Did You Retire Because of COVID? 🤔

[Anonymous]

• This discussion was created on May 16, 2021 8:30am.
• If you did, we would luv to hear your story?
• If not too personal a question/lol, what was your reason? Some got downsized. Some figured life was too short and needed to move up retirement.
• Once pandemic is over (hopefully before I die/lol), do you plan on returning to some type of work? A lot of us like to consult on the side = work when we want to. 😉

[Anonymous]

Got a few minutes? We would luv to hear from you 😉

[Raynyky]

No, worked through it. Two years to go.

[Anonymous]

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@Raynyky wrote:

No, worked through it. Two years to go.

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💥 @Raynyky do you have any plans for when you do retire? No pressure to share with us. 😁 Angela 💥 

[Raynyky]

@Anonymous yes I have some plans. A smaller house and some gardening. Maybe some volunteer work, then kick back and enjoy what time I have left. 

[suerose1]

I turned 70 in March 2020.  I had not planned to retire.  I planned to work less.  As a psychotherapist I can work sitting down, people talk to me and give me money.  My office was a quaint frame house in an artsy community.  

One day a client arrived for couples counseling without his wife.  He said she was sick.  I asked what she had.  He shrugged his shoulders.  A few sentences later, "her doctor said she should go to the emergency room." 

Does she have COVID? I asked. 

"Yes."  He said.

"You have to leave."  I replied.

That was the last client I saw face to face.   Along with the rest of my colleagues, I quickly geared up to do counseling online.  So many things to learn!  I took a course that was way too technical for me but was recommended.   I bought a quieter keyboard (something I read indicated it was a necessity) and moved lamps from around the room to the correct angles around my desktop computer.   I decided to not see new clients but to

continue with current clients.   March, April, May.  I moved out of the office and set up an office at home.   I learned what time the recycling people come.  My garden flourished.  I was enjoying myself.   My work hours gradually decreased.   

COVID 19 triggered the beginning of retirement but I must have been ready.  

[Anonymous]

Hi @suerose1 thank you do much for stopping by to share your story with us. Good for you! Sounds like you figured out the best setup for you!!! Awesome 👌

[Rhymesometimes]

Hi @suerose1 Have you found interesting and stimulating activities to do now that you are officially retired? With your years of being a psychotherapist, there is probably reams of material to writing a fascinating book or two.   ---  Christine

[DeahWA]

Technically I retired just before Covid hit, at mid-December 2019. I'd been planning that for nearly a year, and decided that July not to take any new clients from then on. 

What did get "retired" for me due to Covid was a lot of first year retirement plans -- taking an art class, traveling, joining an in person book club, spending time with local friends and even family, eating out, shopping for a dining table, etc.. The early big outbreak in the states happened about a half mile from me, and as soon as that hit the news, I pulled back from as much local shopping as I could, figuring staff at that nursing home were likely to patronize the same stores I usually did, and I didn't want to take any chances. So I probably distanced more than needed, but I have stayed healthy throughout.

[Anonymous]

Lol @DeahWA they still have no idea when it started 🤣😂 Glad you pulled back. I kept working so I could save as much as possible for my retirement but did not want to have have my daughter BAIL me out of JAIL for snapping on someone all up into my face sneezing and coughing 🙄 Luv your RETIREMENT LIST!!!!

[Anonymous]

Sunday - May 16, 2021 8:30am EST

• The pandemic NUDGED me into retiring last July (2020) instead of my PLANNED December (2020). Had planned on riding out October to December receiving BOTH my full-time paycheck plus Social Security since I would not be penalized for those 3 months.
• Got tired of employer NOT caring that folk had access to us = sneezing, coughing, being up close and personal. Lol, figured living off my SAVINGS until my SOCIAL SECURITY kicked in October (2020) would keep me out of JAIL for putting my hands on someone. 
• I would like to EXPLORE some part-time gig ideas maybe NEXT Spring when hopefully pandemic is behind us 😉