I’m 52 and retired 9 months – I didn’t want to be bored but now I feel overwhelmed and too busy

It’s quite common for many of the recently retired to grow bored in their first few months or even weeks of leaving work for good. Undoubtedly, for some, that just means one has yet to adjust to the new slow-paced lifestyle that retirement brings. And while one can get used to life in retirement, it’s not hard to imagine many American retirees would rather be working.

In this piece, we’ll check in on the case of a new retiree, 52, who’s actually feeling overwhelmed, even busy in retirement, just nine months in.

Indeed, this case represents a vastly different experience than many newly-retired folks are used to. Undoubtedly, as a relatively young retiree who successfully achieved “chubby FIRE” (a very comfortable form of early retirement), it seems likelier than not that one would have their daily schedule filled with things to keep them busy. Though it’s good to discover new hobbies, as this Reddit user has, they think they’ve bit off a bit more than they can chew.

Overwhelmed with a long list of new hobbies? It’s time to take a step back.

Signing up for a wide range of commitments — think coaching, volunteering, and other physically-exhausting activities (hiking) — can make a retirement as hectic as the prime of one’s working years. For such a retiree, the answer seems so simple.

Prioritize what one enjoys doing most (or is most impactful to those around them) and stick with those commitments while slashing items off the list that one may not be all too fond of. Indeed, a lot of early retirees take up things like hiking, ATVing, and travel.

But just because many people do it doesn’t mean it’ll be right for you. As such, there’s no shame in forgoing such outings if there are important matters to tend to. At the end of the day, retirement opens up more hours in a day. That said, your time is still limited, and you should still set priorities and allocate your time in a way that’d allow for the best results or the least amount of stress.

After all, you’re supposed to be taking it easy in retirement! Though, taking items off your bucket list one-by-one is also exciting, especially if you’re just a few months into your hard-earned retirement. Perhaps leaving some open space in your schedule can make sense. That way, you’ll have more flexibility to pursue those all-so-important spontaneous experiences.

Learning how to say “no” is important.

If you’ve committed to something, you’d probably disappoint the many friends or family members if you chose to back out later on. Indeed, nobody likes a flake. And while you don’t have to cancel most of your plans, especially those that’ll see you spend quality time with the closest of friends immediately, it is important to say “no” if your schedule is filled, you’re feeling overwhelmed, or if you just don’t feel like going out or doing a certian activity.

Indeed, the scheduling and prioritizing skills one learned in their worklife still carry into personal life. And in the case of the Reddit user, I’d encourage them to strive for balance and use their time wisely. Sure, they’ve got time on their side as a really young retiree. But nonetheless, time is still finite and limited.

In the first year or so, many retirees get used to the retirement lifestyle. Whether it’s by getting busy after initially being bored, or embracing a bit of boredom after signing up for too many hobbies right off the bat, the key is finding the right balance at any given time.