The immediate past Dean of the College of Agricultural Management and Rural Development (COLAMRUD), Prof. Adewale Dipeolu has charged members of staff to plan their retirement early while in service to avoid falling into depression or anxiety on retirement.
He spoke during the Send Forth Ceremony in honour of Prof. Caroline Afolami, organised by the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management (AEFM).
Prof. Dipeolu identified five stages of retirement to include; before retirement stage which involves imagining the new life and planning for it, the second stage is the honeymoon phase which according to him is the stage of feeling excited, relief and freedom from the stress and responsibilities of day-to-day working life, which he said, may be spent reconciling and reconnecting with family, friends, spouses, hobbies and starting a new business.
According to him, the third stage is the disenchantment stage when the once high emotion of retirement has worn off and the honeymoon period is over, hence leaving many with the feel of a sense of disappointment and disillusionment.
According to him, the fourth stage is reorientation phase which is when retirees try to adjust their to-do list, may be as a result or feelings of loss of purpose.
The Don stated that the final stage is the reconciliation and stability period, where retirees are contented and hopeful in their transition and as such experienced less depression and anxiety.
He encouraged them to take steps to address downsides such as boredom, loneliness and feeling of uselessness which if not addressed, the individual may slip into depression.
Prof. Dipeolu commended the celebrant for starting well, running hard and finishing strong, stressing that the retiring Professor would be remembered for her principles of hard work, diligence and determination.
In her Goodwill Message, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) Prof. Bolanle Akeredolu-Ale commended the retiree for her dependable, responsible and uncompromising disposition, adding that she is happy and honoured to be one of the very few in her circle.
She prayed for God’s blessings, good health, perpetual happiness, joy and loads of exciting moments for her.
