Welcome to Retired Not Expired: The Real Journey Begins

Retirement is often painted as an endless holiday. You work for decades, you pack up your desk, business and suddenly you are supposed to be living the dream. I quickly realised the reality is a bit more complicated. Welcome to Retired Not Expired Club.

Stepping away from a lifelong career felt incredibly strange. One day, my diary was packed with commitments and deadlines. The next morning, it was completely blank. While sleeping in and having a lingering cup of coffee felt fantastic at first, I soon found myself wondering exactly what came next. The transition from full-time work to full-time freedom is a massive shift, and no one really hands you a manual for it.

That is exactly why I created this space. Retired Not Expired club is a place for absolute honesty about life after work. I want to share the genuine stories of navigating this new chapter. We will celebrate the brilliant highs—the spontaneous trips, the thrill of picking up new hobbies, and the simple joy of reading a book on a quiet Tuesday afternoon.

But we will also talk openly about the lows. We will tackle the moments of feeling unmoored, the strange shift in personal identity, and the days when figuring out what to do feels a bit overwhelming. It is completely normal to have hard times during this transition, (so I am told) and we should talk about them.

Here, you can expect transparent reflections, heartfelt stories, and plenty of laughs. I plan to share my funny blunders, my steep learning curves, and the quiet moments of gratitude. Retirement is not an expiration date; it is simply a different kind of beginning. We still have plenty of energy, wisdom, and joy to bring to the table.

I would love for you to join me on this adventure. Leave a comment below and tell me a bit about your own experiences. What has been the best part of your retirement so far, and what has caught you by surprise? Let us navigate this messy, beautiful chapter together.

15/04/2026

Creating a Gentle, Restorative Routine

With a new understanding of my burnout, I stopped trying to fill every hour of the day. I let go of the pressure to master a new language, paint a masterpiece, or sew an entire wardrobe. Instead, I focused on building a very gentle, low-demand daily structure that provided comfort without causing fatigue.

My mornings now start slowly. I take a gentle walk to get some fresh air and move my body, followed by basic house duties. I no longer rush through these chores; I take my time, allowing them to gently anchor my day.

26/03/2016

The Honest Truth About My First Year of Retirement

When you spend decades working, you tend to build up a rather grand vision of what retirement will look like. You picture endless sunny mornings, leisurely coffees, and finally having the time to dive deep into all the hobbies you previously squeezed into your weekends.

I am just over a year into my own retirement, and I am here to share a secret that nobody tells you: stopping work is incredibly hard.

Initially, I had a very clear plan. I was going to transition smoothly, stepping away from the exhausting daily grind of my small jewellery business while continuing to make pieces at my own pace to simply sell online. Throw a house move into the mix, and I assumed I would be comfortably busy. However, the reality of this transition proved to be much trickier than those lazy days I used to dream about.

If you are currently navigating this massive life change and feeling a bit lost, I want you to know you are not alone. Here is a look into my personal journey over the last twelve months, the highs, the lows, and the unexpected ways I have found to cope.

Finding My Way Back Through Therapy

Admitting you are struggling during a phase of life that is supposed to be relaxing is difficult. However, reaching out for professional help was one of the turning points in my retirement journey.

I decided to start therapy, and it has been an absolutely excellent way to begin understanding myself. My therapist helped me unpack the deep burnout I was carrying. When you run a small business, your brain is constantly switched on, anticipating the next problem, the next order, or the next social media post. You cannot simply flick a switch and turn that hyper-vigilance off just because you have officially retired.

Therapy taught me a vital lesson: I did not have the energy or capacity to learn something new right now, and that was perfectly fine. I needed to stop forcing myself to be productive and instead give myself permission to rest. I had to learn how to regulate my energy slowly, rather than spending it all in a desperate attempt to feel "busy."

2/04/2026

The Myth of the Perfect Transition

Running a small business is a labour of love, but it is also deeply exhausting. Before I retired, I was not just a jewellery maker. I was the head designer, the shop assistant, the cleaner, the accountant, the stock controller, and the social media manager. Social media alone drove me to the point of absolute exhaustion. I had originally intended to keep working until I was 70, but the sheer weight of wearing every single hat completely drained my reserves.

When I finally stepped back at 67, I thought the stress would immediately lift. My partner and I moved into a new home, which was a massive undertaking in itself. I set up my workspace, fully expecting the creative spark to ignite now that the pressure of full-time business management was gone.

Instead, I felt absolutely nothing. After a month or so, it became painfully clear that I was utterly burnt out. I had zero interest in making jewellery. The sterling silver and beautiful gemstones sat there, untouched, while I stared at them, wondering where my passion had gone.