Welcome back to Wellness Wednesday! This week we will focus on Occupational Wellness. 

Vocational, Professional, or Occupational Wellness is a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment from your career, occupation, and work. It also means you maintain a good balance between your personal and professional lives. What does this mean to someone who is retired? Our desire for meaning and fulfillment in life certainly does not end when we retire. We use our natural skills and talents when we are working and those never go away. When we retire, it is just thinking about how we can use those skills in a non-career centered world. Here are some ways you can bring your personal and professional talents to your daily life and routine:
●	Identify what you believe are your strengths, skills, and talents! We all have a unique set of skills that we bring to our workplace, family, friends, and community. Are you good with computers? Detail Oriented? Good public speaker or writer? Good with figures and numbers? A good listener? Enjoy children? 
●	Learn new skills to add on to the list you already have! Are you a great listener but have never done public speaking? Try reading something aloud to your partner in your living room or to a few friends to build on that skill. In return, you can offer others advice on how to be an effective listener! Trade off your skills! 
●	Develop new hobbies and interests! It’s never too late to learn something new. Take an art class, a mobile phone or computer class, or start a garden! 
●	Volunteer! Many places need volunteers for simple things such as filing and admin help to larger conceptual projects. If you feel like you have a skill to lend, check out https://www.volunteer.ie/
●	Lead a Community Group! Teach others your skills and talents by leading a peer group. 

Occupational Wellness is an important part of our whole body health. It is really nice when we feel like we have something to offer and are successful. Being retired does not mean we have nothing more to offer, in fact, it means we have a lifetime of experience, skills, and talent to share! 

Sources and Reading:

https://www.lhsfna.org/index.cfm/lifelines/august-2016/vocational-wellness-identify-your-interests-and-achieve-fulfillment/#:~:text=Vocational%20wellness%20is%20the%20ability,on%20your%20feelings%20or%20opinions.
https://www.whereyoulivematters.org/what-is-occupational-wellness-for-seniors/