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Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

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Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#51

Post by girvo »

ChuckMcM wrote: post #45

I'm not sure why "retire" is equated with sitting on the porch doing nothing. Perhaps that is the image that some folks hold but I know lots and lots of people who fund their own existence through passive income (savings, etc) and do all sorts of interesting things. I need a different word for that state, perhaps self employed might be more accurate since at that point you are paying your own "salary".

My Grandfather retired at 45, after becoming the head-banker for a large bank in the north island of New Zealand. Got his gold Rolex and everything. He then proceeded to start, fund and get involved in a number of businesses, owns race-horses, has a massive social circle and is still going strong at 75. He's my idol, for good reason :)

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#52

Post by gozur88 »

I wonder if this article isn't putting the cart before the horse. If you're not getting just older but also sicker it gets harder and harder to drag yourself to work each day.

Or, to put it another way, maybe you're working at 75 because you're not sick instead of not being sick because you're working.

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#53

Post by p4wnc6 »

dwaltrip wrote: post #50
p4wnc6 wrote: post #35

I am only 30 but have been unemployed for about 15 months, due to a significant family health and legal situation. I can definitely say that not working, even if other life needs are met, has had a hugely adverse affect. I definitely need to feel proud of what I am working on to feel whole and well. Ceasing to work and then resuming a new job search is also demoralizing. Most people will not even consider hiring you…

That is a rough situation, and it sounds like you are hanging in there impressively. Hats off to you for that. I do have to agree with the other poster, I sounds like the big thing here is the framing of the situation, your presentation, and projecting confidence. Perhaps doing fake interviews with people and getting their feedback on the non-technical aspects could be helpful (it sounds like you are nailing the tech…

I was living and working on the east coast in a major city for about the past 8 years, and feel that culturally I resonate more with urban lifestyle, tech & university hubs, etc. Sense of humor is important to me ... I'm one of those people who was raised on The Simpsons, despite how cliche it is and how much Sean & Hayes of Hollywood Handbook would mock me for saying so.

The family situation has required me to move to the rural midwest to do full-time care and administration of a legal issue, provide childcare, and do many other things. I went to high school and college here, so I know the ropes, but it's not a place that I identify with or culturally fit into, and I think anyone who interacted with me for a few minutes would know that quickly.

I will always continue practicing presentation skills, but confidence in public speaking and especially confidence in speaking clearly and precisely about the technical work I've done are things that come naturally to me.

Firms from SF have been among the worst. The tech culture there just seems problematic and I think I would strongly prefer New York or Boston over SF, though for a good-fitting role, I'd consider really anywhere.

But after interviewing with a lot of SF firms and getting feedback that either (a) they would not consider paying adequate relocation or (b) they would not consider someone who is not currently working, I just focused my search on different geographic regions.

I tend to get a lot of first interviews based on my education and past experience, but after I answer questions about my current unemployment gap, it's like everyone just feels it's too complicated to bother fiddling with it at all and they just dismiss it without considering my skills.

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#54

Post by rosstex »

bpchaps wrote: post #31
wonder_er wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Please expand on some of what you're working on! I've been thinking about just this sort of "work" to start dipping my toes into, don't quite know where to start.

A lot of it is me getting annoyed at something that certainly impacts many others. It's gone down some interesting paths. What I've found in general is that the small things not only add up, but they help find where the root causes are. So, if you can help fix the small things and enough people do it, the better the world becomes in general. Things like, "Why has that lamp been out for a month?" can become very inter…

You sound exactly like my mom, and I mean that in an incredibly positive way. She has fixed so many issues in public facilities just by picking up the phone and persisting. She can expedite anything, and she'll go to great lengths to help others. Her social network is massive as well. She hasn't worked in years, but I have insane respect for her and I envy her a lot!

