Are you a single senior? Whether you were previously married and recently became singleor you’ve been single for most of your adult life, your retirement years offer unique advantages that you may not experience as part of a couple.
And although loneliness can be a concern of single seniors, the reality is that retirement provides seniors of all lifestyles with plenty of opportunities to meet and connect with others. Many of the Abramson Center’s residents are single, and yet they live rich and fulfilling lives.
Whether you’re single and concerned about how you’ll spend your retirement, comfortably single and looking for fun activities to try, or even in a couple and just curious, read on for helpful advice for single seniors to enjoy retirement:
Fun and Rewarding Activities for Single Seniors
Below is just a small sample of fun and enriching activities popular with single seniors. But remember, the only limit to what you can do in retirement is your own imagination:
- Hiking, Camping, or Biking: Love the outdoors or wish you had more of a chance to spend time outside? Now is your opportunity! Many seniors love to go hiking or camping. You can even join a local group and meet fellow outdoor enthusiasts, or go it alone and enjoy the serenity of nature.
- Sign Up for a Community College Class: Learning is a lifelong pursuit. Community college courses give you an easy and relatively inexpensive way of learning more about a particular topic of your choosing. Plus, learning can help in preventing dementia.
- Volunteer: Many seniors decide to volunteer after they retire. Often times they will volunteer at a museum or hospital or some venue they like.
- Take Lessons: Is there a skill you always wanted to learn? Maybe it’s a musical instrument or dancing? Or perhaps woodworking? Really, it could be anything! The point is that as a single, retired person you now have the freedom to do exactly that.
- Travel: Being single means having the freedom to do exactly what you want to do. Many single seniors take this opportunity to visit new and exotic destinations. Whether you’re going across the state or across the world, you can do it when you retire.
Finding and Meeting Other Single Seniors
Not every senior is looking for a romantic relationship. Some would prefer to just meet fellow retirees and form platonic relationships. Read our advice below for single seniors looking to meet people.
- Join a Retirement Community: Retirement communities (sometimes known as independent living communities) are much different than most would imagine. Seniors in these communities live vibrant and active lifestyles. For instance, single seniors at the Mildred Shor Inn are thriving and embracing the retired lifestyle.
- Reconnect with Family: Perhaps you have cousins, or aunts and uncles, you haven’t spoken to in some years. You wish you could spend more time with them, but life kept getting in the way. This happens to all of us, unfortunately. But being retired gives you the time to reconnect. And a great way to reach back out to them is through Facebook…
- Get on Facebook: Did you know that 34 percent of U.S. adults over 65 are on social media? Facebook in particular provides a great opportunity to connect with other people your own age who share your interests. Additionally, many people use Facebook to reconnect with old classmates as well as find information related to upcoming events they may want to attend –such as high school reunions and community lectures.
- Try Dating Apps: This tip may only apply to single seniors interested in a romantic relationship, but dating apps are a great way to meet people with your same interests. Even if you’re not technologically savvy, you’ll be surprised how easy to use these apps are!
Dating Advice for Single Seniors
Are you a single senior but interested in pursuing a romantic relationship? Are you nervous about re-entering the dating scene See our tips below:
- Be Ready to Feel Young Again….For Better and for Worse: Whether you’re 60 or 16, dating doesn’t change. Many seniors who haven’t dated in some time are often surprised to learn that the awkward, butterfly-in-the-stomach moments are the same at any age. But no matter your age, the fun and excitement of a new relationship remains the same.
- Consider the Different Ways to Meet People: We previously mentioned dating apps, but that doesn’t mean technology is necessarily the best way to meet people. Ultimately, it comes down to what you are most comfortable with. The activities we mentioned previously are great ways to meet people. You should also consider church functions and senior centers as places where you can meet someone.
- Remember Safe Sex: Perhaps surprisingly, STDs are on the rise among older adults. This is why it is important that if you do get those involved in a romantic relationship, always practice safe sex.
- Be Sure You’re Ready: This tip in particular applies to those seniors who are recently single, although could be helpful for those who have been single for most of their adult life as well. Before you start trying to date, make sure that you are emotionally ready for it. That means feeling confident and happy about yourself and your situation. Remember that you should never rush these things.
Retirement is What You Make It
While these are just a few ideas of how single seniors can spend their retirement, the truth is that retirement is whatever you make of it. No matter your marital status, retirement provides you with the freedom to do pretty much whatever you want. The most important take away here is that you should be living your golden years to the fullest!
We at the Abramson Center pride ourselves on more than 150 years of care and research on senior health and well-being.
