"It's not that I don't have things to do. It just all revolves around me" - men's reflections on meaning in life in the transition to retirement in Denmark

Abstract

Retirement may bring about significant changes for those who retire. Studies have shown that men find it harder than women to adapt to retirement, putting them at greater risk of identity and meaning loss, which may reduce subjective well-being and increase the risk of depression. While men may experience retirement as a challenging life event that triggers processes of meaning-making motivated by an appropriation of meaning to a new life situation, their experiences of meaning in retirement are yet to be investigated. The aim of this study was to explore Danish men's reflections on meaning in life in the transition to retirement. Forty in-depth interviews were carried out with newly retired men between fall 2019 and fall 2020. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using an abductive approach informed by an ongoing interaction between empirical insights and psychological and philosophical perspectives on meaning in life. Six themes central to men's meaning-making in the transition to retirement were identified: family ties, social connectedness, structure of everyday life, contribution, engagement, and time. On this basis, it is suggested that reestablishing a sense of belonging and engagement are central to meaningfulness in the transition to retirement. Having a web of relations, a sense of being part of a social entity, and engaging oneself in something that provides intersubjective value may replace senses of meaning found previously in work life. A better understanding of meaning in men's transitions to retirement may provide a valuable knowledge base for efforts seeking to strengthen men's transition to retirement.

Keywords: Life transitions; Meaning in life; Meaning-making; Men's health; Men's retirement; Mental health.