1. Healthy, Happy and Retired
Powerpoint presentation for Western Pennsylvania conference pre retirement conference Thursday, October 20. Title was chosen by the conference leaders and they wanted practical tips on how to prepare for retirement.
WELL-BEING
Healthy, Happy and Retired

2. Exciting! Retirement Can Be …
The request for this presentation was to give helpful hints/suggestions on what to do as you prepare to retire. Focus is on overall well-being.
The first few slides I want to set the tone for the presentation that retirement is something that comes with a bunch of mix emotions, and while it is a goal that most people want to reach, it is a transition, change and a departure from the norm. The goal is getting closer to a reality and that isn’t always comfortable.

3. Retirement Can Be …
Scary!

4. Full of Possibilities! Retirement Can Be …
With good health and wealth the possibilities are endless. Health and wealth can limit possibilties.

5. Retirement Can Be …
Confusing!

6. Prepare Based on 5 Dimensions
The Center for Health (need to chat about who the Center for Health is) focuses on 5 dimensions of well-being – physical, emotional, spiritual, social and financial. These dimensions integrate with each other – they influence each other. It is important to keep a balance for overall well-being.
Well-being is more than just wellness or physical health. You can have wonderful well-being even if your physical health might not be perfect – but if you have a good attitude, out look on life, friends and a comfortable financial outlook your overall well-being can be strong.
Or if your financial outlook is a bit precarious but you have great health, friend and a good spiritual connections you can have strong well-being.
Conversely, if your finances are wonderful, you workout all the time, but you don’t have a strong social group or spiritual connection – your well-being isn’t going to be a strong.

7. Prepare—Physically
Establish a good relationship with primary care provider
Have a physical—don’t forget the dentist, optometrist, etc.
Plan ahead for:
Specialist visits
Procedures
Necessary medications
Vaccinations
Determine insurance coverage when coverage transitions
Physical health is more than just being physically active and eating healthy – although they are super important. It is encompasses your relationship with your primary care provider and others in the medical community such as your cardiologist, dentist, podiatrist, ophthalmologist/optometrist, therapist/counselor. Having a good relationship with them – and knowing that they will accept your new insurance coverage is important. Also, if your PCP is the same age you are, they might be looking at retirement too. You make be starting over with a new practice.
If coverage is going to change, you will want to explore those options, determine a new provider if necessary. Do some provider shopping – ask your friends, see if you can make a visit to see if you like them. You don’t want a gap or to be in an emergency situation and not have a provider. Before your coverage changes – make sure that you have a supply of your current medications on hand. So you don’t run out.
If you know you are going to need to have a procedure done, plan for that – and all necessary follow up care before retirement if possible.

8. Prepare—Physically Maintain well-being Home Schedule necessary repairs
As you get older, assess:
Safety
Need to downsize? Or more room?
Ability to care for the yard
Maintain well-being – keep with your physical activity/exercise program, explore ways to eat healthier (maybe you now have time to plant a garden or explore farmer’s markets or take a cooking class)
Physical dimension is more than just health – it is also the environment around you. One of the biggest concerns is your home.
Assess your home – if you have a home – Don’t need to more out of a parsonage - or looking to purchase/build/rent one because they are in a parsonage – is it the right fit (stairs, garage, washer/dryer on same level, room for family or maybe you don’t want room for family) do you need to rake leaves/shovel snow – do you have those tools or is that something the HOA takes care of or do you need to purchase?
Is it in a safe neighborhood? Are stores close by? Traffic ok.

9. Prepare—Emotionally Identity changes after retirement
Family roles change
Routines may not be the same
May feel devalued, may be happier or both
Lonely or overwhelmed or both
Know that it isn’t always easy
Emotion dimension - this can be a surprisingly difficult transition
Change in identity – going from pastor to retired pastor – most of your life as a working person and now this identifier is gone.
Family roles can change – home more, may have more time with spouse, children, grandchildren and other family members
Home more – not going to the church/meetings/events. May have had a set routine for many years, and now it is something different. How does that fit with the routines of others in the home? What is different for family, friends, etc.
Your identity might be rolled up in the church and now that you aren’t there so much, you can feel like you aren’t needed – that can be positive for some or a negative for others. If you stay close to home the new pastor might do things differently and that might be positively looked at by the congregation – or make changes that you thought were necessary and just needed a different voice. Just because you aren’t in the pulpit anymore doesn’t mean that your heart (and ego) isn’t with the church anymore. Or if you move to a different community, people may not understand your position or suggestions, experience.
Sometimes new retirees totally book their life after retirement – trips, projects, friends, hobbies, etc. It can be a bit overwhelming or the opposite happens and loneliness sets in. Or a combination of both – everyone’s experience is different.
Retirement is a new experience and unique for everyone. It also impacts a broad circle around the retiree. Be patient with yourself and everyone else. You will figure out your new normal.

