17 Things That No Longer Bother You Once You Retire

We spend our whole lives worrying about a lot of things. But many of these things just don’t matter anymore once we reach retirement. Which things are we talking about? You’ll find 17 examples of them in this article.

Workplace Competition

Photo Credit: Zamrznuti tonovi/Shutterstock.

You’ve spent your entire working life competing with others and doing whatever you can to try to stay on top. But now that you’ve retired, that pressure to constantly compete with others disappears. You don’t have to worry about trying to be the best because you’ve left the race behind.

Uncomfortable Fashion

Photo Credit: Alones/Shutterstock.

A lot of what’s fashionable today is really uncomfortable and impractical to wear. But by the time we reach retirement, we stop caring about keeping up with the latest fashions and gravitate more toward what’s practical and comfortable rather than following a trend just because everyone else does.

Traffic

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Figures from the U.S. World & News Report show that “drivers in major U.S. cities lost an average of 51 hours to traffic in 2022.” Being stuck in traffic before reaching retirement used to really frustrate us because we were so busy. But this doesn’t bother us now.

Slow Drivers

Photo Credit: KieferPix/Shutterstock.

Getting stuck on the road behind a slow car really annoys us now because we don’t have time to waste. But when you retire, you won’t get so angry with slow cars because you won’t be rushing to get to places anymore. You’ll be ready to enjoy the journey. 

Gossip

Photo Credit: Kzenon/Shutterstock.

Back in the day, you used to want to be in the know about the latest work drama and family gossip. But when we retire, gossip becomes less appealing. We appreciate more the value of getting along with one another and understand how destructive gossip can be.

Saving

Photo Credit: Ground Picture/Shutterstock.

According to U.S. News Money, “the average retirement account at age 67 should be $645,700.” Saving money for retirement is very important. But once you retire, you no longer have to worry about saving. You can finally sit back and enjoy the fruit of a life of hard work.

Grudges

Photo Credit: fizkes/Shutterstock.

Holding a grudge used to seem like the best way to deal with hurt feelings in the past. But by the time we reach retirement, we realize that life is too short to stay resentful indefinitely. We’re more determined to forgive and forget offenses, especially when they’re about trivial matters.

Material Things

Photo Credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.

When we were younger, we used to do everything we could to have more things. We would work overtime and neglect our families just to get more money. But now that we’ve retired, we see how futile that pursuit was and dedicate more time to our friends and families.

Unrealistic Deadlines

Photo Credit: Jester-Flim/Shutterstock.

Statistics from The American Institute of Stress show that “80% of workers feel stress on the job.” A lot of what stresses people out are unrealistic deadlines and a heavy workload. You won’t have to care about trying to make tight deadlines anymore when you stop working.

Impressing Others

Photo Credit: Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.

Before we retired, we would do what we could to stay on trend and impress others. This didn’t make us happy, but we did it anyway. But now that we’ve gotten older and wiser, we see how pointless this was. We put our happiness ahead of trying to impress others.

Celebrities

Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Back in the day, we used to be obsessed with celebrities and their lives. We knew everything about them and were fascinated by them. But now that we’ve retired, we put more emphasis on our own lives and making our families happy than we do on celebrities.

Sick Leave

Photo Credit: sirtravelalot/Shutterstock.

According to the Center for American Progress, “Most commonly, employees earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours worked.” This isn’t a lot of time if you get very sick. After retiring, you won’t have to worry about rushing back to the office when you’re still sick, as your time will be your own.

Vacation Rush

Photo Credit: Bankoo/Shutterstock.

Before you retired, you had to go on vacation at peak times. This meant your vacations were always crowded by families with screaming children. Now that you’ve retired, you’re not interested in peak vacation times, and you can choose to go on a vacation any time of the year.

Vacation Prices

Photo Credit: Viktoriia Hnatiuk/Shutterstock.

Going on vacation during the peak season when the kids are off school is always the most expensive time of the year. But now that you’ve retired, you’re not worried about trying to find the most economical trip during peak periods. You can go on cheap off-peak vacations.

Wasting Time

Photo Credit: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.

Wasting time, dawdling, or just not being productive used to really bother you before you retired. But now that your time is your own, it doesn’t matter how you spend it. If you end up wasting time or not making the most of it, you don’t have to worry anymore.

Networking

Photo Credit: fizkes/Shutterstock.

Networking and building up a rapport with business contacts used to be an important part of our lives before we retired. We were constantly trying to find new contacts to stay on top of the game. But now that we’ve retired, the pressure to always network has completely disappeared. 

Finishing Projects

Photo Credit: F01 PHOTO/Shutterstock.

Before we retire, we have limited time to complete projects, so we’re always trying to work quickly so we can complete them before we have to return to work. But when we retire, we have so much more freedom and time on our hands. We can take as long as we like to finish a project.

Read More: 21 Things That Will Be Lost Forever When The Boomer Generation is Gone

Photo Credit: Olena-Yakobchuk/Shutterstock.

Baby boomers grew up in a vastly different culture, so they have what younger generations consider strange habits. An internet survey recently asked, “What will die with boomers?” Here are the top 22 answers.

21 Things That Will Be Lost Forever When The Boomer Generation is Gone

18 Common Phrases That Signals Support for Trump

Photo Credit: Steve Sykes/Shutterstock.

Understanding the unique language of politics, particularly among Trump supporters, can provide valuable insights into the nation’s current state. Here’s a deeper look into 17 phrases you’ll likely only hear from this demographic.

18 Common Phrases That Signals Support for Trump

17 Religious Facts People Get Wrong All the Time

Photo Credit: Viorel Sima/Shutterstock.

Religious beliefs and practices are often misunderstood, leading to common misconceptions. Some are just too general, others are downright out there. So, we’ll be correcting 17 widely circulated ‘facts’ about world religions.

17 Religious Facts People Get Wrong All the Time

Why People Aren’t Religious Anymore: 15 Simple Reasons

Photo Credit: Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock.

As society evolves, so does our approach to spirituality. This article looks at the subtle yet profound shift from traditional religious adherence to a more personal, evidence-based belief system.

Why People Aren’t Religious Anymore: 15 Simple Reasons

17 American Attractions That Not Even Americans Want to Visit

Photo Credit: Jihan Nafiaa Zahri/Shutterstock.

The United States of America—land of the free, home of the brave, and the location of some of the most ‘unique’ tourist attractions you’ll ever lay eyes on.

Get ready to chuckle, scratch your head, and maybe even facepalm as we look at 17 American attractions that not even Americans think are worth visiting.

17 American Attractions That Not Even Americans Want to Visit