The Humans vs Retirement Podcast

You've saved for decades. The spreadsheet says you're fine. So why can't you book that trip to Italy? Why does buying nice coffee feel wrong? This isn't a financial problem—it's an emotional one. And it's incredibly common.
What We Cover
Money Scripts: The Invisible Backpack
"There will never be enough"
"Money is shameful / Rich people are bad"
"I don't deserve nice things"
The challenge: You've trained for 40 years to accumulate. Now you need to distribute. Your brain hasn't caught up.
The Big Three Emotional Blocks
Scarcity Mindset - Tom has £1.8M but won't spend more than £45K/year. The fear isn't rational—it's hardwired.

Guilt & Permission - Margaret: retired teacher, £1M saved, felt physically sick before her dream cruise. Guilt steals joy.

Identity Loss - David: "I don't know what the money is for anymore." When money was proof you mattered, retirement is existential.

Five Ways to Break Free
Name it, trace it - Where did this belief come from? Does it serve you now?

Practice spending - Start small. Buy the nicer coffee. Try a "guilt-free spending account." Retrain your brain.

Reframe it - You're not spending down savings. You're converting savings into life.

Separate worth from wallet - Your value isn't your net worth. Would you judge your loved ones for enjoying retirement?

Talk about it - Money emotions thrive in silence. Get help if you need it.

The Bottom Line
The difference between anxious wealthy retirees and fulfilled modest ones? Not the account balance. The internal relationship with money.
You're not broken. You're carrying old programming that doesn't fit your new reality.
Share your story: What money emotions are you carrying into retirement?
Humans vs Retirement Podcast - The messy, human side of retirement your financial advisor isn't covering.

Episode Description
Your brain has spent decades as a corporate drug addict, getting its dopamine fix from deadlines, presentations, and feeling important. But when you retire, the dealer cuts you off—cold turkey. This episode explores the neuroscience behind why retirement can feel so devastating, and what you can actually do about it before you clock out for the last time.
Key Topics Covered
The Great Retirement Myth
Why the "golden ticket" narrative sets us up for disappointment
The deafening silence after the leaving party
Understanding retirement as a form of grief
The Science Behind the Emptiness
Dopamine withdrawal: When the "pings" stop coming
Cognitive decline after retirement (Whitehall II study findings)
Loss of identity and social tribe
Why your brain is "use it or lose it"
The Five-Act Drama of Quitting Work
The Run-Up: Excitement mixed with anxiety
The Honeymoon: The world's longest bank holiday
The 'Oh, Bugger' Phase: When freedom feels empty
The Re-Build: The hard graft of reinvention
The New Normal: Finding your rhythm
Rewiring Your Brain for a Decent Retirement
Three essential pillars to build before you retire:
Pillar One: Stop Being a Noun, Start Doing Some Verbs
Redefining yourself beyond your job title
The "I am..." exercise (10 non-work identities)
Setting achievable goals for dopamine hits
Pillar Two: Build Yourself a Tribe
Finding your "Third Place" (beyond home and work)
Scheduling social connections like board meetings
Why social connection predicts longevity
Pillar Three: Find a New Rhythm
Creating a keystone routine to anchor your day
The art of tinkering: trying things without pressure
Finding purpose through engagement, not grand passion
Key Takeaways
Retirement isn't just a lifestyle change—it's a neurological shock to your system
The psychological adjustment is as important as financial planning, yet we ignore it completely
Feeling lost or irrelevant after retirement isn't a personal failing—it's a predictable human reaction
Your brain needs structure, achievement, and social connection to thrive
Retirement is a "lifequake" that can clear the ground for a stronger, more authentic version of yourself
Research Mentioned
Whitehall II study on cognitive decline and retirement
The "use it or lose it" principle of brain function
Cognitive reserve theory
The concept of "Third Places" in sociology
Action Items for Listeners
Complete the "I am..." exercise (10 non-work identities)
Identify your potential "Third Place"
Create one keystone routine to anchor your day
Schedule social connections deliberately
Start "tinkering" with new activities and interests
Join the Conversation
Share in the comments: What's one thing you're planning for—or anxious about—for your own retirement?
Humans vs Retirement Podcast Subscribe for more deep dives into the psychology of life's biggest transitions.

