Retirement is an exciting time in your life. It’s a time for relaxation, growth, and endless enjoyment. Here at Southgate, our motto is “Exploring. Growing. Learning.”, three things we hope that our residents will do every day to make the most of their retirement.
Goal-setting is a great way to find activities and accomplishments to look forward to, no matter your age or stage of life. Your goals can be more simplistic, such as reading a book a month all year long, or maybe a little more complex, such as traveling to places you’ve never been before or learning a new language, skill, or sport.
Here are ideas for goals to set during your retirement as well as during your time living at Southgate at Shrewsbury:
Focus on family & community: Now that you’re retired, your days are more open for you to connect with people who make you feel safe, happy, and loved. Focus your newfound time on family, friends, and the community around you. Set goals for yourself like meeting up with a family member each week, making new friends, or attending a local event to become more immersed in the community.
Keep learning: One of the most beautiful parts of life is that learning never stops! There is always room to grow and discover more about the world around you. Set a goal of learning something new every day, or reading books you’ve always been meaning to pick up. The library at Southgate has plenty of books to help you start this goal, and you could even join a book club to connect with other lifelong learners and bookworms.
Prioritize your health & wellness: Taking care of your health is important no matter your age, but now in retirement, you can set new goals for your physical and mental well-being.
Plan your meals to be filled with food that both fuels you and tastes delicious, and set daily exercise goals that fit whatever your body is capable of! Take a walk, go for a swim, or lift light weights to build and maintain your strength. For your mental health, consider taking up journaling or meditation.
Volunteer: Looking to try something new and dedicate your day to helping others? Spend your days giving back to your local community through volunteer work! Volunteering can help seniors make new bonds and connections and can even improve their quality of life! Visit www.volunteermatch.org for local volunteer opportunities in Worcester, Boston, and more.
Take a class: Consider taking the time to learn a new skill or hobby you’ve always dreamed about by signing up for a class. Whether you want to enhance your cooking techniques, become an expert sewist, or even learn a new language, now’s the time to expand your knowledge and try something new!
Do more of what makes you happy: Life is what you make it – so make it count! Spend your days doing what makes you the happiest. Whether that be taking long walks on our 3-acre campus, enjoying fine dining with your friends both old and new, or simply curling up with a good book and your loyal pet, set a goal to do what brings you the most joy each and every day.
At Southgate at Shrewsbury, we support our residents and their personal retirement goals. We have a beautiful campus with opportunities to try new hobbies, such as crafting or woodworking, and plenty of community events for you to meet fellow seniors and socialize.
We hope that no matter your goals, your retirement at Southgate at Shrewsbury is everything you dreamed it would be!