Millions facing pressure to age with dignity and make retirement preparations

Making plans for retirement is one of the greatest causes of stress related illnesses, including depression and strokes according to Dr Lynda Shaw, a chartered psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist.

The number of people who continue to work after they reach the age to receive a state funded pension is in excess of 1.4 million, a number which has almost doubled since 1993 and predicted to rise gradually according to consumer advice specialist, ‘Which?’

Dr Shaw recognises the need to make preparations before retirement to reduce the risk of illness causes by stressful preparations.

Dr Shaw said: “Not having enough savings in the pot is possibly one of the biggest fears people have about retirement. The government recently warned that astonishingly nearly 12 million people are failing to save enough for their retirement so it is unsurprising why so many are feeling the pressures of not having enough income to live off and are naturally concerned about what happens when the money dries up completely. Financial influences such as the rising cost of living, unpaid debts and false expectations all create unhealthy levels of anxiety and stress.

“A certain amount of stress hormones such as cortisol is good for us because it keeps us on our toes, but when levels are high for a long period of time it can negatively affect our short-term memory and more.

“Research shows that stress is one of the factors to consider in healthy ageing and it is one that we have some control over. It is therefore logical, that if we try to decrease our anxiety and stress levels we will see an improvement in our cognitive processing including short term memory.”

Dr Shaw’s advice to those preparing to retire includes, start saving as soon as possible and budget, exercise regularly to maintain and improve personal fitness and well-being and finally, retire happy by creating a list of things to fill their time when they do finally retire.

Dr Shaw added: “Except for the lucky few, retirement doesn’t have the same connotation of being a time when at last we can relax and focus on ourselves as in days gone by, because of the added pressures we face today. We worry more about our finances, we are constantly battling against a poor image of ageing these days and because we don’t have a close knit community anymore we also are deeply concerned about losing our work friendships and status.

“More pre-retirement preparation is needed to ease us into what should be some of the best years of our life rather than a possible vortex of stress and anxiety and consequent health problems.”

In addition to Dr Shaw’s comments on the stress of retirement planning, she highlights the negative connotations surrounding ageing and the pressure that older people face to remain youthful.

She said: “No matter what our age, the pressures of looking youthful and beautiful has meant a fixation with anti-wrinkle creams, extreme work outs and plastic surgery in an attempt to fend off the look of ageing and the term of looking and being ‘old’.

“We are so busy trying to delay the onset of ageing to avoid stereotypes that we are increasingly unable to accept and adapt to changes in later life. By denying ourselves the ability to age with dignity we are limiting ourselves.“ Dr Shaw promotes embracing change to enable people to live more positive lives, and recognises that ageing is a nature process both physically and mentally and the need to contest negative stereotypes surrounding ageing.

She added: “In this competitive world we are praised if we look younger than our actual age as opposed to revering someone who ages gracefully and with dignity. Those who don’t dye their hair the colour they had it in their twenties are said to be letting themselves go. Long gone are the days of communities respecting their elders because of their years, experience and wisdom. In fact the growing lack of importance of the community has had a direct impact on the self-esteem of our elders.”