Why Your "Perfect" Retirement Feels So Wrong
You did everything right. Saved hard. Invested well. Ticked every box.
So why does retirement feel… off?
In this episode, I unpack the uncomfortable truth nobody talks about: retirement can feel psychologically harder than work, even when the money's sorted. Not because you failed, but because you were never given the emotional or mental roadmap for what comes next.
We dig into the five hidden psychological traps that quietly derail retirement, and more importantly, what actually helps you navigate them.
In this episode, we cover:
Why losing your job title can feel like losing yourself

What happens when a problem-solving brain suddenly has nothing meaningful to solve

Why the "endless holiday" version of retirement wears thin fast

The silent pressure to perform a perfect retirement, and why it's exhausting

How a lifetime of saving can make spending feel terrifying, even when you're financially secure

You'll also learn:
How to rebuild your identity around who you are, not what you used to do

Why your brain needs purpose, not just rest

How to design a flexible routine that gives freedom without drift

How to let go of guilt, busyness, and comparison

And how to create real permission to spend without anxiety or second-guessing

This episode isn't about fixing retirement.
It's about understanding it, so you stop wondering "What's wrong with me?" and start building a life that actually fits.
Free Resource
If this episode hit a nerve, I've created a free one-page Purpose Finder guide to help you get clarity on what you want this next chapter to be about.
👉 Download it here

After 100 episodes of diving into the messy, hilarious, emotional and utterly human world of retirement, I return with the rawest and most powerful episode yet. This milestone isn't a celebration; it's a challenge. A wake-up call. A bold invitation to stop drifting, stop delaying, stop hiding behind old identities… and finally step into the second half of life with honesty, courage, and intention.
This episode strips retirement down to what it really is: not money, not timing, not spreadsheets, but the ongoing evolution of you. Who you are when the job title disappears. Who do you dare to become next? And what you're no longer willing to tolerate in the life you have left.
What You'll Learn
The biggest insight 100 episodes have revealed about human beings and retirement

Why retirement isn't actually about retirement, it's about identity

The hidden question sitting under nearly every conversation I have ever had

Why most people drift through the second half of life instead of designing it

How self-honesty becomes the true starting line of retirement

Why courage, not money, is the single biggest predictor of a fulfilling future

What it really means to write the next chapter of your life on purpose

Challenge of the Week
👉 Answer the only question that truly matters:
What are you no longer willing to tolerate in the second half of your life?
Write it down.
Say it out loud.
Let it change something.
Because that answer is your starting line, your compass, your invitation to evolve.
Next Episode
Season 7 begins soon — with a fresh blend of interviews, solo episodes, and deeper dives into the emotional, behavioural, and wildly human side of retirement. Expect honesty, humour, science, challenge… and more than a few loving kicks up the backside.

If you want to retire well in 2026, you don't need a ten-year spreadsheet, a suitcase full of pensions, or a perfectly colour-coded life plan. You need five human foundations: clarity around your money, health that actually supports your freedom, purpose that wakes you up in the morning, people you want in your corner, and the courage to take action.
In this episode, I strip away the fluff and break down what actually moves the needle... the things your future self will thank you for getting right now, not "one day."
What You'll Learn
Why your "vibes-based" retirement plan needs to become a real plan

How financial clarity — not wealth — creates confidence and choice

Why health is the core engine of your next chapter (not a side quest)

How to explore purpose without pretending golf is a personality

The huge role relationships play in your retirement experience

Why courage — not spreadsheets — is the final unlock

The 5 Things That Matter
1️⃣ The Money Plan (not the one in your head)
You don't retire on vibes — you retire on numbers, clarity, and confidence.
Know what you've got, how it's structured, and what it can actually do.
2️⃣ Your Health (so you can enjoy the freedom you've worked for)
No point having time and money if you're exhausted, aching, or stuck on the sofa.
Small, consistent actions → big retirement quality.
3️⃣ Purpose (you need something to wake up for)
Work gave you identity, rhythm, and direction.
Retirement requires you to create it — not wait for it to appear.
4️⃣ Relationships (your real retirement portfolio)
Remove work, and the room gets quiet fast.
Build connection intentionally: tribes, friendships, laughter, people who energise you.
5️⃣ Courage (the part no one likes to talk about)
Fear keeps people in holding patterns: waiting for "readiness," waiting for a sign.
Confidence doesn't precede action — it comes from it.
Challenge of the Week
👉 Pick one of the five pillars and make a visible move.
Book the financial planning call

Start a consistent walk routine

Try a new hobby or project you've always avoided

Message someone you miss and reconnect

Commit to one brave retirement decision you've been postponing

Don't wait for certainty. Do the human thing that moves life forward.