Am I Old Enough to Retire Yet?

    The age of retirement is 62 for most people here in the U.S. As humans we are living longer overall, and many are working well past retirement age. I love my career but tell me I could retire earlier than 62, and I’m running out the door.

     Our body is very complex and there is a lot of wear and tear that happens from childhood into older age. When I was a kid, I would jump rope in sandals. A few years ago, in my late 20’s, I did this and my ankle felt it for two days. I started my career in my late twenties. Since this time I had situations of lifting kids into sensory swings and assisting with lifting adults from sitting to standing position. Before, I was exhausted in the moment and after finishing the activity I was good; now I do these things and I need about a full day to recover from the mental and physical strain on my body. I have almost 30 years left to make it to the age 62, but a girl can dream in advance right?!

   Let’s all sit back and imagine we could retire today, what would your retirement look like?

1. I know for sure I would be traveling more, especially in the off season when prices are cheaper. Now the times I get off from work usually align when kids being out from school, so prices skyrocket.
2. I will not wake up before 8 or 9 am. I enjoy sleeping more so when I can wake up when the sun is out. Waking up at 6am, it’s still dark, and this is a struggle. If I didn’t have an alarm clock, my natural circadian rhythm does not want me up at the time.
3. I will most likely set up midday doctor’s appointments. When you work, you often try to set appointments early in the morning or late afternoon/evening so it would not affect your work schedule too much.
4. I will spend days sitting on the porch or a couch reading book after book after book.
5. I will probably sign up to be a guest on any talk show taping in the area.
6. I will find a senior center and assist with event planning.

   So, what would your retirement look like? Think about it and let us know. But in the process, remember to be mindful of your body and and the changes that happen is important to prevent overuse.  We all want to make it to retire without increased medical issues.