The Importance of Balance in Your Retirement in Costa Rica – Have you thought about it? Part I

Two chance conversations prompted this column, which takes me back to my professional roots and thinking.

The first was with a new expat resident who had heard about the Women’s Club and wants to join, but her husband has put up the blockers. Having worked long hours all his life in the US, he has retired here for a ‘quiet life with the wife’.

While content that she continues to shop alone, her having separate social activities is not on his radar. She’s negotiating, but I didn’t sense optimism.

The second was with the wife of a couple, here to close the deal on a property to escape from the winter cold of Canada. The husband retired early six months ago but has done nothing since but play golf.

Another man who worked 24/7 to run a small business, he has no idea what else to do with his new-found leisure time. They’ve bought a small house with little garden space, neither want the ‘burden’ of a garden because of health conditions.

Whereas the wife has plenty of hobbies and interests, she’s intensely worried about her husband’s lack of drive and unwillingness to discuss what he will do when there’s no golf course down the road.

Both stories ring my (former) professional warning bells. As an occupational therapist, I spent my career helping disabled people to overcome ‘occupational’ limitations imposed by their physical or mental health conditions, or by environmental barriers or societal attitudes.

Fundamentally, we humans are ‘occupational beings’ – we are what we are because of what we do. Put simply – ‘our doing is our being’, and ‘our being is our doing’. And that principle applies whether we’re able-bodied or in some way, less able.

Our everyday ‘occupations’ can be grouped into three major domains:

1. self maintenance – looking after ourselves, our families, our homes etc.
2. productivity – studying, being a volunteer, or a worker and earning the daily crust, and…
3. leisure – the things we chose to do that add richness and enjoyment to our lives.

And, ideally, in there somewhere is the concept of balance, which will be different for each of us, but which is essential to our health, well-being and satisfaction with life.




Occupational Balance

The term ‘work:life balance’ is a modern concept but one we all understand, and most often discussed when its gone haywire – working all the hours God sends and not having enough time for all the things ‘we want to do’. And then, along comes retirement, we join the ranks of ‘pensionados’ with loads of spare time.

Work:life balance is no longer a concern, but perhaps ‘occupational balance’ ought to be – how do we achieve a range of activities and interests that make retirement fulfilling, both as individuals and as partners in a relationship?

Soon after we arrived, another expat gave me a rather stern ‘talking to’ about looking after our marriage because so many fail when couples move here. Other contributors to WeLoveCostaRica.com have written on this theme and the importance of would-be immigrants being on the ‘same song sheet’ if their move is to be successful.

Returning to my opening conversations, and more I’ve had with other expats, I have a theory that achieving occupational balance may be a critical factor. I’ll expand on that in Part II.

For now, one thing I knew I wanted ‘to do’ in Costa Rica was to collect orchids – I hope you’ve enjoyed these beauties, all in bloom this month!




You can read Occupational Balance in Retirement – Part II here.

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Written by VIP Member Sheelagh Richards. Sheelagh is originally from Scotland and her husband John who is from Wales are two inveterate British travellers who fell in love with Costa Rica, the beauty of the Talamanca mountain range and the perfect climate of the Rio General valley where they have established a small Bed & Breakfast called Casa de Los Celtas.

You can see more about John and Sheelagh’s very affordable B&B outside San Isidro here and photographs and prices here and you can also see a free online video interview with John & Sheelagh Richards here.

Please contact our Recommended Costa Rica Realtors working in the area: James Drews, Daveed Hollander and John Wieland, by using the simple form below and they’ll send you:

Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.