Issue 46: The Retirement Buzz

Purpose, Practice, and Peace

Author

Retirement Dreammaker
January 18, 2026

In partnership with

RIDDLE OF THE WEEK

Q: What has hands but can’t clap?

What am I?

(Answer at the bottom)

🧠 HEALTH: New Research Ties Gratitude to Lower Blood Pressure

New findings from the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Behavioral Health (2025) show that retirees who practiced structured gratitude journaling for 30 consecutive days experienced an average 10-point drop in systolic blood pressure. The study also cited improvements in sleep quality and reduced levels of cortisol—the body’s primary stress hormone. Gratitude doesn’t have to be grand. In fact, the smaller, the better. How to Start: Write 3 things you're grateful for every night before bed Keep your entries specific and simple (e.g., “The warm sun on my arm today”) Bonus: Share one item from your list with a partner, grandchild, or friend 🗣️ “I used to take my mornings for granted,” says Clara Jensen, 70, a retired social worker in Oregon. “Now, I start each day with thanks. My blood pressure dropped 12 points in six weeks.” 🔍 Sources: Cleveland Clinic: Behavioral Health Gratitude Study, 2025 Harvard Health: Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier

New findings from the Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Behavioral Health (2025) show that retirees who practiced structured gratitude journaling for 30 consecutive days experienced an average 10-point drop in systolic blood pressure. 

The study also cited improvements in sleep quality and reduced levels of cortisol—the body’s primary stress hormone.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be grand. In fact, the smaller, the better.

How to Start:

  • Write 3 things you're grateful for every night before bed

  • Keep your entries specific and simple (e.g., “The warm sun on my arm today”)

  • Bonus: Share one item from your list with a partner, grandchild, or friend

🗣️ “I used to take my mornings for granted,” says Clara Jensen, 70, a retired social worker in Oregon. “Now, I start each day with thanks. My blood pressure dropped 12 points in six weeks.”

🔍 Sources:

💰 WEALTH: Mid-January Budget Reset: The Forgotten Opportunity

Mid-January is one of the most overlooked opportunities for financial tune-ups.

With holiday expenses cleared and new Medicare changes taking effect, now’s the time to clean up your budget—and reclaim peace of mind.

Steps to Take This Week:
✅ Cancel unused subscriptions or services
✅ Review 2026 Medicare changes—especially if you changed plans during open enrollment
✅ Adjust charitable giving and HSA contributions
✅ Reassess discretionary spending categories like dining, hobbies, or gifts

🗣️ “I do my 'money reset' every January 15,” says George Malley, 74, a retired accountant in Tampa. “It’s like spring cleaning for my wallet.”

📊 Helpful Tools:

😂 JOKE OF THE WEEK

Why did the retiree start a gardening club?

Because their social life needed a little “thyme.”

Hands-free writing for busy parents

When you are juggling kids, chores, and work, writing can become impossible. Wispr Flow lets you speak your thoughts and get paste-ready text in seconds. Dictate emails, school notes, social posts, or side-hustle updates and get polished writing that fixes punctuation and formats lists while preserving your voice. It works in the apps you already use on Mac, Windows, and iPhone so you can capture ideas between naps, pickups, and calls. Save time and stay in control. Try Wispr Flow for parents.

❤️ RELATIONSHIPS: Create a ‘Wisdom File’ for Your Grandkids

You’ve lived decades of love, loss, lessons, and laughter—why not preserve that wisdom intentionally? More retirees are starting “Legacy Journals” or “Wisdom Files,” filled with short reflections, family stories, spiritual values, and hard-won truths. This ongoing project can be gifted later—or shared little by little. 🗣️ “Every year, I send my grandkids a birthday card with a note that starts, ‘Here’s one thing I wish I knew at your age,’” says Marie Dubois, 72, retired teacher in Michigan. “They save every one.” Tips to Get Started: Use a basic notebook or digital doc Write 1 new entry per week or after meaningful life moments Topics to include: resilience, love, forgiveness, finances, family stories 🔍 Resources: Storyworth (https://www.storyworth.com) – Weekly emailed questions that create a keepsake book Legacy Writing Prompts

You’ve lived decades of love, loss, lessons, and laughter—why not preserve that wisdom intentionally?

More retirees are starting “Legacy Journals” or “Wisdom Files,” filled with short reflections, family stories, spiritual values, and hard-won truths. This ongoing project can be gifted later—or shared little by little.

