If you and your spouse are retired, read on for different ways to keep busy during retirement.

• Learn a new language. This might seem difficult, but that’s why it’s a good way to stay sharp and active. Try Rosetta Stone or take a language class at a local college. Learning another language will keep you active long-term.
• Learn to play a musical instrument. Perhaps you’ve always wanted to play the guitar or piano but never found the time. Playing music is a great way to stay engaged with others. You and your spouse can learn to play instruments together, or even join a community choir.
• Write a memoir. Maybe you’re not a wordsmith, but taking the time to write a memoir of your life is a wonderful way to remember your life and pass it on to your children. You don’t have to write it for publication, but this will certainly help you stay busy during retirement.
• Take up a hobby such as painting or knitting. There’s no harm in trying your hand at artistic expression. Find a local painting class and learn to paint with other community members. Who knows, you might find that you could be the next Monet.
• Take classes you’re interested in. When you went to school the first time, you might not have gotten the opportunity to take those “fun” classes that didn’t count toward your major. Sign up for a class you’d be interested in at your local college. You’ll meet new people, and it will give you a way to continue learning throughout retirement.
• Volunteer at an organization. If you want to give back to your community but you don’t know how, find a nearby homeless shelter or non-profit organization and volunteer yourself to help. Volunteering will not only keep you active, but it will also provide a sense of satisfaction that you’re doing good for others.
• Take up a new career. Wait — haven’t you already done that? Yes, but not in this sense. Pursue an interest of yours and make it into a second, less stressful career. Perhaps you want to open a flower shop or do freelance writing. Whatever your interest, channel it into a new and exciting career for your retirement.
• Play golf, tennis or another physical activity. Golf is the banner retirement sport, and with good reason. It gives people physical exercise as well as camaraderie. If you’re not a golf person, try joining a tennis club or even take yoga classes. These activities will keep you in shape and connected with others.
• Travel to places you’ve never been to. If you’ve always been too busy to take that dream vacation, now is the time. Book a trip with your spouse near or far to a place you’d like to visit. It’s never too late to expand your knowledge of different cultures.
• Take a road trip. Maybe you’re more of a car travel person. Map out a route to another city or cities and start burning rubber. You and your spouse will meet interesting people along the way and discover things you never knew existed. The longer the road trip, the busier you’ll be.
• Cook your way through a cookbook. If the kitchen has never been your area of expertise, picking out a cookbook is the best way to start. Whether you’re an experienced cook or not, learning how to make new dishes is fun and rewarding. Attempting to go through an entire cookbook will add an element of challenge to this activity.
• Join a bridge or chess club. Perfect for both gaming veterans and novices, joining a type of game club will keep you involved in your community and actively engaged. Abby Weiner, Director of Marketing and Admissions at Knollwood Military Retirement Community, says joining committees and clubs is an easy way to maintain a well-balanced lifestyle.
• Construct your family tree. If no one in your family has put together a family tree, retirement is a great opportunity for that. Conducting research and connecting with immediate and distant family members is a great way to stay busy. And you’ll have a finished product that will be valuable to everyone in your family.

Setting out to undertake any of these activities will help you avoid unnecessary boredom and will ensure an active retirement.

Next Scheduled Google+ Hangout:

Friday, March 9, at 4 p.m. CST

Topic:

Join us for a Google+ Hangout on Friday!

Your perspective as a military spouse and overview of resources and how to get advice, support and help.

Who can join?

Hangouts limits the number of people who can video chat with us to 10, so first come, first served!

Why we are using Google+

The reason we are using Google+ Hangout is because it allows us to share screens and documents, chat with multiple people and is free and very easy to use. It is an awesome tool to let you connect with us and with other military spouses in a meaningful way!

How can I make sure I am ready to Hangout?

1. You will need to join Google+ if you do not already have an account.

2. Add Veterans United Home Loans to your circles so that you will get our invite to join our hang out.

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3. Check out the system requirements.

4. Download and install the latest version of the plugin.

5. Make sure you have the latest drivers for your webcam.

6. We will invite all of the users who have added us to their circles to the hangout, the first people who click on the invite will be in. Remember that Google+ does automatically cut off after 10 users are in the hangout, so be there early!

It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. Here are a few ways you can express solidarity and work to ensure your military spouse knows you’ll always be there for them:

When reassuring your spouse consistency makes all the difference.

Get Embedded

One of the best ways you can show support for your spouse’s decision to join the military is to join it yourself—in the civilian sense. Get involved with your Family Readiness Group and try to find get-togethers and activities to get excited about. Try to meet some people and make some friends to establish a social life. Once your spouse sees that you can create a life alongside the military, his or her fear may be eased.

Communicate Carefully

Depending on whether your spouse is away on assignment, there are a few approaches to communicate in a way that shows your affection.

If your spouse is away, try to keep the communication consistent. Write regularly via email or post, but be sure not to promise anything you can’t deliver. Don’t promise to write every day if you know your schedule can get crazy. Falling back on a promise leaves room for doubt, so keep expectations realistic.

Also try to keep your communication open, but be sure to emphasize the good. If you two can only chat via phone, talk about some positive news such as some family fun or a new hobbyyou picked up. You can be honest about struggles you’re having, but be sure to

explain how you’re coping or trying to cope. Just expressing struggles may touch on a guilty feeling that he or she cannot be there for you. If they doubt they can meet your needs, their fear of you leaving may heighten.

One topic to ensure some investment is your future together. Perhaps you can talk about your future home, family or vacations.

When your service member needs extra assurance realize that this is just because he or she still needs to feel loved and needed, not that you are doing anything wrong.

Package Your Love in a Gift

You may not always be able to voice how you feel, but giving your spouse something tangible as a reminder of your affection can be helpful. It can be as simple as his or her favorite candy, movie, magazine or a picture.

Create a Scrapbook

The work and effort that goes into a scrapbook can be a great way to show that your relationship is worth it to you. You can show how much you appreciate old memories and it may even spark ideas to create new ones.

Photo courtesy of ianimmortal and nanny snowflake via Flickr.