I have. I've brought up 3 kids (Father worked away) and only went FT 6 yrs ago when youngest was 11. I could see me staying here another 15+ years easily. I'm 51. Of course construction or me being stressed at work or having to constantly be out of the house would be a totally different ball game so I realise I'm very lucky

My parents worry about me too because of work, but honestly it's so fulfilling, I'm fine

You have stated you are "switched on" and have made provision for your retirement, that's obviously great but if someone says that they had never heard of private pensions, believe them and don't keep ridiculing them for admitting it.
It's making fun of them and not very nice so bask in the glory of your knowledge and leave it there.

What I'm finding wearing is I'm 56 and been senior in the same fairly technical role for 15 years dealing with the same stakeholders and I've just heard it all before at least twice. The same disputes and issues. The same 'solutions' that aren't.

I feel it's too late to move on...but I'm bored and it's starting to show.

A friend changed careers at 65 and intends to carry on as long as she can, very physically fit, sharp as a tack....

@Scenicgirl it's why I started paying into a private pension when I was quite early into the job. I needed as many options as possible. I am not sure I can go into my teachers pension early but I can my private.

I managed to make it to 62 this year as a nurse. 7 years ago I had to change jobs to cut to 24 hours as full time was no longer doable. I'd get home and could walk from the car to the house my feet and legs were so painful. I'd shove some food down, fall asleep and repeat the 12 hour shift again the next day.
As a youngster, I had no problem I'd bounce into work day after day.
At 24 hours I was bouncing again for a few years, but 12 hour shifts were killers. especially 2 in a row.So I have given up finally even though I'd have loved to continue.
I really don't think we realise how age affects us when we are younger we seem to dismiss people aging and getting slower and it seems to just hit you quite quickly.
Dh has spent his life pretty much hyper and in full on motion still does stay still for long. He came in the hose to me the other day to tell me he hasn't got the upper body strength when doing mechanic work anymore, even though he's been doing it since he was 16 so it's not that he has been lazing about and not exercising. He actually had to use a chair to get off his knees one day. We're the same age.

Easier jobs or no choice or they like thier job and are just in better health

I retired at 61. Until the day I finished,I felt competent and on top of the job and could have gone on but my older husband wanted me to finish so we could travel together. I felt great for the first five years but over the last year or so (67) I am feeling my age - joint niggles, tired, longer to get over things. And sadly, we’ve started to have friends in the 65-75 range getting diagnosed with serious conditions, having surgery, having to change plans because of health issues - and a couple who have died.

My conclusion is that if you want to enjoy a healthy retirement, finish as early as you can. You are giving up those healthy years in your 60s to work, not to yourself, and if you leave it too long, there’s a danger by the time you do finish you won’t be up to much. Of course, finances are everything and I know not everyone is in the same position.

I'm 57 and counting down to retiring at 65.

I changed job at 55, got a significant payrise plus much better employer's pension contribution. This flicked a switch for me, a decent retirement became achievable.

Having a 10 year plan gives me light at the end of the tunnel. The mortgage will be paid off in a couple of years time. The spare that creates will be added to the pension pot.

I WFH which suits me. Long hours but no commute.

My Uncle who is 82 has just left his job teaching blacksmithing and farriery at an agricultural college (a physical job as he spent a lot of his time demonstrating things to students). He didn’t actually retire (he didn’t want to) but was made redundant! He tells me he plans to continue working in another capacity. I’m hoping I’ve inherited some of his resilience and good health as I will need to work till 67 I reckon, and my job is very physical.

I think to some extent it depends on your energy levels and health. I'm 63 always been energetic and feel blessed to be healthy. I used to teach full time and found it exhausting. Career changed at 58 to become a support worker in residential care and now work in a home for young people with disabilities. I've recently noticed that I do get more tired. Like you, I get a teacher's pension which I started drawing at age 60. I'm now considering taking early retirement, but I think that's more because many of my friends and both DBs are retired and I'd like more time to socialise with them and do other things I enjoy without work getting in the way.

I've actually started to really worry about this.

We invested half our pension pot in a small business which we run together. I worked in a very corporate job but was getting sick of the politics, my partner had been made redundant and couldn't get a decent job- he was doing minimum wage jobs. So we needed to create our own income stream.

It seemed like a good idea at the time but it's quite physically demanding. I guess it keeps us fit, but I'm worried about how long we'll be able to lug heavy weights about for example. If one of us got ill we'd have to employ someone which would reduce the income a lot.

The business will always exist but to make a good income we need to carry on working.

I'm 53, working as a TA in a SEN school. I have secondary BC and on strong cancer meds. I dropped to 4 days this academic year, but frankly, I'm exhausted. I don't sleep well and am suffering a shit load of menopause symptoms.

DP has Parkinson's, so more health issues to deal with there.

No clue how I will keep going. I have a small teachers pension and a LGP ( tiny) Constantly wracking my brains, trying to work out what to do.

I have no idea!! I'm almost 40, and noticed a difference now. Some days, I'll have loads to energy, other days none. It used to be energy all of the time. God help me when I'm in my 50s! 😱 I think some people have no choice. We are lucky our mortgage should be paid off when we're 56. There is more to life than work, unless it is your passion, if you're fortunate enough to have the choice.

It depends so much on your health status and your job. I am 60, blessed to be really healthy, have a senior management role which is mentally stressful but not physically hard. I need to work to 66 for my pension, but don't expect this to be hard unless my health changes. If your health is poor it is a very different thing, but that would be the case at any age?

Health and good sleep is everything. I'm extremely bitter that I've had and got cancer 3 times. It's seriously hindered my ability to venture into higher paid job roles. I will have to keep going now, until I cant!

I am an ex teacher, I retired at 64 (full time). I now do 4 days a week childcare for grandchildren and I still do a very little amount of part time work on my day off. I am mid seventies.
When I feel tired, i think about one of the Mums I talk to at a play session. She is a doctor and says that there is research that shows working and childcare is good for the brain and body.
I can never be sure that I feel tired because I am tired or that I feel tired because everyone expects me to be tired. Actually, I think I am tired 😊

It really does depend on health. I was fine working 70 hour weeks in a demanding senior role until I got cancer at 50. The fatigue and cognitive issues caused by treatment mean I can’t do this any more. I never thought this would be me as I’ve always had boundless energy and enjoyed work.