How retirement impacts your health

Tugend notes that measuring the effects of retirement on a person's physical, cognitive, and mental abilities is complicated, as it involves disentangling factors like career status and satisfaction, voluntary or involuntary retirement, socioeconomic status, and financial stability as well as overall health and health choices. It can also be difficult to separate the effects of aging versus the effects of retirement.

That said, some research has shown that retirement can have a detrimental effect on health.  A 2025 analysis of 22 studies published between 2013 and 2022 on the impact of retirement on cognitive functioning suggested that "retirement tends to decrease cognitive functioning and increase the rate of decline."

However, the analysis also noted that additional, higher-quality studies are needed "to fully establish a link between retirement and cognitive decline" and reach a definitive conclusion.

Research has also shown that it matters significantly whether a person chooses to retire or is forced out. Those who are pushed to retire from a highly satisfying career that is a major source of their identity are more likely to experience depression after they retire than those who dislike their jobs or leave voluntarily.

What you can do to maximize your retirement

According to health experts, there are some keys to having a fulfilling retirement, including a sense of purpose, regular, and stimulating mental and physical activity. There has also been some published evidence that shows certain activities can make retirement healthier and more meaningful for people. 

For example, research has shown that meaningful social connections are exceptionally important for good physical and mental health, but it's the quality of those connections that matter most, not the quantity. Some people prefer a wide group of friends they see frequently while others prefer a few close relationships.

There could be a number of reasons for a reported decline in purpose as people get older, Friedman said, but he added that "opportunities for purpose and meaning in later life are just fewer and farther between as older people are expected to slowly detach themselves from society."

There are also debates on how to define purpose, including whether it means doing something that benefits others or leaving a legacy that continues after death.

"Purpose manifests in different ways, so there's not a one-size-fits-all," said Patricia Thomas, an associate professor of sociology at Purdue and a co-author of the paper on sustained purpose in life. "Focusing on the small things that make you feel like you want to get up in the morning might be a simpler way to look at it than this giant, ambitious type of goal. It's the small acts that can still be very meaningful and that can contribute to better cognitive function, better health and longevity in general."

Even as people attempt to craft their lives in a way to be as meaningful and healthy as possible in retirement, a lot is out of their control, Tugend writes, including their socioeconomic status and the lack of affordable programs that serve the aging and support caregiving.

Perhaps most importantly, people should understand the type of retirement they experience grows out of the life they lived, Tugend writes. Being curious about the world, volunteering to help others, and developing friendships have to start well before age 65.

According to Baowen Xue, an associate professor at University College London and co-author of a paper on the effects of retirement on cognitive functioning, "Your life after retirement already started when you were a baby."