A counterpoint to the retirement threads that point out the positives (and hopefully there are more positives!)
If you or a close family member are retired what are the drawbacks? The concrete or emotional “not so great” parts of it?
Clearly all facets of life have ups and downs. But thinking of the “day to day” what were you unprepared for or what has become a negative?
I’m not officially retired but I really have no work now so in a sense I am! What’s hard for me is the lack of structure. I do better when I have lots on my plate. When I have a long day stretching out in front of me, it’s hard to get motivated. I’m trying to get better about scheduling things. So today I am going to practice piano from 10 to 11, clean out my closet after that, make lunch for my husband, and then practice some more. I will work on tax prep in the afternoon. Our daughter is coming over late afternoon, so I have that to look forward to.
I expect things will be easier once COVID is under control and I can get out more.
My uncle never stopped warning me that the worst thing about it is living on a fixed income with prices rising - esp after a decade of being retired. The first few years I don’t recall hearing about it.
Otherwise, like @MaineLonghorn I’m not working this year due to Covid. I’ve found it somewhat relaxing, but almost too much so. I get bored. When I truly retire (could be any year if finances work out), I want to make sure I volunteer or something somewhere. My kids have told me to get started tutoring. I’ll be trying that for a semester starting later this month (volunteer organization working with at risk kids).
If not that, then we’ll travel a lot more, but with travel I wonder if our finances will continue to work.
Excellent question to ponder. I just retired this summer, so mostly I am frustrated that Covid has limited our options for travel, social life etc… not how I’d envisioned things.
Probably the thing that annoys me most on the basic retirement topic is that I have to work so hard to get my husband to help on cooking and household chores. He seems to treat retirement as extended vacation (with little yardwork either), but there is work that needs to get done. And overdue house declutter needed too.
Interesting about the husband. I am retiring a year or more before my husband. I could of course take on more household chores, but I decided that’s a bad idea because then he may just assume I will continue to do the chores when he retires. I will still likely do more than I do now, but he will need to continue to help.
One way to deal with those lazy husbands–slip them a copy of Lysistrata. 
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(Question: We can change, but not delete a post?)
Worst part, afaiac, is just that we’re older. Numbers, not attitude.
And I find myself watching D1 at her new job (a few months. She’s WFH on our 3rd floor, so I get periodic updates.) Her work includes the same mindset and many of the skills I used in my career. I find myself thinking, “I could work there, too. I could…”) But, no.
I’m not missing my own work, per se. There’s plenty to do. But, dang covid.
Job related: I miss the daily social interaction and water cooler talk. I miss getting dressed up. I miss my paycheck. Yes, the money was nice, but I don’t like feeling of not having that power in a relationship that bringing home some bacon has. I also don’t like vulnerable feeling in not having my own income. That’s the reason that I wanted to be a WOHM to begin with.
Personal: I have found out I’m really lazy. It’s hard for me to finally get going in the mornings. I’m on my iPad an unhealthy amount of time. Before reselling, I was pretty bored a lot of the time. I did all the home reorganizing at the beginning of not working, there’s only so much cleaning I’ll do.
Retiring into Covid times I think has made me lazier than I would have been in normal times. Looking forward to post-vaccine future and ability to go out and do things with friends and in the community.