What is Thrive?

Retirement doesn’t mean you have to scale back on how active you are. If anything, you can be busier than ever, thanks to the wealth of opportunities that are out there. Part-time jobs and volunteering are great for helping you stay busy if you’re retired. Not all retirees want to just put their feet up and relax. They don’t necessarily just want to spend their retirement pursuing their hobbies or pastimes either. There are many more activities out there to help keep them busy and give them more of a purpose. What’s more, not everybody who retires can afford to live off their savings and pensions. Part-time jobs are ideal for providing the additional income that’s needed to supplement savings and pensions. Believe it or not, there are numerous opportunities - paid and voluntary - available to retired people these days. In fact, some retirees even go on to start a brand new career! Retirement doesn’t have to be restrictive. Focus on how you want to spend it and what you need to do in order to achieve your goals within the next chapter of your life. Types of part-time work Self-employment If you’re considering working for yourself, but aren’t sure what to do, then start by considering your hobbies. Whether it’s crafts, furniture restoration, gardening, or DIY, lots of people set up small businesses and start new part-time or self-employed careers when they retire. Given the digital era in which we now live, the internet has opened up so many doors. This means that if you used to be a secretary, you could provide remote typing or bookkeeping services to companies who don’t have the resources to employ a full-time member of staff to carry out this work. Alternatively, you may enjoy car boot sales and have an eye for a bargain that you can easily resell online, making yourself some extra money in the process. The options, and opportunities, are endless! If you quite like the idea of working for yourself, make a list of all of your skills, personal qualities and interests. This will enable you to see if there’s a gap in the market you can tap into. The additional income you make will also help with your financial budgeting and retirement planning. Staff employment By law, older workers, who may have retired or be close to retirement, should not be categorised into doing certain types of work. Anti-discrimination legislation means that retired people, or those nearing retirement, can continue in the jobs they have done for most of their working life way beyond conventional retirement age. Because it’s unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of age, you should have the same chance of gaining employment as everybody else. What about ex-work colleagues? Networking provides you with possibly the best chance of finding work if you want to continue working part-time within your chosen field. Most people are familiar with the likes of B&Q and Tesco, who have long maintained a policy of actively encouraging retired people to work. However, all companies now need to also take a proactive approach to considering older applicants when it comes to their recruitment processes. Voluntary work Sometimes, people who have retired, simply want to give something back and help others, so get involved with voluntary work. They can do this by themselves or with their partner if they’re retired too. There are many benefits to volunteering for all involved. For retirees, it’s a chance to make new friends and learn new skills. It can also be incredibly rewarding, as well as provide you with some purpose and structure to your day. Taking part in voluntary work is both mentally and physically rewarding. It has been recognised for helping combat depression, boosting self-confidence, staying fit and healthy and cultivating happiness, among numerous other things. Many charities and volunteer groups actively encourage retirees to get involved due to their maturity; wealth of experience and enthusiasm for the cause: charity shops are always on the look-out for staff, or perhaps a voluntary organisation can make use of any administration skills you may have if you enjoy physical labour and working outdoors, there are countless voluntary projects related to conservation out there you may want to take on an active role within your local community, so you could become a local councillor if you’re a good communicator and ‘people person’, helping out with disadvantaged young people or providing telephone support via the Samaritans might be just the thing for you if you drive, you may be able to find work collecting the clothes bags that are left out for charities or by taking people to and from hospital Your local council, local newspaper and library are good places to start enquiring about voluntary work. There are also plenty of online resources too. Simply type into a search engine (e.g. Google) 'voluntary work' in your local region. Volunteering is an opportunity for you to be involved in something you really enjoy doing. Whether it’s a hobby or continuing your previous role or existing voluntary work. A final few words about staying busy during retirement Retirement doesn’t have to mean staying in and having minimal interaction with people. There are numerous different avenues you can explore, from starting a self-employed business based on your hobbies and interests and taking part in voluntary work, to still working for an employer on a part-time or job share basis. The more you search for ways to spend your retirement, the more we guarantee you’ll find…. For advice, wellness coaching or counselling, contact the team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294. Article reproduced with the kind permission of CABA, the organisation providing lifelong support to ICAEW members, ACA students and their close family around the world.

