Who knew? Working is good for you!

The word “retirement” may conjure up images of carefree days on the golf course or frolicking with the grandkids. But the reality is often tragic: boredom, depression, even early death. Let’s face it. It feels good to use your brain and muscles to perform work, especially if it feels meaningful.

A new study in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology confirms it. People who keep doing some work in their field after they retire enjoy better physical and mental health than those who stop working completely.

Rather than leaping into retirement with both feet, prospective retirees should consider so-called “bridge employment” as a transition to full retirement. It paid off for those who did. They had lower rates of major diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis than those who went into full retirement. They also reported fewer mental health problems, like depression.

Why does working work?

For one thing, it keeps us active, the way we were during our careers. It reduces the stress we might feel from a too-fast transition into full retirement. Bridge work also lets us keep some of the “role identity” we formed during our careers.

Source: Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, October 2009