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#55

Post by p4wnc6 »

Kluny wrote: post #46
p4wnc6 wrote: post #35

I am only 30 but have been unemployed for about 15 months, due to a significant family health and legal situation. I can definitely say that not working, even if other life needs are met, has had a hugely adverse affect. I definitely need to feel proud of what I am working on to feel whole and well. Ceasing to work and then resuming a new job search is also demoralizing. Most people will not even consider hiring you…

You've got to learn to avoid telling them that you're unemployed. Best way is to work for yourself. Assign yourself a project, pay yourself in equity, and work on it for a few hours each day. Rehearse telling people about it in such a way that it sounds like a legit job. That will be easier if you take it as seriously as a legit job.

In my case, I was required to relocate from a large east coast city back to my family's home in the rural Midwest, where I perform functions to care for a family circumstance and they take up effectively a full-time job's worth of hours every week. It's all I can do to continue exercising and cooking healthy meals. "Working" a full-time side project that yields no short-term income is wholly and entirely physically intractable in my current situation.

Besides that, it would be very dishonest of me to downplay or fudge the explanation of my current period of unemployment. The family problem has been severe and required me to leave from a job, dedicate huge amount of time and money, and many other sacrifices. The only reason I could consider taking a new job is that the income would allow me to pay for people to take over the care duties I am currently personally performing. So the exact, real reasons for my unemployment are actually very relevant, important things for my next employer to understand and fundamentally be OK with.

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#56

Post by jeffdavis »

I view retirement (distant future for me) as a chance to do unappreciated work. Does the world need a new birdhouse? Who cares. When I retire, if I want to spend 100 hours on a birdhouse, then I can, and I don't need to justify it to anyone.

I'll even say it's worth $5000 because I spent so much time on it, and put it up for sale on eBay. If nobody buys it, then who cares?

But sit around and do whatever the default thing is (watch TV, etc.): No thanks.

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#57

Post by namaemuta »

ergothus wrote: post #39
brandon272 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I view retirement mostly as financial freedom. I have every intention of working after retirement as I get personal enjoyment out of doing what I do. I just haven't decided what "work" will look like.

This. I am baffled by friends and family that talk about how they couldn't retire because what would they do? My response is to list the many, many things I want to do that I can't because I 'have to work': read more, learn new languages (spoken & computer), take up the piano/guitar, try new games (board, tabletoprpg, computer), write, program, etc. The only reason I ever get bored is because I don't have the time, r…

I think this is a change that cannot be done just after retiring because the mindset is not prepared. This is something that has to be cultivated during years so when the moment of retirement comes, you keep doing your alternative things instead of wondering "what should I do now?"

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#58

Post by deepGem »

andyjdavis wrote: post #33

>“You go from working 50, 60, 70 hours a week to zero,” Moen says. “And it very much affects your identity. Who am I? For men, the answer usually is their job.” I feel like this is a problem our whole life however it is only once we retire that we are forced to confront it. Until then we are able to avoid dealing with a lack of fulfilling activities outside of work, limited social connections and a weak sense of iden…

+1. If your finances are sorted out, it's good to take a break from work for 2-3 months and do absolutely nothing. What you once craved, 8 hours of sleep, hanging out with friends, traveling, spending time with family etc, once you experience them for a long enough time, will start hurting and you will start craving for work. I think it's a myth that one can just chill out forever, which is why I also believe that UBI will also work.

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#59

Post by tonyedgecombe »

ams6110 wrote: post #13
nevster wrote: post #10

I'm thinking I'll code till the day I die. So much cool tech is always coming out - so much to play with and invent! I also have very time consuming hobbies - reading, playing video games, pen and paper role playing games, board games.

I don't know if everyone is this way, but at 50 I am losing a little of the starry-eyed excitement. I've seen a lot of the same ideas come around again and again as a new great thing. And yet the pace of change is so fast, if you try to stay current you feel like you never really become an expert in anything. You get jaded. If and when I "retire" I would not see myself not working, but I do think I might do somthing…

I feel a little like that sometimes (I'm 52) but I put most of it down to the commercial aspects, money seems to sap the joy out of most activities.

Re: Why Continuing to Work Is Good for a Man’s Health

#60

Post by ensiferum »

I despise the use of the word "work" here. Basically any activity that you find rewarding and that keeps your body and mind moving will have the same effect.

I.e. getting out of the bed and doing stuff helps you not to become a senile cretin. It doesn't have to be work

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