Retirement is a harder transition than most people realize. Sure, you’ve made it across “The Starting Line,” and you have freedom unlike any other time in life. But it also comes with challenges: shifting identity, changes in relationships, and the question of what now?
A concerning reality is that the risk of depression increases by 40% in retirement.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were proven ways to boost your happiness in retirement?
Fortunately, there are.
Today, I’m sharing the findings of a comprehensive, scientific study that provides clearer answers than ever about what actually makes people happier. Apply these nine evidence-backed strategies in your life, and you’ll be well on your way to building a more joyful, fulfilling retirement.
TLDR; Jump to the Conclusion for a graphic summarizing the 9 Ways to Boost Your Happiness.
Finally, a comprehensive scientific study on what really makes people happy, with 9 strategies you can apply to boost your happiness in retirement. Share on X
9 Proven Ways to Boost Your Happiness in Retirement
We all want to be happy in retirement. After decades of hard work, we all hope that our years in retirement will be among the happiest in our lives. After all, we’ve worked hard for this, and it’s time to enjoy life.
The reality, however, is that some people struggle in retirement.
To help boost your happiness in retirement, below are findings from “How Can People Become Happier? A Systematic Review of Preregistered Experiments,” a systematic review by authors Folk and Dunn of 65 individual studies on how to become happier.
1. Invest in Social Time — It’s the #1 Happiness Booster
If there’s one factor that consistently predicts greater happiness — at any age — it’s social connection. Consistent across the highest-quality studies in the report, increasing social interaction delivered some of the strongest, most reliable improvements in well-being. And in retirement, when work-related social contact naturally falls away, being intentional about staying socially engaged becomes even more important.
Why Social Time Matters So Much
Humans are inherently social. It’s been proven that relationships feed your brain, and there are biological benefits that we receive from human connection:
- It boosts oxytocin levels, a hormone linked to positive emotions.
- It reduces stress hormones like cortisol.
- It activates reward centers that make us feel energized and purposeful.
- It protects against loneliness, which is considered as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
For retirees, the loss of daily workplace interactions can leave a surprising social gap — and filling that gap is essential to maintaining happiness and emotional vitality. To boost your happiness in retirement, look for opportunities to increase your social time.
Some ideas for consideration:
- Use MeetUp to find some clubs of interest.
- Join your local gym, a pickleball group, or a hiking club.
- Attend community events, or get active in local community groups.
- Stop to talk to your neighbor when you drive by, instead of the typical casual wave.
- Join a local church and get involved in small groups.
- Get involved in a local charity (Freedom For Fido is one of the best things we’ve ever done)
2. Deepen Your Closest Relationships
While casual social interactions provide quick boosts of joy, your closest relationships are the true foundation of long-term happiness. Retirement gives you something you didn’t have in your working years: time to strengthen your connections with loved ones.
Research consistently shows that people with strong, supportive relationships report higher life satisfaction, better physical health, and even longer lifespans. The longest-running study on human happiness — the Harvard Study of Adult Development — reaches the following conclusion:
“Good relationships keep us happier and healthier.”
Of all the elements the Harvard study investigated since the 1930s, the strength of your close relationships was found to be the most important factor in happiness.
Why Close Relationships Matter Even More in Retirement
During your working years, schedules, deadlines, and work obligations often compete with family and friends for attention. When work fades away, the question becomes: Who do you want to spend your days with?
Strong relationships provide:
- Emotional stability during life transitions
- A sense of belonging and mutual support
- Meaning and purpose beyond accomplishments
- Companionship throughout life
- Motivation to stay active, engaged, and connected.
Beyond the one you love, also seek to develop a core group of high-quality relationships, the kind of friends you could call in the middle of the night if something goes wrong. Investing intentionally in this “inner circle” of friends pays enormous happiness dividends. Focus on building relationships based on trust, closeness, and mutual support with folks you can be yourself around.
3. Support Others, Especially Those in Need
In retirement, we have that rare commodity of Time Affluence that we lacked in our working years. A question you should ask yourself is, “How can I use my newfound time freedom in the best manner?” First, you have to define what “best” means to you, but I would argue it’s a use of time that:
- Brings you happiness and/or a sense of purpose.
- Gives you a sense of accomplishment.
- It is spent doing something you enjoy.
- Helps others.
I’ve found in my own life, and the research paper supports it, that one of the most fulfilling ways to spend your time is to help others in need. The gift does, indeed, go to the giver.
Retirement is the time to give back.
If you’re struggling with your transition into retirement, look for a need in your community. Then, find a way to meet it. Start small. It doesn’t have to be big. A few weeks ago, I moved an RV for a low-income person who had been donated an RV to live in, but had no way to get it to a small piece of land they had access to. It took a few hours of my time, and helped a person in desperate need.
It made us both happy.
