Doctors Say This Retirement Problem Is as Harmful as 'Smoking 15 Cigarettes a Day'

Your career provided you with a steady income and the opportunity to save for retirement, but it also gave you something else. No one thinks about the social structure they’ll leave behind when they retire from their job. But a lack of meaningful social interaction in retirement is more common than you think, and its repercussions affect more than just your social life. 

Related: The Little-Known Secret to Avoiding the Dreaded Third Year Retirement Slump Completely

Your Job Did The Work

For years, you built relationships at your job. We all joke about the work wife or your office bestie, but those relationships provided the framework for a rich social life you didn’t notice you were a part of. 

Harvard’s Study of Adult Development affirms that “the quality of your relationships, not your money or professional achievements, is the strongest predictor of health and happiness in later life,” reports Kiplinger.

Your time in the office every week was doing more than helping you pad your nest egg. It helped you exist within a social structure. The sudden loss of that can feel jarring and lead to increased loneliness among recent retirees, according to a study of Western countries by the National Library of Medicine.

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The Health Risks of Loneliness

“Unresolved, ongoing loneliness is equal to smoking three-fourths of a pack, or 15 cigarettes per day, on one’s health,” said Jay Weatherill, MD, psychiatrist at Avera Medical Group Behavioral Health.

In a 2023 report by the Surgeon General, the effects of loneliness on mortality were found to be more harmful than those of obesity or a lack of physical activity. On top of that, feeling lonely increases the risk for dementia by 31%, according to a study of 600,000 participants funded by the National Institute on Aging and published in Nature Mental Health.

Those are some pretty startling statistics, but they don’t stop there. The same Avera Medical Group report notes that loneliness releases more cortisol, which contributes to the increase of chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline, to name a few. 

Fortunately, these heightened health risks are completely avoidable.

Related: 24 Hobbies That Keep Retirees Sharp, Healthy, and Connected

What You Can Do

The best way to combat loneliness in your retirement years is to start now. Treat your social investment like a financial one by making it regular, intentional, and varied. If you don’t know where to start, you can begin by reigniting your curiosity. Diversify your social connections by spreading them out.

Retirement is often the time to revisit the things you put aside when you were younger in favor of building your career. In this chapter, you’ve built your savings, and now it’s time to build your social life. Join a gym, pick up a hobby, or try a part-time job like working at an independent bookstore. 

By planning how you’ll stay socially engaged, you can take control of loneliness. Treat your social relationships like your retirement savings with mindful and purposeful actions, and you won’t have to worry about spending your years alone.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute advice.