You ever have those nights when you are dog-tired? I do! Between work and chasing around my kids (ages five and three) there isn’t lots of downtime. During the rare down moment, I sometimes think about retirement. No alarm clocks, leisurely walks, travel, watching sports and getting to live life at your own pace.

Sounds like fun! What’s there not to like?

To that end, I recently caught up with Mark Olshan, the former Associate Executive Vice President and Director of the Center for Senior Services at B’nai B’rith. As many of you know, Mark retired over the summer. After 43 remarkable years at the organization, Mark rode into the sunset having made a difference in the lives of thousands of seniors around the country. Not a bad career!

Naturally, I asked him how things were going. He spent time at the beach with family and friends and played golf. While he was enjoying retirement, it’s been a big change. He missed the daily routine of going into the office and interacting with colleagues. He said getting up each morning in retirement felt different. He was still debating whether being retired agreed with him. Stepping back after the daily routine of 43 years needs some getting used to. Mark said he enjoys the freedom of retirement, but stresses you need something to do each day.

I imagine Mark’s feelings are like many newly retired older adults. You spend 40-50 years working, and now ask yourself, “what’s next?” I imagine that question can be daunting. For some people it’s easy, rekindling past hobbies and socializing with friends helps fill the day. Retirement allows you to try new activities and opportunities and connect with past interests. For some, relaxing around the house is sufficient.

Other seniors find retirement more challenging. People are used to socializing at work. Not having that outlet can lead to feelings of isolation, which is a problem with older adults. Sadly, the downside of social isolation extends beyond loneliness: It increases the risk for heart disease, depression and causes cognitive impairments.

For many, before retiring you should answer the question, “What’s next?”

Potential retirees should think about what they hope to gain from retirement and what their new life is going to look like. If the average person retires at 62 and lives to 79, that’s 17 years. Or 6,205 days. With all that time, a “plan” is important.  It doesn’t have to be travelling to every continent; it could be taking up new hobbies and volunteer opportunities.

As I think about retirement, maybe I should be careful what I wish for.  I don’t know how I would react to newly found free time. Fortunately, I am a long way away from having to worry about this issue. Though the idea of traveling and spending time collecting baseball cards sounds fun. In the meantime, I will just look for few moments of rest where I can find them.

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Evan Carmen, Esq. is the Legislative Director for Aging Policy and Housing Development and Co-Director at the B’nai B’rith International Center for Senior Services. Click here to read more from Evan Carmen.