“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.” – Mitch Albom

What happens when your circumstances change in retirement?

Entering into retirement can provide very different experiences from one person to the next. It’s a deeply personal experience. Some love it and embrace it with much fervour and excitement and never look back, whilst others may enter complete dread and loneliness without any future direction or purpose.

Retirement is a huge step into the next chapter of our lives and can be a very lonely experience for some.

Loneliness & Belonging

People who experience loneliness are at risk of feeling devalued and losing self-esteem, which can lead to further feelings of isolation.

Existential Loneliness

In Meaningful Ageing Australia, they refer to this as spiritual distress and being in a state of separateness from

others and the world around them, including the natural world and your sense of creativity and wonder.

People are created for relationships and belonging. It’s what helps to give us purpose. That’s why when we retire, it’s important to tap into resources to connect to community, nature, and spirituality.

“We have all known the long loneliness and we have learned that the only solution is love and that love comes with community.” – Dorothy Day

How do faith and spirituality help with connection?

Spirituality helps with mental health and well-being. It helps when life is challenging and can provide comfort, peace, and a sense of connection to others and a greater power whom we can return to during those times, as well as the good times. It provides us with purpose.

How do we tap into the community and connect with others?

There are many ways to tap into the community. The essence of connection is about loving one another and offering acceptance and belonging.

It’s about connecting with people who are like-minded and share similar interests or are at the same stage in life. Experiencing similar circumstantial changes, fears, hopes, and aspirations for the next chapter.

Sometimes it’s about finding peace in our connection to nature and spirituality, which in turn allows us to connect with others because, at its core, we are simply and inherently interconnected.

Connecting to spirituality looks different for everyone. It may be sought through meditation, prayer, reflection, or immersion in nature. Perhaps it’s helping others in need, practicing gratitude, or simply living in the now and accepting where your spiritual higher power has placed you for the time being. This is where we can grow and live our life to the fullest, and find a sense of belonging and community.

How to achieve connectivity in St Agnes’ Villages

We are open and inclusive. You don’t have to be Catholic to find warmth and connection in our community. We welcome diversity and inclusivity, providing a foundation for meaningful connections and shared experiences.

Our villages have been set up for independent living but within the community. We have community centres, chapels, nature, and events for like-minded retirees to meet and find purpose and joy at this stage of life.

This is what one of our residents had to say about their move to one of our villages:

“I really love living here at the Village. After my husband passed away, I was all by myself and lonely. When you get older, your friends are also older and so don’t come to see you anymore. But when I came here, I met with lots of other people and made new friends, and I was so happy.

And I so love all the activities that the Village provides. The Morning teas, Happy Hour, BBQs, Bingo – all these activities I go to. And this year I would have been all on my own for Christmas, but the Village is providing a lunch for everyone who isn’t celebrating with family. We get to celebrate and be together.”

Retirement is an opportunity for profound growth, connection, and spiritual fulfillment.

For more information about our retirement villages and available villas, please get in touch with us Contact Us – St Agnes’ Care & Lifestyle (sacal.org.au).