The Psychology of Retirement

How can you make the most of retirement? How should you plan for retirement? What are the challenges of retirement and how can they be dealt with?

The Psychology of Retirement looks at this life stage as a journey that involves challenges, opportunities, setbacks, periods of disenchantment and, often, exciting new beginnings. Taking a positive approach, the book explores how retirement provides opportunities to cultivate new friendships, interests and hobbies, consolidate and renegotiate long-held ones, and even re-invent oneself in a post-work environment. It also emphasizes the value of pre-retirement planning, and the importance of establishing new goals and purposes.

Retirement can be a period of significant psychological growth and development and The Psychology of Retirement shows how it can herald the beginning of a vibrant and active stage of life.

Emeritus Professor Doreen Rosenthal and Emeritus Professor Susan Moore are social researchers and retired academics who write extensively for both academic and non-academic audiences. They have jointly authored books on adolescence, sexuality, grandparenting, and retirement. They take their own advice about retirement, aiming to stay mentally, physically and socially active.