“For some people, retiring means a loss of status and self-definition. They may even feel as though they no longer have an identity.” Serious About Retiring, Temuna Press, 2019, p. 40
If you are not yet retired and still working, is your work what you do or who you are? If it is the latter, what does it mean to give up your work? It could feel like losing your identity. Some have described retirement as leaping off a cliff or jumping into a void.
There are many aspects of your work, including its income, the work itself, and your interpersonal interactions. Losing any of these features can be good or bad, depending on how the job has met your needs and wants and how desirable the alternatives are. When your work defines who you are, retiring can be a blow to your sense of self.
Consider, for example the identity issues for a physician whose job includes curing the sick and saving lives. The physician is respected and admired by patients and the community at large. Being a doctor is one of the most prestigious jobs. The job position might have been with his / her own medical practice, or he / she could have affiliated with a hospital or other care provider. That affiliation can be an important part of his / her identity as well.
Retiring can mean the loss of many things including being a member of a profession and the connection to their organization. Retiring will mean the loss of their professional network which provided education and support. The fully retired physician no longer gets to use their difficult-to-attain training and experience. And also their talents and skills. These are all part of the physician’s identity. Many retired doctors want to be addressed as Doctor long after they have stopped practicing medicine. This is an indication of the importance of this identity for them and their desire to continue it.
Some doctors retire because they can no longer do the work. Others might leave because of the attraction of new activities. Or they may have had enough, sometimes of the non-medical aspects of their jobs such as using computers or filling out paperwork or dealing with bureaucratic rules. Retiring for them can be like taking off a heavy backpack. Leaving work could give them the freedom and lightness to proceed possibly in a different direction.
Identity issues are not just for physicians or other professionals. Business owners for example frequently identify strongly with their business. It can be challenging for a business owner to sell the business or watch it fail. They can have painful adjustment issues to contend with.
So what are the alternatives for dealing with the loss of identity from leaving a job and career?
- Move on. This means finding a new identity with compelling activities to do. The activities might be oriented around developing your roles, e.g. parent, grandparent, member of a community. Or it could be based on a hobby or other interest. Or it could be “I have always wanted to _______” and then doing it. Moving on is a solution to the loss of identity that is simple to describe. Such a transition might be smooth for some, but it could be far from easy for others. It is the answer to the question of “What are you up to these days?” You will know that you have made a successful transition from your past identity when you mention doing something else and your eyes light up with enthusiasm when describing it.
- Many people continue working during retirement. Your work could be doing something very similar but with less stress. It could mean fewer hours worked – per day or week or season or year. It could also mean work with similar responsibilities but for a different organization or in a different industry. If you do not need the income from a new job, your new activities could be doing something similar but volunteering your services for a nonprofit, friend or neighbor.
- Continue old connections. There is an intermediate approach between no overlap and substantial overlap between the old and new. You can move on to something different from your previous work but still continue some aspects of it. For example, you can continue to be a member of your previous professional organization, attend its meetings or serve on its committees. You can volunteer with and through the professional organization. You can subscribe to and read its professional journals. Through a mix of activities, you may still feel connected.
It is important to be aware of the role of work in your life and your sense of self. Plan for what to do about that when you retire. After you retire, if someone asks you, “What do you?” what will you say?