What happens to your brain when you retire

For the millions of Americans who retire each year, stopping work might seem like a well-deserved break. But it can also precipitate big changes in brain health, including an increased risk of cognitive decline and depression.

- Akshita Nanda

Before retiring, you are getting up in the morning, socialising with co-workers and dealing with the mental challenges of your job, said.

Dr Ross Andel, a professor at Arizona State University who studies cognitive ageing and retirement. "All of a sudden, after 50 years, you lose that routine." There is this idea that the body and brain adapt when they are "no longer needed", he added. "That's when you see the deterioration and its natural response to inactivity." But retirement can also be a chance to improve cognitive and mental health, with newfound time to socialise and take on hobbies.

And even if you have started to experience some decline, there is evidence your brain can bounce back from periods of inactivity, even in older age, said professor of econometrics Giacomo Pasini at Ca' Foscari University of Venice, who studies the impact of economic policy on seniors' mental health.

One analysis of more than 8,000 retirees in Europe found that people's verbal memory - the ability to recall a set of words after a certain amount of time - generally declined faster once they retired, compared with when they were working.

Another survey conducted England showed a steep decline in verbal memory after retirement, though other skills, like abstract reasoning, were not affected.

"There's some evidence that retirement may be bad for cognition, because when you retire, you don't challenge your brain as much," said professor of econometrics Guglielmo Weber at the University of Padova in Italy who worked on the Europe study.

Research has also found a link between retirement and the onset of depression.