LibraryScenariosWhy retirement can trigger identity grief even when it's chosen
Scenario

Why retirement can trigger identity grief even when it's chosen

I retired last month after thirty years at the same company and my identity feels as gone as if I had died.

Mira
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

The end of long-held professional roles can create existential emptiness that mirrors the disorientation of other major losses.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Cumulative grief — multiple losses?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.