If you hear your teen or Gen Z’er complain that something is “salty,” it has nothing to do with sodium. Salty means, like, being upset, annoyed, or, like, bitter about something, usually minor, but to them, like, maybe not so much.

Another word or phrase being enshrined in the national lexicon is “self-distancing.” Midst the spreading COVID-19 virus, on March 18, 2020, the U.S. Surgeon General said the self-quarantine regimen is likely to last beyond 15 days. Dr. Anthony Fauci on March 20 theorized social isolation may last “at least several weeks.”

Suddenly, our world ground to a halt. Work from home if feasible. Stay away from grandma and grandpa, and at least 6 feet from anyone. No church, restaurant dining, no gatherings. Trips canceled. Busy people aren’t going to work. They’re puttering in the yard, cleaning out the garage. And they’re going nuts! Are you feeling a bit “salty?”

In a March 23 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, David Kopp, CEO of Healthline Media in San Francisco, said the thing that bothered him the most about working from home was “the lack of casual contact with others.” He worries about “social isolation” as a serious side effect of the contagion, especially as it impacts the elderly. He cites a government statistic noting that roughly 28 percent of older adults in America, about 14.3 million people, live alone. He notes, “Social isolation and loneliness cause health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, a weakened immune system, depression, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.”

Too much “togetherness” can also cause stress and other health problems. A woman once told me, “My husband doesn’t have high blood pressure. He causes it.” Think about that when it comes to retirement.

You spend 50 years or more getting educated, developing skills and knowledge to build a career, profession, maintain job related income and security. For those working at home, raising children, and/or a home-based job, you’re still busy with interaction with others along the way. In a happy union you look forward to time with your partner, getting out of the house, vacations.

But what if suddenly, after a long career, you retire. Now, every day is Saturday or Sunday. You don’t have an office, shop, or other facility to go to, no workmates to lunch with, no chit chat about the subject du jour.

Life now is one long vacation. Or is it? You can only travel so much, only play so much golf. The kids and grandkids have their own lives. You can only watch so much television.

Consider “social distancing” a trial run for retirement. What will you do to maintain physical and mental energy, while not driving your spouse nuts? How many of you extroverts are partnering with an introvert? Or you’re in-between, an ambivert who leans more toward extroverted or introverted behavior depending on the situation. When every day is a Snow Day, will family conflict increase?

Many people adjust to retirement just fine. Others ultimately miss the interaction that goes with the job. A study by the Exit Planning Institute noted that roughly 70 percent of closely held business owners who sold their business regret it a year later. They’re bored! Boredom combined with nit picking increases family conflict. Grey divorce, the Silver Splinter, is on the increase. By the way guys, in a 2004 AARP study of later life divorce, 66 percent of females surveyed initiated the action. Don’t take her for granted!

Married, divorced, single, widow or widower, social isolation, can be hazardous to health. COVID-19 appears more deadly for those with compromised immune systems or other underlying health conditions. Situations like we are experiencing are even harder for caregivers managing care for a loved one.

Really start thinking about retirement, not just in financial terms, but in a human capital context. What will you do to sustain meaning, purpose, and energy, post-career? If there are strains in a relationship with a partner now, while you both are busy, it will get worse when one or both of you retire.

At this writing, we don’t know how long the virus-caused void in our lives will last. Consider it a test run for retirement, togetherness virtually 24/7. Use together time to plan. What do you each want to experience in the next 10-20 years? What challenges do you see and how will you handle them? Regardless of where you are in the life cycle, what does “what’s next?” look like?

How does your vision square with that of others in your life, those you love and who look to you for guidance? Assumptions can be dangerous. Just sayin’…

Lewis Walker, CFP®, is a financial life planning strategist at Capital Insight Group; 770-441-3553;lewis@lewwalker.com. Securities & advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Lewis is a registered representative and investment adviser representative of SFA, otherwise unaffiliated with Capital Insight Group. He’s a Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and Certified Exit Planning Advisor.

Lewis Walker, CFP®, is a financial life planning strategist at Capital Insight Group; 770-441-3553;lewis@lewwalker.com.  Securities & advisory services offered through The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. (SFA). Lewis is a registered representative and investment adviser representative of  SFA, otherwise unaffiliated with Capital Insight Group. He’s a Gallup Certified Clifton Strengths Coach and Certified Exit Planning Advisor.

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