Strong social connections not only impact our mental health but our physical health too. Feeling socially connected is more important than ever, especially after a long period where our social interactions were restricted, and our close circle reduced. Here, Thrive discusses the importance of maintaining and prioritising our relationships for our overall health. We're designed to be social We all know that comforting upbeat feeling of human connection, when you come away from a catch up with friends feeling more positive, happier, and even lighter. As a species, human beings are inherently social creatures.  We are biologically wired to seek out connection from a time where humans hunted in tribes and being part of a group was necessary for survival. Humans need closeness, connection, and a sense of unity to thrive. Social connection is one of our core psychological needs which means it plays an essential role in how safe and satisfied we feel in our lives. Social groups provide us with an important part of our identity, forming who we are and teach us a set of skills and norms that help us to function throughout life. In today’s world though we lead increasingly busy lives trying to juggle and balance work, family, and other commitments. Often our friendships can fall to the wayside. However, strong connection and belonging to something bigger than ourselves are important for our overall health and wellbeing. The benefits of connectedness should not be overlooked, and therefore as a society we should be placing greater emphasis on investing in our friendships. The more connected we feel to other people, the more enriched our life becomes. Friendship and being part of a social group offer a variety of mental health benefits. It increases our feeling of belonging, boosts our sense of purpose, and improves our self-worth and confidence. Connectiveness helps us regulate our emotions, leads to higher levels of empathy and compassion, and can even reduce our stress levels. Studies show that people who feel connected to others report lower rates of anxiety and depression. Not only does good social connection impact our psychological wellbeing, its impacts our physical health as well. Countless studies have shown a lack of human connection and feelings of loneliness are more harmful to our health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. By neglecting our need to connect, we put our health at risk. It can even lengthen our lives. Extensive research that looked at the lifestyles of inhabitants within Blue Zone areas, a term given to geographically regions that are home to some of the world’s oldest people, found healthy social networks and high levels of community engagement were commonalities among the differing zones. Our relationships and social groups can alter the course of our life, shape the person we are and can change our perception of ourselves and the world as well as offer an important support system.  So as you can see, social connectedness creates a positive cycle of good social, emotional and physical wellbeing. To forge happy and healthy relationships, it is very important we continually attend to and nurture our connection with the people we consider important in our lives. After an incredibly long period where our social interactions were restricted and ultimately reduced, you may find your sense of connection has diminished. Here are some ways you can improve your social health and reignite your connection with others; Reach out to a friend you may have lost touch with or haven't seen in a while, remember it’s never too late to spark up an old friendship! Join a new club or try out a group activity: focus in on your interests and you’ll be sure to find a club or group full of like-minded people. Volunteer: this can strengthen your sense of purpose, provides an opportunity to meet new people and give back to your community. Invite a co-worker out for lunch: In-office days are great for connecting with your co-workers. Why not reconnect with your favourite work colleague or arrange a work group activity. Spend quality time with family: this could be planning a family BBQ, a movie night on the weekend or a family day out. Be Present: Step away from your devices when you are in company and have an uninterrupted chat. Social isolation is a challenging aspect of life to cope with and is detrimental to your health, please know the Thrive team is here to lend a friendly ear, if and when you need it most.

We all experience periods in life that contribute to increased stress levels and anxiousness. Be it exams, a work deadline looming, moments of uncertainty, crisis, or big life events.  However, it is how we cope through life’s ups and downs that is important. Maintaining good wellbeing is a crucial aspect of living that can help us endure and cope with periods of stress instead of floundering or struggling to cope effectively. And breathe… In moments of stress or anxiety our breathing patterns change.  You might notice your breath is shallow, out of sync or you might find yourself holding in your breath at times. This creates a vicious cycle as out of control breathing is caused by stress but also causes stress, prolonging the symptoms and making them worse.  Whereas deep, controlled breathing has the opposite effect. A slow and steady inhalation and exhalation signals the parasympathetic nervous system to calm the body down. As our breathing is an automatic, unconscious, habitual function of the body, we might not even notice how we are breathing. Therefore, it is important to tune into your breath.  There are countless breathing techniques which helps relax the body and mind, but the general aim is to shift from quick, shallow upper torso breathing to a slow, deep abdominal breath.  Take a minute to focus on your breathing and its pattern. Then place your hand on your stomach and strive to feel the abdomen expand and contract as you breathe in and out. Pay attention to how you feel after engaging in this breathing technique, you are sure to feel calmer.  Food for thought  We all know the tendency to comfort eat when feeling stressed or emotional and it can be tempting to seek out sugary, high calorie, high fat foods for instant gratification or out of sheer convenience. This response however only works in the very short term and again can aggravate our stress levels.  Stress and anxiousness can create digestive and gut issues. Simple things like drinking more water to stay hydrated, reducing your caffeine intake and eating three balanced meals each day can help. Stress can leave your energy reserves depleted and low on essential vitamins and minerals.  Consume plenty of wholesome food that is rich in good nutrients.  Foods high in Vitamin C are understood to reduce anxiety levels while green leafy vegetables and nuts are high in magnesium which can regulate our stress hormones.  Rest and digest  For our brain to function optimally it needs rest and this responsibility falls to the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the rest and digest system. The parasympathetic nervous system slows our stress response by releasing hormones that relax the mind and body and is where digestion, detoxifying and healing occur.  To activate the rest and digest system, there is no other option but to relax. For some that is mediation, practising yoga or indulging in some self-care.  Self-care has become a popular notion in recent years, but it is not all bubble baths and face masks. Forms of self-care can be spending time in nature, exercising, reading, journaling, colouring, tidying your surrounds or spending time with loved ones. Simply put, self-care practises are tools to help ease our response to stress and enhance our body and mind’s ability to rest, reflect and replenish.  It is important to also take regular breaks throughout the day, a brief pause in momentum allows the brain space to think and process information and brings clarity that helps you feel in control and ultimately reduce stress.  Get some ZZZs The power of sleep to regulate our stress levels should not be underestimated. Stress and anxiety can lead to sleeping problems and a lack of sleep can affect your general wellbeing – again another vicious cycle we can find ourselves in.  When we are not getting enough sleep, it is more difficult to regulate our mood, emotions, and reactions, can affect our concentration, memory and even lead to poor decision making. It’s not always possible to get as much sleep as we would like, generally we should be aiming for at least 5 hours of sleep a night but ideally, we should aim for 7-8 hours. To feel well rested, it is important we develop habits and routines that aid our ability to drift off.  Create a healthy sleep routine by going to bed and getting up at the same time every day, avoid lie ins and naps that can then disrupt our natural sleep cycle.  Start your own personal wind down by creating a night-time routine that you then begin to associate with sleep. It can be as simple as brushing your teeth and washing your face, developing a night-time skincare routine, reading a book or stretching.    This is one of the harder habits to develop but try to limit your use of technology an hour before bed. Our devices keep us awake and stimulate the brain through the activity itself but also from the blue light emitted from the screen. Most phones these days have a blue light filter and can be scheduled to switch on at a certain time.  Thrive is the Institute’s dedicated wellbeing hub which provides emotional and practical support to our members, students and their family members for life. Should you find yourself in a difficult situation, the team at Thrive can help steer you through life’s ups and downs. Talk to us today on mobile: (353) 86 024 3294 or email us.