I have just stopped working. I am 57 and all my friends still work. Can’t seem to find what to do with myself. I volunteer at HOSPICE but need something to balance this with that is interesting and fun. Any suggestions
I have just stopped working. I am 57 and all my friends still work. Can’t seem to find what to do with myself. I volunteer at HOSPICE but need something to balance this with that is interesting and fun. Any suggestions
0 Answers
Kim Barnes wrote on :
Do you know anyone interested in helping me with my men’s clothing line? Would like to bring it to your area (tampa bay). Work their own hours, find their own clientele….my clients are all professional men and appts are during the day in their offices. Here’s the website http://www.jhilburn.com….looking for a partner to get that market started! Hope you can help me locate a great entrepreneur! Thanks, Kim
LaurieKahn wrote on :
What hobbies are you interested in? Besides Hospice, whatever passions do you have that you can get involved with? Most non-profits are in dire need of people to help. Check Meetup.com for groups of people that have similar interests.
cjgolden wrote on :
Okay – so let’s start with a short exercise: please think back to your childhood days and picture yourself doing something that was great fun. What was it? Why did it give you such pleasure? Now think about how you might duplicate that enjoyment now at your age and stage of life. Perhaps you loved a particular sport, or enjoyed dancing or singing or playing an instrument. Well, start again! At the age of 50 i learned to play the banjo because I had so loved listening to country music. (by the way, Steve Martin has said that it is impossible to be unhappy when playing the banjo). If there was something you liked to do but can’t actively participate anymore (as dancing and now you have a bum knee) get involved in a chlldren’s dance group and see how you can help out. You’d be surprised how many enjoyable things are stored in your memory waiting to be brought out into the light of day again!
Geri Brin wrote on :
I adore knitting. It’s relaxing and you feel like you’re accomplishing so much. I make sweaters for friend’s babies, for my sisters and friends and for myself. When I visit my favorite knitting store, String in Manhattan, I can spend hours there, knitting and meeting new women. Great fun.
Marty Chiaravelotti wrote on :
As women, so much of who we are is influenced by what we are spending most of our time focused on, as in families, careers, etc. Who are we without the external focus? Often times our “dreams” have become distant memories. I hope that you are able to appreciate life without the alarm clock! Do take some quiet time to think back to what you love, the activities that ,perhaps, you left behind as your career and/or family took flight. Now is the time to do that very thing that you have always wanted to do. Best wishes.
Jane Angelich wrote on :
Like the others who have responded to your question, without knowing what you enjoy doing outside of your previous job, it’s hard to advise you on what to do next. Have you thought about getting involved in a mentoring program? You can mentor “up and comers” in your previous field, or students who might have an interest in your field.
If you like to travel, what about volunteering in another part of the world? There are also opportunities to teach English in other countries, if you have a desire to immerse yourself in another culture.
You have to figure out what you actually miss…the job, the income, the camaraderie of the workplace…and then you can start to explore all the options that are available.
Best wishes to finding your definition of fun!
lswart wrote on :
Hi there-
I think this is a challenge for so many women, who are burnt out from working full-time jobs and taking care of their families. They want to retire but then, when it finally happens, there’s a void where there used to be a lot of frantic activity. The challenge is to remain engaged in your community and stay relevant in this competitive and work oriented world we live in.
One way to manage this transition is to work part-time and see how that feels. This provides some structure to the day without draining you. Another option is to become an advisor to a small company/enterprise/non-profit where you can add value for a few hours a week or month. Or if you can leverage your personal interests into a part-time activity, so much the better. You are still pretty young and have a lot to contribute. My neighbor left her job as an IT professional to focus on flower arranging. She’s passionate about this and she started by taking some classes and getting involved in a like minded community. Now she does flowers for events and gets paid for it. But she is in control of the projects she accepts. She also blogs about the topic. Just one example. Maybe you start a blog of being a hospice volunteer, this is such an important topic. Hope this helps!
Lalitha
Kathi Elster wrote on :
The one thing I know about people who volunteer for Hospice is that they are very giving people. So being a giving person you probably do not give to yourself. I think you should find something that would be nurturing to YOU. Maybe gardening, exercise, something that would feed your soul.
ElizaJ wrote on :
The first question I would ask is what are your interests- ???? What is fun for me may not be for you…. do you have any specific training in one area— or a passion for something??