How to deal with post-retirement depression after quitting swimming?

Question

I swam for 10 years, and competed for the last 4 at the national level on a college team. I retired a few years ago when I graduated mostly because I was frustrated and unhappy with the sport, but also because I had to start a career. I was extremely happy with my free time for about 6 months, but now I miss it. Joining another team is impossible because my job requires me to travel 20 days out of the month. I find that I mostly miss the cyclical quality of a swimming lifestyle, going from off season, to training, to peak training, taper, and then starting all over again. I feel like I have nothing to strive for in the short term like I used to especially since work promotions only happen every 3-4 years. Has anyone experienced anything similar to this and is there anything I can do to feel better?

Answer 1

There's absolutely nothing unusual with how you are feeling. You have had an enormous change in your lifestyle, and more importantly, with your own identity. If you have been part of a team, or striving for a goal, all wrapped up in a very disciplined and cyclical lifestyle, then it is entirely unsurprising that it is taking some adjustment. You are still working out who this 'new you' is, without the same level of structure in your life.

There are a few things that you should and could do, even with this less fixed lifestyle you lead:

Set goals in your PERSONAL life, regardless of your job. This may involve taking up something more portable than swimming - how about aiming to run a marathon? There is community and goal setting in this, and you can run pretty much anywhere you travel. Exercise is great for your sense of wellbeing anyway, and you may be experiencing a mild reactive depression at losing this aspect of your life.

On this note, a second thing you could do, is to find someone to help you with this transition. Talking with a counselor once or twice may be all you need to refocus your goals and aims, and to add some structure back into what you do.

If you want to stay with swimming, being in a team isn't really your only option. You could certainly join a club and go when you are able to, help out with juniors and find ways to participate where you aren't required to be there on a daily basis. They may need people who can do a session or two now and again. It would be a way of connecting with the community and feeling purposeful again.

Ultimately, there is no 'right' answer to your question, but you may need to try a few avenues before you feel your equilibrium again. Consider these points:

Exercise - it's very important to counteract early depression
Community - you probably miss being 'part' of something, so find alternatives that fit with your interests and lifestyle.
Goals - you are used to setting and meeting personal goals. This should never stop during your life, but you may need to re-evaluate which goals are appropriate for this new phase of your life.
Identity - what aspects of your swimming made you feel secure in your own personality? Try to think about what aspects are most important to you, and find new ways of pursuing them.

I wish you the best of luck with this new part of your life. We all go through tough transitions at some point, but with a little contemplation and maybe a bit of determination, you will eventually find a new balance that suits you! Good luck!

Answer 2

You need to decide what you find important. The financial liberty that a good job gives you, or the satisfaction that a particular activity gives you.

I used to lift weights competitively and I did that for about ten years, into college. I wasn't so much interested in the cyclical lifestyle, or anything like that, even though it was the same kind of deal with training, peaking, meets, rest, etc. etc., but I did enjoy the rigor of constantly pushing my body to the next mile marker.

Training has a goal. I knew if I lifted hard for 6 months, that I would be stronger at the end of the six months than when I started. Work just puts food in your mouth.

I don't worry about retirement and bills and all of this sh*t, I work just enough to do what I need to do and to finance what I want to do.

I don't carry a cell phone, and I would never buy a new vehicle, or anything that creates financial burden that inhibits my ability to devote my time to the things that give me pleasure.

If I feel like I am going to need the money to take a vacation or a trip or something like that I just get a second job and that takes up my time for a time, but I always have in front of me the end of that second job when I return to my normal leisurely lifestyle.

Work less, play more. Just make sure that playing is activities rather than spending money at bars or baseball games or the movies.

To do what you really want to do doesn't require that much money.

One more thing, become more self sufficient. Some people like to have enough money so that if their car breaks down they can get it fixed. If I my car were to break down, I would research the matter and just make do without, until I had the parts, time, and knowledge to fix it myself.

Answer 3

Man can I relate.
Its very common. When you immerse yourself so hard and for so long it is extremely difficult to adjust.
The best that I can advise is to try to find something else tha allows you to be competitive AND does not require a tremendous amount of commitment. That might be a little hard to do. Look for something entirely new. That will create that challenge that you need so badly.

I can honestly say that I have gone through this every few years or so. Every time I sell a business that I helped build. Its a very emotional and traumatic experience. Since it has been 6 months or more you should begin to feel a little better quicker.

Good luck.

Answer 4

Over the last five years I had begun to have increasingly withdraw into a downward spiral of depression..

But now with the method I can fully focus my energy and thoughts into a decisive line on how to make my life better constantly. And it works like magic! I'm beginning to attract people to me once again and things have just been looking up since then.

Helping you eliminate depression?

Answer 5

i either over eat or under eat, i cry loads, then start thinking about every single bad thing thats happened to me, which makes me more depressed, then cry loads whilst lying in bed, i look back on the mistakes ive made and wish id never made them, cry some more, then feel bad for being so depressed in the first place cause other people have it way worse than me and some people are even homeless, then i feel guilty so i cry even more. ahh it sucks. then i listen to depressing music.