5 Easy Ways to Find a Fulfilling Community During Your Retirement
Whether you have retired recently or some time ago, you might consider how to live well during your senior years. Often, retirees focus on things like staying as active as possible, eating healthy, and seeking any necessary support with activities of daily living (ADLs). While these are all vital considerations, these basic needs aren’t all you need to meet to stay mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy.
We engage in many communities throughout our lifetime, sometimes without even being aware. During childhood and adolescence, we form friendships at school and join activities, clubs, or sports teams. In adulthood, the workplace often provides a new community to become involved in. But as you move into retirement, you may feel like you no longer belong to a community.
Why Is Community Important for Seniors?
Feelings of aimlessness, boredom, and isolation are incredibly common during retirement. You may be missing the structure of the workday or worrying about how to spend all the extra time you now have. By integrating yourself into new fulfilling communities, you can regain your sense of belonging and purpose and enjoy your retirement to the full.
Being involved in a community will also give you opportunities to socialize regularly. Staying socially connected can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Social activity may boost physical wellness, strengthen the immune system, and support cardiovascular health.
How to Find a Community During Retirement
1. Visit A Senior Center In Your Area.
The benefits of joining a senior center program are aplenty, with the potential to improve social, spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical health. Many local communities have at least one senior center offering everything from outings, dinners, and social evenings to weekly classes and one-off workshops. Activities offered by senior centers are reasonably low-cost (or even free). Not only are senior centers a great way to meet new friends and get involved in a strong community, but they may also be able to help you access other local resources and valuable organizations that serve seniors.
2. Enroll In A Regular Exercise Or Educational Class.
As well as being a great place to meet new friends and get involved in a community, physical exercise classes can help you boost your strength, flexibility, balance, and overall fitness. Look for exercise classes for seniors in your area and find something that suits you, whether high-intensity aerobics and dance or something gentler like chair yoga, tai chi, or swimming. Whatever your physical abilities, there is likely to be an exercise class that can meet your needs.
3. Volunteer For A Cause You Care About.
If you’ve lost your sense of purpose during retirement, it may be worthwhile to pursue some voluntary work. Consider the causes you’re passionate about and activities you would enjoy, and search for any volunteer opportunities in your area. Volunteering can be an excellent way to help you rediscover your sense of purpose, find meaning and routine, and meet others with a shared passion (all while supporting the local community!) You can find enjoyable voluntary opportunities at thrift stores, soup kitchens, animal sanctuaries, libraries, or museums.
4. Start A Social Group Of Your Own.
You may have a keen interest or hobby and can’t find an existing group in your local area. Why not start your own? This could be as simple as inviting friends or neighbors to share a weekly game night or setting up something more organized with the support of your local senior center or assisted living community.
5. Consider Moving to Assisted Living.
Moving to senior living is an excellent way to meet new friends and get involved in a close-knit, positive community. Most senior care communities feature communal living and dining areas for socializing with friends, neighbors, and family. Your assisted living community may also host a selection of social, recreational, physical, and spiritual groups and activities, allowing you to get involved in multiple smaller or niche communities. When considering and visiting senior living communities, ask what activities are available to find something that suits your hobbies, skills, and interests.
How Seniors Find Community At Columbine Chateau
Columbine Chateau is passionate about community as a locally owned and operated assisted living organization. Our care is highly personal, friendly, and familiar, and our caregivers believe in supporting residents physically and spiritually, emotionally, and socially. We’ve seen first-hand how a sense of belonging and community benefits seniors, and we strive to ensure our residents feel supported and uplifted.
Columbine Chateau offers many social and recreational activities, including a bible study group, to help residents connect with others who share similar interests and beliefs. We aim to grant seniors the freedom and independence they deserve, so we also offer outings throughout the year for residents to enjoy together. Day to day, our community boasts inviting shared living and dining areas where residents can socialize and connect with friends, family, and caregivers.
If you’re keen to learn more about how we create a strong and positive community here at Columbine Chateau, call us today to arrange a tour.