10. Prepare—Spiritually More time to connect Not in the pulpit anymore
Volunteer within the church?
Step away for awhile?
Won’t be going to the church everyday
Set boundaries
For years you have been the spiritual leader of the church – just because that might end in a formal sense it doesn’t mean the end of a spiritual journey, exploration – in fact it might open it up even more.
Determine/explore if going to volunteer in the church – if yes, what does that look like; step away and just become a parishioner? Or attend a different church?
What will it be like not to go to the church everyday?
Do you need to set boundaries? Have conversation with new pastor? What is expected?

11. Prepare—Socially Plan for ways to get out of the house
See family and friends
Volunteer
Bucket list items
Look for ways to expand relationships
Explore ways to learn new skills/ fine tune skills
Community colleges/ vocational-technical schools
Libraries
Hobbies
What are you plans to get out of the house? Or get in the house – if there are a lot of demands on your time?
Is there something that you’ve always wanted to explore/learn but haven’t had the time?
Is there a way to share your skills with others? Teach, volunteer
How is being retired going to impact your loved ones? (you can only go with your spouse’s events for so long )

12. Prepare—Financially Access tools provided by WespathEY
Benefits Access
Clergy Benefits Academy
Clergy Tax workshops
Communicate with family and loved ones
Live on your new budget before retirement
Explore part-time work
Plan for large purchases
Set boundaries
This is the dimension that so many focus on, and can be such a cause for stress – will there be enough money?
Access the tools and expertise available to you by Wespath
Sit down and communicate expectations with your family. You may or may not be able to do the things that you normal did – or do them better
Do a trial run – live on your new budget for a while to see where potential pitfalls might be, or where something that you didn’t expect might be better.
Will you need to work part time – not only for the money, but for you (or spouse )

13. Be Gentle Big transition Set boundaries
Communicate with family, friends and loved ones
Check in with yourself
Life can be bumpy and have pitfalls
Don’t have to figure it out all at once
Not everyone’s journey is the same
There are many different thoughts about retirement. Some people think it is the best thing ever, some may go kicking and screaming and some it might cause more worry and anxiety. Be gentle with yourself. Retirement is different for everyone and it is a big transition. You aren’t going to be perfect and retirement isn’t going to be perfect. It is a journey – your personal journey. No two retirements are alike.
You many need to set boundaries – your children may think that you are going to babysit all the time or help with projects. Define what your retirement is going to look like.
And while you need to think, plan and communicate, you don’t have to have all the answers right away.

14. Be Fearless Explore (safely) Learn new skills
Cross things off your bucket list
Reach out to others
Share your passions
Don’t limit yourself
Have fun!
Retirement is a different phase of life – and it is new for you and your family. You can define it as you wish it to be. You will need to find your new normal. But get out and explore new opportunities, look for things that you have always wanted to do, and go do them (responsibly).
Also remember that you will be figuring it out. You may have thought that you wanted to write the great American novel, but when the time comes, you really want to read the great American novels – that’s ok. Or that travel was your goal, and due to some circumstances you aren’t able to do so much –that’s ok too. Life will continue to happen, be flexible, find your joys.
With some thought, planning, communication you can have a healthy, happy retirement.

15. Benefit Plans Department
Actuarial Services
Retirement Services
Benefits Plans Department
Benefit Education
Health, Welfare and Well-Being

16. Benefit Plans Department—Resources
Articles by well-being dimension:
wespath.org/center-for- health/resources/articles/
Well-being newsletter and bulletins:
wespath.org/cfh/newsletter/