11 Things Most Retired Boomers Won't Admit About Being Bored Because They Feel Guilty
Monkey Business Images | Shutterstock For some boomers, retiring can be both exciting and also filled with boring moments. In fact, many older workers are re-entering the workforce at unprecedented levels.
When people have spent so many years with a professional job, a lot of their identity becomes tied to the position they've had for much of their adult life. When that's no longer around, a lot of everyday things feel redundant. They simply don't want to feel unappreciative of what they've rightfully earned.
Here are the things most retired baby boomers won't admit about being bored:
1. Not having the same socialization they had at work
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Even the most stressful jobs came with a schedule and routine that many retired boomers were used to and actually even enjoyed. A study from Harvard found that retirees who found meaningful connections and relationships outside of their job were leading happier lives with better mental health.
But without that sense of community, many retired boomers end up feeling bored because they miss the camaraderie of the job. Their days end up blurring together because they're not spending quality time with people, which makes their free time feel particularly hollow.
2. Running out of things to do way faster than expected
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A lot of retirees imagine that their days out of work will be effortless because they don't have any professional responsibilities anymore. But reality doesn't always match their imagination. After a while, many retired boomers end up bored from running the same errands and doing the same activities every single day.
They don't usually like to admit how often they find themselves wandering around, wondering what they could possibly do next. It can feel a little silly for them to acknowledge just how much free time they actually have because it's a privilege as well.
3. Missing pointless office drama
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In the moment, being involved or witnessing office drama was exhausting and annoying. But now that they're retired and the drama is taken away, many boomers quickly realize just how exciting it was to be around all of the gossip.
Those little frustrations throughout their workday gave a little bit of substance to the monotony of being in the office. Admitting that now will definitely make them laugh because it sounds ridiculous to miss the stress of office drama, so they tend to keep it to themselves. But they often think about it more than they'd like, often feeling guilty as a result.
4. Expecting retirement to feel more fulfilling than it does
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Many retirees automatically assume that once work stops, there will be more excitement and freedom in their lives. While there can be both, it's not an everyday thing, and when that feeling isn't constant, it can be confusing for retired boomers. In retirement, people end up losing their roles and even the purpose that having work gave them.
Some people struggle with figuring out how to find that level of purpose outside of work, which is why retirement can feel like a drag sometimes. No retired boomer wants to admit that they feel like they're failing at the one thing people look forward to for years.
5. Feeling guilty about being bored when they should be grateful
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There's this pressure that many retired boomers think they should feel lucky to have, with so much time on their hands now that they're no longer working. They may think others will immediately accuse them of being unappreciative and ungrateful for the fact that they were even able to retire in the first place.
But adjusting to retirement can be hard, especially when you're so used to doing a certain thing every single day for the bulk of your adult life. Being isolated, which can happen in retirement, only heightens that sense of boredom because the days aren't as exciting and may feel even slower than normal.
6. Not expecting friendships to be harder to maintain
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Work often provides a space where people can have social interactions with others without requiring much effort. It's the same with being in school, like college. It's the reason why so many college grads feel a sense of emptiness and even fear at now having to form adult friendships with the easiness of being in school.
The same can be said for retired boomers and having to maintain the friendships they had in the office now that they're no longer there. But it's extremely important to have friendships in retirement for both physical health and emotional wellness, as well as to help cure boredom.
7. Feeling oddly tired despite doing less
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Even without the demanding schedule of work, most retired boomers won't admit they're feeling oddly tired and bored because they feel guilty about it. That lack of stimulation with going into the office and being productive can make energy levels dip rather than increase.
It doesn't always make sense, which is why retired boomers don't tend to talk about how tired they really feel. When work completely disappears, their brain doesn't know what to do with the sudden stillness. The lack of things to do keeps their mind alert, which is why they feel so drained and exhausted at the end of the day.
8. Underestimating how much identity was tied to their job
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For many people, work isn't just about getting a paycheck but it's how they define themselves. When that role disappears completely, some boomers can feel a bit invisible because they don't think they have any kind of purpose anymore. When dealing with that, many individuals end up struggling with this sense of loss.
Instead of actually being able to relax and do the things that interest them, they're now having to figure out who they are without a job. Going through the massive change that is retirement can feel like a crisis in some ways too. Now, retired boomers have to find their own sense of self that isn't tied to working.
9. Keeping old routines just to feel normal
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Even all the old habits that retired boomers had when they were working become a sense of comfort for them when work is gone. It might be something as simple as waking up at the same time as they did for work every morning, or following the same routine they would have before leaving the house.
Sure, those routines don't really serve a purpose anymore, but it gives them a sense of stability. It's not exactly exciting but it's reliable, and that matters more than people think.
10. Repeatedly checking emails even when expecting nothing
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Email was such a habitual thing that retired boomers did probably every single day while working. It's now just muscle memory for them, even when they're no longer working, that they still need to check their email.
It's less about actually looking at the messages they get and more about sticking to that same routine. Most of the time, nothing actually comes through besides spam, yet it doesn't stop them from opening up their email app and scrolling anyway.
11. Overestimating how much they would enjoy endless relaxation
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The idea of nothing absolutely nothing sounds so appealing, especially after so many years of constant responsibility. But in practice, many retired boomers believe that having too much relaxation makes them feel like they're slowly losing their minds.
The boredom slowly creeps in the more time they have on their hands to rest. There have even been studies, like one published in PLOS One, that have found a direct correlation between retirement and decreased life satisfaction. It's why many retirees end up working a part-time job or doing some kind of volunteer work because the endless relaxation doesn't feel as good as it should.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