🗣️ “Every year, I send my grandkids a birthday card with a note that starts, ‘Here’s one thing I wish I knew at your age,’” says Marie Dubois, 72, retired teacher in Michigan. “They save every one.”

Tips to Get Started:

  • Use a basic notebook or digital doc

  • Write 1 new entry per week or after meaningful life moments

  • Topics to include: resilience, love, forgiveness, finances, family stories

🔍 Resources:

🎨 HOBBIES: Puzzle Popularity Surges Among Boomers

Move over, Wordle. Puzzle culture is booming in retirement circles—thanks to benefits for brain health and emotional regulation. According to a 2026 AARP survey, membership in community puzzle groups has grown 30% year-over-year, with seniors citing social connection and stress relief as key reasons. Puzzles stimulate memory, improve cognitive flexibility, and offer a sense of accomplishment. Where to Start: 🧩 Try a 500-piece puzzle with a winter scene 📱 Download puzzle apps like Crossword Jam or Jigsaw Explorer 🧠 Join a virtual puzzle group or local library puzzle swap 🗣️ “Every Tuesday, our group meets for coffee and puzzles,” says Helen Cho, 69, a retired nurse in San Diego. “It’s therapy in cardboard form.” 🔍 Sources: AARP Brain Health Survey, 2026 National Institutes of Health: Cognitive Benefits of Puzzles in Aging

Move over, Wordle.

Puzzle culture is booming in retirement circles—thanks to benefits for brain health and emotional regulation.

According to a 2026 AARP survey, membership in community puzzle groups has grown 30% year-over-year, with seniors citing social connection and stress relief as key reasons. Puzzles stimulate memory, improve cognitive flexibility, and offer a sense of accomplishment.

Where to Start:
🧩 Try a 500-piece puzzle with a winter scene
📱 Download puzzle apps like Crossword Jam or Jigsaw Explorer
🧠 Join a virtual puzzle group or local library puzzle swap

🗣️ “Every Tuesday, our group meets for coffee and puzzles,” says Helen Cho, 69, a retired nurse in San Diego. “It’s therapy in cardboard form.”

🔍 Sources:

🧘 SPIRITUAL GROWTH: Legacy as a Spiritual Practice

Legacy is more than what we leave behind—it’s how we live now. Writing to your future great-grandchild or reflecting on the energy you leave in relationships and communities can become a sacred act. This week, pause to consider: What values do you want to be remembered for? What unresolved story needs healing before you pass it on? What kind of ancestor do you want to be? 🗣️ “I wrote a letter to the child my granddaughter might have one day,” says Luis Mendoza, 78, of Albuquerque. “It helped me see my own life with more clarity.” Simple Practice: 📝 Write a one-page letter to a future relative 📜 Read it aloud, then seal it in an envelope for safe keeping 💭 Let the act of writing reconnect you with your deeper self 🔍 Sources: Psychology Today: Legacy and Meaning-Making in Later Life The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler (book recommendation)

Legacy is more than what we leave behind—it’s how we live now.

Writing to your future great-grandchild or reflecting on the energy you leave in relationships and communities can become a sacred act.

This week, pause to consider:

  • What values do you want to be remembered for?

  • What unresolved story needs healing before you pass it on?

  • What kind of ancestor do you want to be?

🗣️ “I wrote a letter to the child my granddaughter might have one day,” says Luis Mendoza, 78, of Albuquerque. “It helped me see my own life with more clarity.”

Simple Practice:
📝 Write a one-page letter to a future relative
📜 Read it aloud, then seal it in an envelope for safe keeping
💭 Let the act of writing reconnect you with your deeper self

🔍 Sources:

  • Psychology Today: Legacy and Meaning-Making in Later Life

  • The Art of Dying Well by Katy Butler (book recommendation)

🧩 RIDDLE ANSWER

🔍 Answer: A clock.

🎖️ MILITARY & HOLIDAY RECOGNITIONS

🗓️ January 19 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Observed)

MLK Day is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday of January to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., born January 15, 1929.

It recognizes his lifelong work as a civil rights leader and advocate for nonviolent resistance.

🕊️ Suggested Reading: “Letter from Birmingham Jail” – a powerful reflection on moral courage, justice, and the role of everyday citizens in shaping change.

More Ways to Observe:

  • Watch “King in the Wilderness” (HBO documentary)

  • Attend a local MLK Day of Service

  • Reflect on how your own legacy echoes Dr. King’s values of peace, justice, and dignity

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