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How To Make The Most Of Your Retirement Years In Singapore

by | Dec 18, 2023 | Lifestyle & Wellness, Wellness

Retirement House on TikTok with 5.3 million followers breaks social norms and proves that you’re never too old to use technology and make people laugh. Retirement House is on a mission to change people’s perceptions of ageing through light hearted skits ranging from advice for the younger generation to portraying relatable situations of fellow retirees.

These up and coming retirement living trends are just one out of the many ways to make the most out of your retirement years. Silver years are for one to enjoy so do not hold back and do something that you’ve always wanted to try!

Here are some different aspects to consider and add colour to your retirement life, which could also be the best time of your life! 

 

Strengthen social bonds

Forge social connections, partake in activities with family and friends. The silver years are the best time to forge the bonds lost over the years. Reconnecting with friends and reminiscing the old times brings back great memories from the past and could be a rather cathartic experience. Rekindling the connection and spending time with a spouse partaking in activities together is a great way to strengthen the relationship. As a couple ages together, it is always comforting to know that you have each other to lean on. 

To connect with those in a similar life stage, the Live Well, Age Well programme features a wide range of exciting activities right in your neighbourhood. Activities such as yoga, low impact aerobic exercises are targeted towards adults aged 50 and above to empower them to continue doing what they love, and help them improve and maintain their physical, mental and social health.

Here are some family and elderly friendly activities to engage in together as a family. Gardens by the Bay is a great option for families who can appreciate flora and fauna comfortably in an air conditioned space. 

We can’t underestimate the importance of forging social bonds to combat issues such as elderly isolation and depression. Social interactions helps one keep active and improve emotional health. So step out of your comfort zone and start exploring what social activities there are to get involved in. 

 

Make your dream holiday a reality

Take this newfound time to explore places that you’ve always wanted to visit. See this time as a reward for the hard work you’ve put in over the years and indulge in a short escape from reality. Taking vacations can boost mindfulness, better help you manage stress and boost mental health. A vacation is not simply limited to taking an aeroplane to somewhere across the globe but cruises and road trips have also become increasingly popular in recent years. Most importantly, do remember to get your travel insurance and ensure that you are sufficiently covered for the trip in the case of unforeseen circumstances. 

 

Upskilling – Learning never stops

One’s retirement is probably one of the best times to upskill with that newfound time on hand. It is important to keep the brain active and by learning a new skill, it gives the opportunity for one to use critical thinking or simply just keep active.

At first thought, some might be apprehensive in learning a new skill as it may require stepping out of one’s comfort zone. Take for example, picking up digital skills might cause technology anxiety as they fear the internet is unsafe and just might not see how specific technologies can better their lives. 

The National Silver Academy provides various training and education institutes where you can enjoy courses at subsidised rates. On the digital front, the Silver Infocomm Junctions (SIJ) provides subsidised (IT) infocomm training and a customised curriculum for seniors. Since November 2007, seniors aged 50 and above may sign up for more than 30 subsidised infocomm courses from as low as $5-$10 per hour. 

 

Plan for your finances

The key to managing senior finances is making sure you understand how to live comfortably on your retirement income. One might have a range of activities that they want to do in their retirement years such as picking up new hobbies from photography to travelling the world. Well, these activities all require capital to fund them and thus it is important to plan out your finances and ensure that you can live comfortably whilst doing so.

Other important considerations one might have are certainly that of medical bills, insurance premiums, housing needs and also servicing of debt obligations. Thus, financial planning is essential to avoid the situation where you run out of money. 

If you need help in financial planning or want to know what are the available schemes to help you financially, Agency for Integrated Care has compiled an extensive list of resources for caregivers and their loved ones. 

 

Keeping active – Try new activities

Our government recognises that it is important for one to age well and that both physical and mental health are pivotal. One way to make the most of your silver years – be active. Keeping both physically and mentally active can help keep ailments and degenerative conditions at bay.  

Active ageing programmes (AAP) encourages seniors to stay active, healthy and socially engaged. Seniors can join these programmes, such as seniors’ health workshops, healthy cooking classes and social activities, that are located in their neighbourhood. 

There has also been a big push in recent years on upskilling and one’s silver years might just be one of the best times to learn something new. SkillsFuture provides a good avenue to do so. SkillsFuture credits are available to Singaporeans aged 25 and above to encourage individual ownership of skills development.  

 

Conclusion

Retirement years might just be one of the best times to experience new things and live life to your fullest. To do this, you need to be in good health and be financially able to enjoy what you set out to do. Always plan out your retirement and have backup plans that would really allow you to live those silver years to the fullest!

About Growing Needs

About Growing Needs

Growing Needs grew out of our own encounters with caring for our aging parents and reflecting on the Growing Needs that we ourselves would face as we advance in years. We hope to build a community that will learn, share and contribute towards caring for the growing needs of our loved ones.

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