Retirement comes with a mix of freedom, relief, and, if we’re being honest, a few unexpected challenges – and that’s really only to be expected. After all, after years of early starts, deadlines, and a structured routine, the shift to wide-open days can be exciting… and also a little disorientating. That’s why it’s important to ensure you keep your mood in a good place – you don’t want to start feeling low if you can help it.
The fact is, there’s no shortage of advice on how to make the most of retirement. Travel. Take up painting. Learn to play the ukulele. But sometimes, the simplest things are the most beneficial, and one of the most underrated sources of everyday joy has to be nature.
Being in nature, spending time outdoors, even just tending to a few plants… it’s these small moments that can make a big difference in how you feel, especially when life slows down and you’re adjusting to all the new ways you’ll be living when you retire. With that in mind, keep reading to find out more about how nature helps boost your mood in retirement.
Nature Is a Natural Mood Booster
You don’t need a background in science to know that spending time outside can lift your spirits – you’ll probably just have experienced it yourself at various times in your life. And it’s true that there’s a certain peace of mind and perhaps even clear-headedness that comes from fresh air and open space, and research has shown that exposure to nature helps reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and improve overall wellbeing. What’s not to love about that?
But as well as the science, it just feels good to be outside in nature, and when you’re walking in the park or sitting in the garden, the world just feels calmer and more enjoyable. In retirement, being able to feel grounded – literally – is so important because you’ll have fewer routines and structures to live by, and it can be easy to feel quite lost, but spending time outside is lovely and calm and you can do what you want with it, so it’s actually great.
Gardening Is Good for You
Not everyone retires and suddenly becomes able to do gardening, but the fact is that gardening is definitely a firm favorite when it comes to things to do in retirement, and there are some great reasons for that. One thing is that it’s physical enough to be manageable and not over the top when it comes to exercise, and it’s also rewarding, so you’ll feel motivated to keep doing it (which is vital).
Although pulling weeds might not sound like something that’s particularly going to boost your mood, it is something that gets you outdoors, and it gives you a goal to work towards as well – plus you can see real progress happening, which is incredibly satisfying. And if you do find that some of the tasks are a bit tricky, you’ll usually be able to find useful tools to help you – a hedge trimmer can be exactly the right piece of equipment, for example, as it’s not only going to give you good results, but it’s enjoyable to use as well.
Gardening can also reduce stress levels and give you a sense of calm – studies have shown that regular exposure to green spaces means you’ll have less cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body, and your mind will be a lot clearer as well. Plus, if you grow your own herbs and vegetables, you’ll have the added bonus of delicious and healthy dinners that you don’t have to pay a fortune for, so that’s got to be a benefit.
Fresh Air, Fresh Perspective
There’s a reason doctors are starting to recommend spending time outdoors as part of their ideas about mental health care – nature is gentle, and it can change how you feel often without you even noticing it’s happening. Just stepping outside for a few minutes can make all the difference, and by the time you get back to wherever it was you were doing, you’ll feel better, and lighter.
And you don’t need to climb a mountain or hike for miles to feel those effects, which is fantastic. A short stroll through the local park or a lap around the block can definitely do the trick, and what really matters is being consistent – a little fresh air each day is going to help regulate your sleep, boost your energy levels, and make you feel emotionally, physically, and mentally so much better.
Connection Through Community
Retirement can be a bit of an issue when it comes to your social life – especially if most of your interactions were based around your job. You may well suddenly find yourself with a quiet calendar, and that can be upsetting for some people. However, if you’ve got any nature-based hobbies, they can really help.
You could join a local gardening club, volunteer at a community allotment, or just chat to your neighbors about what you’re growing and how to do it, for example, and all these things can help to give you new connections to enjoy now that you’re retired. Even if they don’t feel like much at first, you could end up making some fantastic friends you would never have met otherwise, and that’s going to help make you happy for the long term. And even if you’re quite an introverted person, being part of an outdoor hobby group usually comes with less pressure than other hobbies – you don’t have to do any small talk, you can just spend time together and benefit from being in nature.
It’s Never Too Late
Maybe you’ve always loved being outside. Maybe you’re only just starting to appreciate it now you’ve got a bit more time on your hands. Either way, it’s always going to be there for you, and you can start to enjoy it and be in it at any point – it’s never too late.
And you don’t have to become an expert gardener or start going for massively long walks if you don’t want to – how you enjoy nature is exactly down to you.