Reminiscence About Work Life in Retirement: What Is Remembered? Why Might it Matter?

Abstract

Retirement and reminiscence research prosper largely independent of another. The current research integrates both perspectives to explore what retirees remember when they look back upon their work life and whether reminiscing work life is related to their current well-being. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six retirees to develop initial codebooks. To characterize work-related memories and explore links between memory characteristics and retirees’ well-being, 66 retirees participated in an online study. They reported memories in text and rated memory valence and indicators of subjective well-being. Qualitative content analyses of memory narratives show that retirees recalled both work tasks and workplace relationships that were particularly pleasant or conflict ridden. They reminisced about profound (e.g., job loss) and small events (e.g., appreciative gestures from the leadership). Most retirees described their work life in an accepting way, although some expressed bitterness. Correlational analyses indicate links between memory valence and retirees’ perceived stress in work life and subjective well-being. We discuss our findings within the resource perspective on retirement with consideration of reminiscence as internal resources with permanent access. We suggest that well-being in retirement depends not only on external resources, but also on what retirees reflect on and remember. Practically, we discuss how work could be designed to build up such internal resources. We conclude with future research ideas, emphasizing the importance of a rigorous mixed-methods approach to studying how the life chapter of work that is long gone may continue to shape the lives of retirees.