The transition to retirement shakes up your daily life, but also your address book. No more colleagues, schedules and imposed routines. According to the organization Cabinet JG Capsal, up to 30% of those over 85 say they often feel alone. Behind this figure lie, according to psychology, nine discreet habits that create lasting loneliness.
Retirement, a quiet upheaval
For the organization Cabinet JG Capsal, retirement first weakens your professional identity. You stop being a nurse or a craftsman and become retired, without a clear new role. The fear of change, the anxiety of illness, but also small memory lapses then erode your self-confidence and make each outing or conversation a little more intimidating.
In this context, the nine behaviors identified by psychologists come into play: neglecting everyday micro-interactions, withdrawing into your home, not creating new routines, adopting a passive relational posture, ruminating on negative thoughts, letting connections disintegrate, refusing to ask for help, remaining clinging to the past and significantly reducing your physical activity.
When isolation weighs on health
The organization Cabinet JG Capsal recalls that 15% of people aged 65 to 74, 22% of the 75-84 age group and 30% of those over 85 often feel alone. Prolonged loneliness increases the risk of depression, anxiety and cognitive decline. Your brain, less stimulated by exchanges, loses agility, which further reinforces the desire to isolate yourself to avoid the gaze of others.
The effects don’t stop at morale. According to work relayed by Harvard Health Publishing, chronic loneliness can reduce life expectancy as much as smoking around 15 cigarettes a day. A meta-analysis published by the medical media JAMA found an increase in the risk of all-cause mortality of 32% among very isolated people, creating a real vicious health-loneliness circle.
How to break the vicious circle?
To begin reversing these nine reflexes, psychology advises aiming for small actions rather than a big change. Going out to buy your bread instead of having it delivered, saying hello to your neighbor, calling a former colleague or registering for a municipal activity recreates a regular setting. Each fixed appointment replaces a piece of your former professional life.
Those around you also play a key role in dealing with loneliness. Spotting several of these habits in a parent, offering to accompany them to a club or helping them use a friendly meeting platform can make a real difference. If sadness, total withdrawal or dark thoughts set in, talking to your doctor or a psychologist remains an important step.