When experiencing any transition, life event or career change individuals can experience a sense of grief and loss. The Elisabeth Kubler-Ross "five stages of grief" model was developed to explain the grieving process of losing a loved one and has more recently been applied to the retirement process. It is particularly applicable in policing where often retirement happens within a set time frame which may be beyond an individuals control. There are also those who have to retire early on medical grounds.
This model can help explain the range of emotions you might experience after the transition into retirement or a new role. The 5 stages include; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. The process is non-linear, meaning that you may go back and forth between the stages before you reach the final stage of acceptance.
How might this look for you in your transition or retirement journey?
1. Denial: “I never really wanted to retire....I should still be working”
2. Anger: “They made me retire....They wanted me out of there...I felt forced to go”
3. Bargaining: “Maybe if I just.....I could go back (or move on)”
4. Depression: “Who am I trying to fool, I’m not worth it, I’m a has been”
5. Acceptance: “I felt lost at first, but finally feel at peace with my new life and my new chapter”
By understanding where you are in the grief process and the range of emotions you can experience, this can help normalise those feeling. It can also help you pinpoint the stage of the process you are currently in. Knowing that this is a normal human process to any transition or loss, can help you process your emotions and seek support from others. It may be particularly helpful to seek the support of others that have already completed the transition and retirement journey out of policing. At some point in the not so distance future you will reach a stage of acceptance where you will be able to move onto your new opportunity and next chapter.
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