Early retirement is a situation you may face either by choice or by force due to compelling circumstances. If you voluntarily choose to retire early, then in all probability you would have chalked out the course of action your life will take post retirement. However, if you are suddenly forced into early retirement, for example, when your employer asks you to retire ahead of your original retirement schedule, you are probably caught off guard, with absolutely no clue about how you are going to occupy yourself in your forthcoming idle life. This situation may also arise if you have voluntarily put in your retirement papers but have not planned your future course of action.

But there is hope on the horizon. As you slip into the first stage of early retirement, remember the words of Dale Carnegie: "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." Hope and confidence mixed with a dash of attitude is what you must have when you enter this stage, and here are a some interesting options you can explore to cope with the early retirement blues.

1. Pick up new skills

Our world is moving at a very fast clip. Technology gets obsolete, people are outsourced, and things change rapidly. The truth is that you must change with the times – and if you want to do that, you must pick up new skills that new-age employers are looking for. Remember, life is one big classroom and people learn something new everyday, so do not let the thought, "I'm too old to learn anything" come in the way. So, enroll in a course and learn new things and then start looking for a job if you still have many years of employment left.

2. Look for employment

Early retirement means that you have many years of experience behind you and you are armed with a rich body of knowledge. Remember, there are various employment opportunities for seniors and you can land up a job as a mature worker. No doubt you will find that you have to work harder at getting a new job, but you must keep chipping at it until you land one. Put your knowledge and experience to good use in your new job and carry on with life as if nothing happened. Nowadays, the world is fast becoming a smaller place and there are many freelance opportunities available. If your skill sets allow you to work from home, you can even become a full-time freelancer!

3. Teach

Many people take up teaching after early retirement, and that is a good thing to do. Teaching is a skill that can create something out of nothing: If you have the power to teach and influence people, then you can infuse your experience and practical knowledge into your students and turn them into more responsible, thinking and skilled individuals.

4. Volunteer

If you have planned for an early retirement, then you may be eager to contribute your experience and knowledge to the society. If this is the case then you must search for organizations looking out for volunteers and enroll with them.

These were some of the things you can do once you touch base with retirement. But no matter what you do, no matter how long it takes to get gainfully employed, do not lose home. Just keep thinking of what Winston Churchill once said, "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty". And keep going.