4. Be More Sociable (Even If You’re an Introvert)
Let’s face it, sometimes it’s hard to be sociable. Nightmares of scanning that elementary school lunch room looking for a friend to sit by come to mind. None of us wants to be left out, and sometimes it’s easier to just “nest” in the comfort of our own home.
Resist that tendency.
Look for opportunities to engage with others. Smile when you pass that elderly lady in the grocery store. Strike up a conversation with a stranger. Accept that invitation to attend something, even if it’s something you don’t really care about.
In my case, I attend one conference a year focused on my area of writing. I don’t particularly like conferences (I attended WAY too many of them during my working years, and burned out), but I’ve found they’re a great way to meet people who have the same interests. I’ve made a lot of friends in the personal finance space through conferences. As my personal compromise between “conference burnout” and “making new friends,” I typically attend one conference/year. For 2026, I’m attending two conferences and presenting at each.
- First, I’ll be speaking at CampFI in January, then…
- I’m leading a workshop at the EconoMe conference next March
I look forward to seeing my friends (old and new) at both. Relationships matter (see Items #1 and #2), and the best way to invest in new relationships is to put yourself out there, even when it’s uncomfortable. Small social risks lead to big emotional rewards.
Like anything, the more you practice being sociable, the easier it becomes.
Take a risk.
5. Get In Shape
We all know that getting in shape is good for us, but too many of us still make excuses. If you want a mood boost, I’ve found nothing boosts it more quickly than taking a hike in the woods (fortunately, we have a lot of those in the Appalachian Mountains, which is one of the reasons we retired here).
Research has proven that exercise improves mental health. From that same study, exercise also:
- Improves sleep
- Increases healthspan (the number of healthy years before the inevitable decline)
- Improves self-image
- Improves mood and quality of life
I’ve written about personal fitness extensively on this site, and I’m putting my money where my mouth is. As part of our current cabin expansion project (stay tuned, I’ll take you on a “pictorial tour” in a future post, when it’s finished), I invested in building a legitimate home gym. At 62, I’m in the best shape of my life. I’ve experienced the benefits of staying in shape for the past 3 decades, and I’m committed to investing my time and energy in fitness for the rest of my life. The home gym is a very intentional investment, and I couldn’t be happier with it.
You don’t have to build a gym to get the benefits of exercise.
Start simple, and take a walk.
Today.
BTW, there’s a reason I chose “Stay Strong” for the decal in my new gym. I’m adopting it as the motto for my next few decades on Earth. I encourage you to do the same.
6. Adopt A Positive Mindset
One of the things I’m most pleased about doing during my transition into retirement was writing “The 10 Commandments of Retirement”, written 3 months before I retired. I wrote it as a “guideline” for how I wanted to live my life in retirement. I hung the commandments on my office wall, and I’ve read them many times in the 7 1/2 years since I wrote that post. (So have 20,000+ of you, thanks for making it one of my more popular posts!).
In hindsight, I’m pleased to see how many of the 10 commandments focus on mindset. The referenced research confirms that having an intentionally positive mindset is a key to happiness. To improve your happiness, be as positive as possible. It’s more within your control than you realize.
Be intentional.
Write your own 10 Commandments.
7. Protect Your Sleep
When I retired, we changed our sleep routine.
When working, I’d drop into bed exhausted at the end of the day. Now that I’m retired, I’m more relaxed. For the past 7 years, my wife and I have spent the last ~30 minutes of our day reading it in bed before calling it a night. It’s one of the best changes I’ve ever made. I fall asleep faster, sleep more deeply, and feel more rested than at any other point in my life.
Poor sleep is bad for you, and it makes you miserable. I know, I’ve been there.
If you’re struggling to find happiness in retirement and you’re not sleeping well, focus on your sleep habits. Read these 13 Healthy Sleep Habits (from MD Anderson), and apply as many of them as possible in your own life.
Sleep matters.
8. Be Grateful
Interestingly, the study found that specific expressions of gratitude are most impactful on our happiness. Rather than being “generally” thankful, take the time to appreciate the details in your life. Think about the people who have made an impact in your life, and take a step to show them your gratitude. Write an old-fashioned note card, and snail mail it to them. Targeted gratitude fuels connection – and happiness.
Some other ideas:
- Look up at the trees the next time you’re outside.
- Be thankful for the beauty of nature.
- Be thankful for the ones you love.
- Be thankful for your health, your life.
You get the point. Be intentional with your gratitude, and think specifically about the things you’re thankful for in your life.
It’s been proven to make you happier.
9. Pursue Spirituality
Focusing on our spiritual lives is a key to happiness.
If you’re unhappy and non-spiritual, you should give it a try. Some consider spirituality to be a “third rail” online these days, and many folks get offended (apologies in advance if that’s you, but I feel this is important stuff to share. My blog, my rules – wink).
It shouldn’t be that way.
Regardless of what “spirituality” you choose to pursue, the studies prove that it can “improve well-being, especially for reducing stress or rumination.” Personally, I think we were all created with a need to grow our spiritual lives, and one of the reasons so many are unhappy is because they choose to ignore this critical element in life. Carve out some time to be introspective and reflect on spiritual issues. You do you, I’m not one to judge.
