After a lifetime of working, staying home can be a major adjustment, says Kirk R. Daffner, MD, director of the Alzheimer Center at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Work keeps people physically and mentally active, which promotes and preserves cognition and other neurologic functions, he says, so finding new ways to keep busy is key to staying healthy.

Find a purpose

Before retiring, talk to partners, family members, and other loved ones about what you might do when you stop working, says Dr. Daffner. After Bob Dumas, of Cary, NC, retired in 2019 at age 57 from his job at a radio station due to various neurologic conditions, including brain cancer, he started sharing his experience with other brain tumor survivors over the air, with people who reached out, and with medical students at nearby Duke University. He and his wife, Lu, also established a charity, Bob's Buddies, which raises awareness and money for pediatric brain tumor research. He has “dedicated his heart and soul to helping children with brain tumors,” says Lu, adding that people want to feel needed.

Pick up a hobby

Now that you have more time, you can pursue that hobby you've always dreamed of, says Dr. Daffner. Choose something you can handle physically and cognitively, he advises. Amy Michelle Wiley of Vancouver, WA, who has myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, started crafting after quitting her job in 2014. She also is involved with a group that paints rocks and deposits them around town. The members stop by her house to collect her creations since she can't take them out herself.

Get social

People often miss the human interaction at work once they leave, says Jason Karlawish, MD, FAAN, director of the Penn Healthy Brain Research Center. He suggests ways patients can socialize with others. “I recommend doing art or witnessing, viewing, or experiencing it,” he says. “For some of my patients, I've actually prescribed a ceramics class.” It helps them build relationships and connect with others, Dr. Karlawish says, which makes them feel good.

Volunteer 

Helping in the community can be a healthy way to keep busy, Dr. Daffner says. You can offer your services to religious institutions, libraries, or nursing homes. Or work on political campaigns, which may require less of a long-term commitment.

Adjust and accept

“For a long time, I would wait to do things because I thought I would improve,” says Wiley. “I've learned to set aside my hopes of what could be and find things that I can do now.” For example, she now works on crafting projects that she can do from a recliner or bed. Making these adjustments and accepting her life as it is, she says, has given her a chance at happiness.

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