3857: Will Retirement Be Depressing? by Fritz Gilbert of The Retirement Manifesto on Life After Work

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🗓️ 28 December 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

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Summary

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 3857: Fritz Gilbert sheds light on the emotional challenges many face after leaving the workforce, revealing that retirement can increase the risk of depression, especially for those whose identity is closely tied to their careers. Drawing from research and personal reflection, he outlines how cultivating hobbies, social connections, and a sense of purpose before retiring can significantly boost well-being in this new life chapter. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.theretirementmanifesto.com/will-retirement-be-depressing/ Quotes to ponder: "Be intentional in your retirement planning years, with a focus on incorporating non-financial elements into your plan." "The key to a happier retirement was having ‘multiple selves’, which means hobbies and other activities to keep them busy." "Populate a bucket list of items you’d like to do in retirement. Broaden it to include categories beyond travel. Stretch yourself." Episode references: Ready To Retire? by Lyndsay Green: https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Retire-Spouse-Reality-Retirement/dp/1443440566 Institute of Economic Affairs – Work Longer, Live Healthier: https://iea.org.uk/publications/research/work-longer-live-healthier Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is Optimal Living Daily. Will Retirement Be Depressing by Fritz Gilbert of the Retirement Manifesto.com?
0:08.4	And I'm Justin Mollick. Welcome back. This is the Sunday bonus episode where I share an extra episode from the Optimal Living Daily network.
0:16.3	And today's comes from Optimal Finance Daily. Please do subscribe to or follow Optimal Finance Daily wherever you're
0:22.9	listening to this to keep all of this going. Really helps a lot. But for now, let's get right to the
0:27.7	bonus episode in Diana's commentary as we optimize your life. Will retirement be depressing by Fritz Gilbert of the Retirement Manifesto.com?
0:41.9	Over the past week, I've read several recent studies on depression and retirement.
0:47.5	The findings are concerning. It turns out that depression and retirement is a surprisingly common
0:53.2	problem. With one study citing that retirement increases the probability of depression by about 40%.
1:00.2	Another cites the highest increase in suicides is among men age 50 and over.
1:06.8	What are the causes of depression among retirees,
1:09.7	and what can you do to increase the odds that
1:12.4	your retirement will be a period of joy rather than a period of depression? What are the facts?
1:19.2	I read an article last week entitled Men Vulnerable to Bortem and Depression in Retirement,
1:26.0	which summarizes several recent surveys on depression
1:28.9	in retirement. Intrigued and seeking fodder for my blog, I read each of the studies in detail.
1:36.1	The studies included a 2012 study from UC Berkeley and a 2013 study from the Institute of Economic
1:42.6	Affairs. I've also read a recent study from the
1:45.9	Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. Based on my readings, I've summarized the findings.
1:53.1	Number one, 60% of folks retire earlier than they planned, while just 16% were financially
2:00.0	prepared to retire early. Number two, adjustment to
2:04.7	retirement appears to come in stages, with a three to five-year honeymoon period of elation,
2:11.1	followed by a steep reduction in well-being as the reality of retirement settles in, followed by a
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