Longevity is a reality today. Current retirees as a whole have so much more time ahead of them than our parents and grandparents did in their retirements. Not only do we have more time, the time we have for many of us is accompanied by better health. Physically we will be able to participate in many activities at later ages that 50 years ago would have been unthinkable.
Now that we're coming out of Covid many of us are looking forward to making up for lost time. Our lives were put on an unexpected hold. However, we continued to age. Covid postponements have affected almost everyone. Before we rush out to pursue those postponements, it's a good time to re-evaluate how we want to spend our time. We want to use that gift wisely.
The American Time Use Survey conducted right before Covid struck showed that retirees have over seven hours of leisure time each day. How they use that time is concerning. The Study revealed that much of the gain has become devoted to lingering over daily activities and watching television. Watching television especially the news only provokes anxiety and with a 24 hour news cycle that's a lot of potential for anxiety and wasted time.
A large portion of our readers have told us that they have used their time well during the last two years. Many spent time taking up a new hobby or expanding on an existing one. Others committed to continuously learning new subjects. Some used their time incorporating some form of exercise into their daily schedule. Volunteering was also cited as a good time investment. Helping others is time that benefits the helper, too. Most of us want to get the best return for the time we invest regardless of the activity. A good way to maximize the use of time is to ask yourself in advance, what fulfillment will I get from the time I am about to spend. However you decide to spend your time, make it count.
