Retirement Anxiety, on Psychosocial Issues and Social Adjustment and Counselling Needs among the Potential Retirees

Retirement is a major event in a people’s life time. It implies end of the person’s work phase of life and the starting of a new one. To some people, the years in retirement may be longer than those of childhood and adolescence. This period comes with daunting challenges if not well prepared for. The transition to retirement depends on financial circumstances, attitude, health, the reaction and behaviour of loved ones and friends. Retirement entails adjustment to increase leisure time, decrease income generation, increase health concerns and changes in identity and interpersonal relationship. This paper is to examine retirement anxiety, counselling needs of potential retireeand issues the aged adults face in adjusting to retirement and counselling needs of potential retirees, this group of people to make a successful life transition. Economic effect and Psychological effects of disengagement from a work life and the challenges of societal life issues are discussed. These effects include partial identity disruption, decision paralysis, diminished self-trust, experience of a post retirement void.It was suggested that retirement anxiety should be taken into consideration by government in all sectors through sensitization, programmes, seminars and workshops to prepare the potential retirees on issues concerning retirement anxiety, there should be concerted effort of the counsellors’ to the potential retirees to make sure that needs, such as additional income, healthy living, accommodation, acceptance from the society and living successful retirement life taking care of to reduce anxiety, anxiety management strategies such as sharing of worries, learning on how to cope with every situation, stepping back from issues that cause stress among others should be enhanced with the help of counsellors’ to reduce the level of anxiety among the potential retirees.