But…I do encourage you to focus on the spiritual elements of your life.
Based on the research, you’ll be happier for doing so.
Conclusion
Your Turn: What about you? Are you happy in retirement? If so, which of these 9 ways do you incorporate to boost your happiness, and how? Are there other ways I’m missing? Let’s chat….
My experience is that we continue to be the same person in retirement that we are prior to retirement, only more so.
Go do! My guidance, in my semi-actively at work, semi-retired state, is “don’t wait”. Start doing all those things you dreamed of doing in retirement now, today – travel, pickel ball, golf, and many of the items on the above lists. Those are great suggestions. Bill Perkins says, go do, go experience, and in that way, create some “Memory Dividends” – so you can get enjoyment by reliving those experiences, over and over.
Stop do! If you can, stop doing those things that annoy or pain you. Make more time for those things you prefer.
Surveys of Americans show church participation has declined, while, supposedly, surveys confirm Americans say they are “spiritual”. In my everyday life at church (not just Sundays), I experience much of what you identify above, spirituality, thankfulness/gratefulness, socializing, support others, relationships. I say, keep searching for a church until you find one with the spiritual guidance that resonates and motivates and emboldens you, one with members you want on your team, with you on your journey.
Same for other organizations to support/volunteer – for me, that includes the American Legion, an adult neighborhood choir, anything Ben Franklin or Tom Edison, and a local, intercity school reading program.
Join your library and read.
Walk, and if you can, ride a bike.
And, of course, if you have them, children and grandchildren.
Oops, let that go too soon. Was going to quote one of my Doctors, Dr. Seuss:
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Great comments, Jack. Thanks for contributing to the discussion. Ironic that you included that quote from Dr. Seuss – I just saw that this morning in Ben Carlson’s daily article. Amazing minds!
Jack – Agreed, this is great advice for us pre-retirees. Focusing on the softer sides of retirement prior to actually retiring should help with the transition, as well as with our healthy life expectancy.
Love this Fritz! So many who “Retire” don’t like that word….”Work”. In my experience, it takes intentional work, like your list of 9 proven ways …..to be happy in Retirement. Great insight. Thanks as always!
Mark, that’s one thing I’ve learned through my 7+ years of retirement – it’s takes intentionality to create your ideal retirement life. I don’t know that I’d call it “work,” but it certainly requires dedicated effort. Thanks for stopping by!
That’s a valid distinction Fritz. Thanks!
Merry Christmas, Fritz and Dana! Thank you for all you do!!
Great list! Well done, Fritz! One recommendation: if you’d like to hit all of those in one experience, try a weeklong deployment with a disaster relief & rebuild organization. Samaritan’s Purse or where I live, Texans on Mission. There are many roles to suit your interests and abilities. I urge your readers to learn about it and then “go do!” (as Jack says).
Merry Christmas!
When I retired 22+ years ago I had developed a set of Objectives/Goals/Strategies/Measures to guide me in retirement. I wasn’t slaved to them, but they gave me assurance that I could productively use the 24 x 7 time I now had available. I actually completed one goal just this year as I visited my 50th state.
Other than the sleep guidance, I have pretty much followed your advice in this blog the last year as I had to recreate my life following the death of my wife. It has worked amazingly well. Will read the sleep reference and need further work on the development of close relationships.
Thank you for sharing.
My need for continuing social connection is one of the many reasons I continue to participate in the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous after almost 36 years of recovery. It also helps nurture my attitude of gratitude and my spirituality, and gives me regular opportunities to be of service to others. Retirement has given me more opportunity to participate, and for that I’m truly grateful.
Thank you for sharing! 9 powerful building blocks that will have a huge impact on our health and happiness.
Great list, this is great advice for those of us in the pre-retirement phase. Working on these now will lead to a happy life.
What I have learned from traveling aboard for the last 15 years (40 – 55 years of age), Your ability to experience the best of life can offer shrinks. Interesting enough, this natural shrinkage is manageable with the following strategies…
1. Workout will improve your physical experiences
2. Invest/Maintain your circle of competence. You just need quality relationship and not quantity. This will improve your emotional experiences
3. Have an insatiable thirst in “CURIOSITY” of a child
a. And as a child, make new friends and try new things outside of your comfort zone
The things we repeat will become habits, whether we like them or not. My wife and I were health care professionals before retirement; and we were both on night calls for too many to count. This led to many a night with interrupted sleep. So now even in stress-free retirement with no phone or beeper (I am dating myself) call we are still struggling with any quality sleep. I can easily tell what kind of a day we are going to have when one of us has had a bad night. We are working hard on breaking the cycle and habit so as to induce quality times before going to bed. I truly believe it is the one of the keys not only lead to happiness but better quality of retirement life. Thanks for the great post.