Men (back) at work

My father was ecstatic when he retired from the US Postal Service after 30 years. But it didn’t take long before he began to miss the packlike male bonding he took for granted: group lunches, team projects, water cooler banter. When they were gone, it left a big hole in his life. “Men acquire friends through shared experiences like sports, the military, and work,” says Dr. Richard S. Schwartz, a psychiatrist with Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital. “When one source is eliminated, men tend to lose some of those friends over time and have to find other ways to connect with people and fill those missing gaps.” Men need to recreate their former workplace even more as they age. Loneliness is one of the greatest health risks they face, and much research has linked a stronger social life with a lower risk of heart disease and depression and greater immune function. Worklike engagements also can sharpen the brain skills they used in their jobs — for example, comprehension (understanding information), analysis (breaking down complex scenarios into easily understood parts), and evaluation (judging whether a decision is correct). Getting into group dynamics A good way to recreate the social circle of work is to join a men’s group, such as a walking club, a golf or bowling league (like my dad did), a card or chess club, or a class at an adult education center. This also helps re-create a worklike environment that emphasizes skills like team building and support, leadership,...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Health Healthy Aging Men's Health Mental Health Source Type: blogs