Starting to collect a monthly Social Security check can be a joy for most seniors in the United States. At the same time, it can also be quite a shock, as it completely changes our lives. Stopping going to work and collecting a paycheck every month completely changes one’s perspective.
Some Americans have Retirement Shock, as they sometimes can’t accept the reality that their life has completely changed. Among other factors, the economic one is really important. It is always advisable not to rely 100% on the Social Security check, as it is less than any salary. However, there are some retirees who cannot avoid it, and that is because each case is totally individual.
Regardless of the economic factor or not, there are also other factors, such as psychological factors, that affect retirees. At the time of collecting the first of the Social Security checks we find that we have more free time, and that is not good for everyone. So, let’s take a look at some tips to avoid Retirement Shock in our golden years.
Tips for avoiding Retirement Shock when we start collecting Social Security
It is very difficult to completely avoid Retirement Shock. We must always keep that in mind, and that is that with the start of the Social Security checks in life, everything changes completely. It happens drastically and suddenly, and that’s one of the problems. As a rule, we don’t prepare for this situation. We know it’s going to happen, but we don’t prepare for it at any point.
And that’s why we should take some tips to be able to avoid Retirement Shock:
- Request a sabbatical. In some companies we can request a sabbatical year. We can say that it is a vacation without pay. Therefore, we will have to live with only the money saved. This will make it much easier for us to live during retirement, since our budget will be smaller with Social Security.
- Find a hobby before applying for Social Security. Having too much time on our hands can make us feel bad when retirement comes. To avoid retirement shock, find a hobby that takes up a lot of your time. That way you’ll have something to do and won’t feel the stress of having too much time on your hands.
- Save as much as you can. This advice is universal and applies to all kinds of situations, but it is really useful. Having a good source of savings is key to avoiding Retirement Shock. If we reach retirement with no money we could find ourselves in trouble.
If despite doing all of the above we think we might have Retirement Shock, we should seek professional help. The transition from working to starting to collect a monthly Social Security check is very hard and any help is always welcome.