THE TOP PROBLEMS COUPLES FACE AFTER RETIREMENT

For a happy relationship in retirement, partners should work together to create a lifestyle that meets their emotional needs and which they both enjoy. After retirement, they can start doing volunteer work to fill their time.

There are couples who are considered role models for a healthy relationship in retirement; they find balance between being together and being apart and as a result their marriage flourishes. However, that is not always the case, as not many couples live happily ever after in retirement. They may spend so much time together that they drive each other mad.

Retirement can be a major stressor on relationships, since people do not think about interpersonal challenges and get so preoccupied with setting up the financial corner stone of retirement. Couples after retirement go from being together 3 or 4 hours a day to being together all the time and this happens all at once.

Though they may love each dearly, but they are not used to being that close 24/ 7. When both members of the couple stop working at the same time, they have to fill the void and create structure to fill their days. Another scenario is when the husband is working and the wife at home; she may feel like her retired husband is intruding in her space. This is called in Japan “retired husband syndrome” where the wife suffers tremendous stress or even depression.

Retirement can be a stressful time for couples who have health concerns, trouble adjusting to leaving their jobs or financial issues. In most cases, the husband and wife are used to independent lifestyles and all of the sudden they face the fact that they have almost nothing in common and no longer feel compatible.

For a happy relationship in retirement, when a couple is trying to resolve a conflict, they both should aim at a mutual enthusiastic agreement, and each partner must develop a deep respect and understanding of the other.