A workshop to help you
better understand your retirement

This first module talks about preparing for your Retirement Life. A key part of this preparation is to gain an understanding of the challenges that come when we transition from working life to a life in retirement.

How do we now see ourselves once we can no longer identify with our workplace? Our work is now a thing of the past. Family too moves on to live their own lives. We need to focus clearly on our other personal identities now as distinct from previous identities.

Retirement Life may entail spending a lot more time in our home with our partner. Studies show that at times this may be more difficult than we at first imagined. Should we not give this some serious consideration to avoid any pitfalls that may damage our desire for a harmonious relationship in the home?

What part will my former work colleagues play in my Retirement Life? Who from my workplace would I like to stay in contact with after I retire? Do I need to expand my social network by joining a new club or getting involved in a community activity? The key to a happy retirement lies in both partners maintaining a good healthy social network.

Caring for and protecting our mental health is an important aspect for consideration. We need to practice the secrets of staying sharp and learn to get our stress levels to a degree that is not causing us mental anguish. And a better understanding of good spiritual health has come into focus as a key to strong mental health.

Keeping ourselves moving is essential right from the get-go. Getting that annual check-up is an essential aspect of staying physically healthy. Then we need to formulate our own exercise plan as to what best suits our current physical condition as recommended by our medical adviser.

Conscious of a reduction in income causes worry but most times this worry is overstated. Generally, things are never as bad financially as anticipated. Doing a quick exercise to calculate our real net worth is useful and will probably dispel much previous anxiety. The next 4 videos deal with money issues which specifically relate to retirees.

We need to have some degree of understanding and competence about pensions because right now, we may be making some very important decisions which will have a deep impact in how we fare financially throughout our Retirement Life. This topic takes you through a step by step journey as to what is important before retirement; at the time of retirement and making post-retirement decisions.

Understanding the taxation system is never simple. In this video, we endeavour to give you a better understanding of the issues around personal taxation as they will impinge on your Retirement Life.

This is the final video on money matters as they impinge on Retirement Life. Understanding the differences between benefits and allowances is key. This video will take you through the most important aspects of the social welfare code as they may impact on your future life.

The biggest danger when we analyse our current accommodation base is that most times sentimentality can override practicality. So, we need to ask ourselves some key questions as are highlighted in this video presentation. As we head into Retirement Life the key questions about where we might continue to live are Accessibility – Convenience – Connectivity.

On average a will should be reviewed every 5 years and both partners should do so. The Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA) is another important consideration. As we age, there is more likelihood of reduced ability for decision-making about legal issues. This is where the EPA becomes a vital piece of further protection for our wellbeing.

This is an ideal time to re-examine what is really important in our future life away from the workplace. We need to reflect on what we want to achieve as we enter Retirement Life. In this new era, we can take a very different approach to set our goals for the future.

Here we introduce you to four distinct elements in devising your plan. Your Retirement Planning Notebook is used to record vital matters that have arisen throughout this course. Now the notebook takes on a special meaning as we plan to Explore – Dream – Discover.

Some of us may wish to make a fresh start in a new manner of working. Now we are in the happy position to choose the job we would like to have. This is where a relook at what Our Drivers are (Module 14) and to evaluate our skill base as we seek a new career.

The new job won’t come looking for you so you must get out there in the marketplace and start searching. You now must prepare that short CV as your personal brochure. Then you need to record your personal network which provides the best opportunity to realize your ambition. Finally, ensure that whatever you decide leads to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

Gillian McConnell, Registered Dietitian will introduce the very important aspect of changing your lifestyle through good nutrition so as you can live a long and healthy Retirement Life. This module focuses on energy, fibre and portion control for healthy eating and longevity.

Protein plays an important role in preventing muscle breakdown as we age, so during this module we take a look at including good sources of daily protein. We also look at reducing salt intake and in particular cutting back on processed foods and why a wholefood diet is important in Retirement Life.

Micronutrients are important as the requirements for them remain the same as we age. During this module, we will explore Calcium, B vitamins, Antioxidants and which supplements to watch out for, to gain a better understanding of their role in Retirement Life.

Fluid often gets overlooked so we look at why and how to optimise our fluid requirements. The gut is the engine for our immune system and this module takes us through why microbiome is so important and how we can increase fluid levels with food intake. Before summarising we take a quick look at why exercise should form a regular part of your Retirement Life.