Fellow retirees, do you sometimes have difficulty motivating yourself

[raccoon]

Fellow retirees, do you sometimes have difficulty motivating yourself to get out of the house?

I can motivate myself to go to some 12 step groups I belong to. (Unless they’re late at night, which for me is after seven and it’s hard to get myself to go to those.)

It’s not hard to do things I have to do, such as doctor’s appointment. But things like going to the gym, or sometimes things that might be fun, such as going to the Senior Center to be in some activity… Sometimes it’s so easy to talk myself out of it. It’s so much easier to sit here on the couch and get on DU ( I have no problems motivating myself to get on DU. Look at my recent post on this forum. )

Any ideas that work for you about how to motivate oneself?

[greymattermom]

1. I go walking in my neighborhood park.

Two miles every day it's not raining. I listened to Rachel's new podcast. Once I'm out, I feel more energetic. Today I went to my favorite spot on the river and watched the birds after my walk.

[AJT]

2. I have the same problem.

I am not sure what to do about it. I try to guilt myself into doing things, and that seems to work a bit. I want WANT to do things and that's where my problem lies.

[elleng]

3. Yes, but partly because my house is beautifully situated on the banks of a river,

and my living room is filled with windows!

During spring and summer particularly I do go out to catch pics of birds, but I'm largely home alone, and don't have a problem with it. I probably should do a bit more walking, tho.

[Tess49]

4. Not just sometimes, but almost always. Guilt works for me a little bit. n/t

[alfie]

5. Definitely. And I am ok with that

I am a retired ER nurse. I spend 35 years being around people all day long, putting on my best face no matter what. I like staying at home now. My dog and cat can be PIA's sometimes, but I can handle that.

I walk the dog at least twice a day. Frequently I will run into a neighbor, most of them are retired so around and about. We chat for a few minutes, that fills my "socializing" quota for the day. There are little necessary trips, grocery store, that kind of thing. Again, that is enough socdializing for me. I usually see someone I know, it is a little town.

[Polly Hennessey]

6. I spent most of my life

putting up with people and their demands but I was paid for it so I endured. Now I live on five acres with my sister. We are both widowed. She still works as an ICU nurse. We have a beautiful place with a pond, trees, flowers. I have my dogs and cats, they are my social world. I go to the grocery store, the Vets office, the Cleaners, etc. My stepson lives up at Lake Tahoe and we see each other often. Thanksgiving I am going to Petaluma to see more relatives. I walk with the animals on our property and that is fine with me. Life is calm and peaceful without the intrusion of other people. I feel no guilt at all and do not miss interactions with people. So, Racoon, don’t worry about being motivated, your time is now yours. You may do what makes you happy - with or without movement or socializing.

[woodsprite]

7. Not retired yet, but following this post because I can see myself being that way.

Both my husband and I are involved in a singing group, so we'd at least be out 1x/wk for rehearsal. I love to do crafting and am looking forward to being able to do that when I retire, so might get involved in some craft/art shows. We've also taken a few hikes and done some photography, so might try to join a meetup group.

Our pup gets us up and out, although I'm sure Noelle (a german shepherd) won't be the dog that sees us through retirement. She'll be 12yrs old in July, and we figure I have about another 7-8 yrs to go to retire, so most likely we'll have another dog carry us through our retirement. Noelle's also getting a bit big for me to handle (80lbs - has pulled me down 2x chasing a critter on our nighttime walks - broken/dislocated shoulder and torn rotator cuff one time, cracked ribs another).

I can see though that it will be something that I have to work at and keep after myself to do. Hubby has taken to playing games on his phone and has gotten back into bike riding. We both play Ingress and Pokemon Go, but he will take a 17-20 mile bike ride into and all around town on Saturdays. I, on the other hand, am terrified to ride my bike on the streets with traffic, and that would only be if I could stay upright on it anyhow. Been looking into a recumbant bike, but their low profile could be a visibility issue.

[WestMichRad]

8. No problem motivating myself!

I do volunteer work for three organizations with whose missions I strongly agree. There are many kinds of volunteer work with which to get involved! The best part is meeting and working with others volunteering and working with these organizations - they are always fun to be around and to work with, and motivate me to learn more. So I'm having a blast!

No longer watching any TV is another of the best decisions I've ever made. There is never a shortage of terrific books to read, for the times when I'm too tired for volunteer work.

[marybourg]

9. You need to try some new activities you might really enjoy;

something more enticing than the gym or senior center. Maybe a group that enjoys an activity together. A chorale group, a book club, a bicycle or hiking group? Maybe a volunteer activity that appeals?

[pbmus]

10. Volunteer and hobbies

Keep me busy and happy

[Canoe52]

11. I need to motivate myself to not be so busy. Just don't have the time!

[Little Star]

12. No ideas on how to motivate on getting out of the house...

nor do I want any. I worked two jobs the better part of my life, one full time and then waitress work part time mostly on Fri and/or Sat nights and Sunday afternoons. I also spent years going to Alanon inbetween and had a wonderful sponsor. I'm now happy to be unmotivated. But I'm in my seventies so there's that.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Yes, but that's in large part because I am quite content to do nothing.

I love being retired. I have a small home with a pleasant back and front yard. I have a quiet life that I love.

There's nothing very wrong with this, unless you personally consider it a problem, in which case it's up to you to make changes.