Retiring Solo: A Guide to Independent Retirement
Living solo in retirement and struggling to find your way? Did you plan for the abrupt halt of a daily routine and no daily interactions with colleagues?
Retirement is a major life transition. It can feel like a rollercoaster of challenges and emotions. As a single retiree with no spouse or family nearby, the need to plan ahead for retired life is crucial.
This article highlights the unique challenges faced by solo seniors and provides helpful tips on how to navigate through them to live a fulfilling, healthy, and socially-active next chapter.
Don't just plan your finances—
Plan your life to thrive in retirement!
Finding Clarity - Planning for a Fulfilling Retirement Alone
This article outlines the following 4 areas to help you navigate retirement solo:
1. Building Social Connections – Battling Social Isolation
The dramatic shift in fewer social interactions can lead to loneliness and social isolation. The workplace is a familiar community – a place of belonging – and the loss of daily connections can impact your emotional well-being. If you’ve lost track with friends and have no family, or they live far away, your world can begin to feel small very quickly.
As a single senior, it’s crucial to proactively seek out social connections.
- Get Involved in Your Community – create a sense of purpose and belonging:
- Volunteer – helping others helps you
- Join a local club – explore your interests
- Sign up for classes – engage in lifelong learning.
- Embrace Technology – stay connected with family and friends:
- Learn to use video calls
- Build a social media presence
- Use messaging apps.
- Build New Friendships – find like minded adults to share your journey:
- Attend local events
- Join senior centers – exercise classes, hobbies, crafts
- Start a community group or become a community leader.
- Get a Pet – if you’re a pet lover, adopt a pet and discover the benefits:
- Companionship and unconditional love
- Daily routine, and a reason to stay active
- Emotional support and diminished feelings of loneliness.
A National Institute on Ageing report* advises that both social isolation and loneliness for older adults have been linked to health conditions like, mood disorders, dementia, cardiovascular disease, malnutrition, falls and premature mortality.
Social isolation and loneliness are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
2. Prioritizing Physical Health – Living Independently Longer
Almost 100% of Canadians aged 65 and older plan to live independently in their own homes based on a survey by the National Institute on Ageing and Telus Health*. As a solo senior maintaining physical health can feel overwhelming without a partner to support you.
Tips in maintaining physical health as a solo senior:
- Make Exercise a Priority – foundational for staying mobile and living independently:
- Find a buddy to work out with – create a consistent routine
- Focus on maintaining muscle mass, flexibility and balance
- Prevent falls with walking, yoga, stretching and strength training.
- Accident Proof Your Home – scan your home for potential falling hazards:
- Install grab bars in the bathroom
- Secure loose rugs
- Install floor lights and underlights.
- Practice Health Prevention – essential to catch potential health issues early:
- Schedule routine check-ups to stay ahead of health concerns
- Monitor vision, hearing, bone density, oral health, diabetes and heart disease.
- Nourish Your Health – proper nutrition can be easy to ignore when cooking for one:
- Eat a balanced diet – create colourful, beautiful meals worthy of you
- Include adequate protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals
- Drink water–hydration avoids confusion, weakness, and increased risk of falls.
Poor physical health can lead to mobility problems, chronic illnesses, or needing help with daily tasks. Without a partner, it’s essential to plan for in-home care and assisted living options.
We can’t control what the future brings,
but we can prioritize our physical health
to live independently at home
for as long as possible.
3. Nurturing Mental Health - Staying Sharp and Emotionally Balanced
Maintaining mental health requires discipline and is just as important in living independently as physical health. It’s easy to fall into unhealthy routines and negative self-talk.
Tips on how you can stay mentally sharp and emotionally balanced:
- Exercise Your Brain – living solo requires intentional effort to keep mentally stimulated:
- Activate your brain with puzzles, reading, learning new skills
- Engage in activities like playing musical instruments or writing
- Enroll in a course, start a business.
- Prioritize Emotional Balance – pay attention to your mental health:
- Practice mindfulness to help you live in the present and enjoy every moment
- Learn meditation to clear your mind and refresh your spirit
- Practice yoga to manage stress and anxiety.
- Ask for Help – with no partner to share concerns, getting help is vital to your wellbeing::
- Seek professional help when you feel emotionally distraught
- Recognize feelings of depression, anxiety, or chronic loneliness
- Get necessary tools from therapists and support groups.
- Live With Purpose – give yourself a reason to jump out of bed every day:
- Establish a daily routine to anchor your lifestyle choices
- Set goals to build confidence, achieve milestones, and foster growth
- Give yourself something to look forward to each day – start a project.
Feelings of loss are common in retirement—loss of identity tied to your career, loss of daily social interactions. These feelings can be magnified for solo seniors who face retirement alone.
Building a daily routine, living life with purpose, and seeking support when needed can help you navigate this new chapter of life with greater ease.
4. Planning for Support – Accepting Realities of Aging
Good health can keep you independent longer, but the reality is aging brings increased needs. As a retiree on your own, it’s crucial to plan for the support you’ll require.- Appoint a Power of Attorney for Personal Care/Health Care Directive (Alberta)
- Appoint a trusted person to make health decisions for you when you are unable
- Make an Advance Care plan that outlines your wishes in an emergency. Check out our blog Advance Care Planning – A Lifeline for Your Family.
- Organize Medication -to ensure compliance and avoid negative interactions:
- Keep an organized system for managing medications and set reminders
- Request automated services that deliver medications and offer refill reminders.
- Prepare for an Emergency– have an accessible emergency folder that includes:
- Emergency contacts
- List of your medication and medical conditions
- Important documents like your Advance Care Plan.
- Schedule Check-ins -ask a friend, family member or neighbour to check in on you:
- Ask family to arrange a regular virtual call if they live far away
- Ask a neighbour to keep watch for anything outside your daily routine
- Schedule companion check-ins from a local homecare service.
- Plan for Long-term Care – understand your options:
- Research assisted living and long term care facilities
- List your preferences based on your lifestyle, interests and care needs
- Keep your attorney for personal care/health care up to date on your wishes.
Crisis-driven support can limit your options and alter your quality of life more than you would expect.
Conclusion: Adapting to Retiring Solo
Many Canadians retire as single seniors. The transition brings challenges and opportunities, but with the right mindset and preparation, this stage of life can be deeply fulfilling.
Creating a retirement life plan that outlines how you will stay socially connected, focus on your health, keep you mentally engaged, and build a new routine, will help you live independently and enjoy a vibrant fulfilling life in retirement.
Did this article provide insight on how as a single senior you can plan your next chapter?
We’d love to know if in addition to a financial plan, you have a life plan to help you navigate retirement solo. Share your experience!
Financial Concierge™ offers Professional Executor and Power of Attorney services to assist with executor, attorney duties or help with managing daily financial activities. Learn more about Financial Concierge™ here.
Author: Janet Jackson, Contributor: Jill Chambers
DISCLAIMER: This blog is not intended to be legal or financial advice and should not be construed as anything other than for information purposes.
