MUSCAT: The guide, structured to prepare individuals for the retirement stage, is part of the Gulf Health Council’s campaign, which will continue until mid-November. The guide aims to help retirees and those who are on the verge of planning their future retirement stage.

The Council explained that studies indicate that the retired often ‘suffer’ from the availability of free time, and offered four tips to enjoy better quality of retirement life.
The first is to plan the day, which could begin with a breakfast with children. Planning would mean allocating time to go to school with them, enjoying a cup of coffee during the day and joining volunteering opportunities in the residential neighborhood during the week, such as supervising the neighborhood mosque or participating in volunteering activities.

Next is setting small goals that could lead to accomplishing new things. This could be a list of prominent landmarks and countries that the retiree might want to visit in the first month or six months after retirement.
The third guideline refers to strengthening social network. The guide refers to studies to demonstrate how engaging in social activities can foster positive effects on an individual’s mental health and cognition. This could be something as simple as sharing a friend’s lunch or hanging out with grandchildren.

Lastly, the guide highlights the importance of health, as the incidence of diseases among the elderly increases with age, especially the most common diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. The focus here is on choosing a healthy lifestyle, carrying out periodic preventive examinations and regular exercises.