The Leisure Trap: Why High-Achievers Struggle with Retirement
Wed Feb 04 2026
What if the biggest threat to your health isn’t stress, but the boredom and loss of identity that comes after you leave it behind?
Host Beverley Glazer sits down with University of Toronto gerontologist Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver to discuss how high achievers—physicians, CEOs, and Olympians—navigate the "Identity Gap." If you’ve hit a wall after leaving a leadership role, this is your roadmap for a "second awakening."
What you’ll learn in this episode:
The High-Achiever’s Wall: Why leaving a career of high-stakes decisions can feel like grief.The Identity Gap: How to stop being "the former CEO" and start thriving on curiosity.Avoiding the "Leisure Trap": Why hobbies aren't enough and how to design a meaningful daily structure.Resilience as a Skill: Practical habits to move from professional burnout to personal purpose.Guest Credentials: Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver is the Chair of the Department of Health & Society at the University of Toronto and the author of Retirement and Its Discontents.
In this episode, we cover: Retirement Identity Crisis | Finding Purpose After 50 | High-Achiever Career Transitions | CEO and Physician Retirement | Healthy Aging Research | Gerontology | Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver | Reinvention for Women Over 50 | Overcoming the Leisure Trap.
For similar episodes on reinvention and retirement check out #153 of Aging with Purpose and Passion
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Resources:
If you’re over 50 and love to travel, The Ageless Traveler is your #1 resource for life long travel. Discover exciting places, luxury travel for less, grandparent and solo travel, culture and culinary experiences, and meet the people who make travel easy. https://agelesstraveler.com
Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver – Author & Gerontologist
📧 mpannor@gmail.com
🌐 https://www.michellepannorsilver.com
📸 Instagram: @michelle_in_to
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pannor-silver-43712785
📘 https://www.facebook.com/michelle.pannor/
Beverley Glazer, MA – Reinvention Strategist, Empowerment Coach & Host
🌐 https://reinventImpossible.com
💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverleyglazer
📘 https://www.facebook.com/reinventImpossible
👥 https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenover50rock
📸 https://www.instagram.com/beverleyglazer_reinvention/
Send us a text
🎁 BONUS: Tired of 3 AM Overthinking? Get the "Stuck to Unstoppable" Roadmap and receive my weekly strategic insights for women 50+ delivered to your inbox every weekend. GET THE FREE RESOURCE Here: https://reinvent-impossible.aweb.page/from-stuck-to-unstoppable
Have feedback or a powerful story that's worth telling? Contact us at info@Reinventimpossible.com
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What if the biggest threat to your health isn’t stress, but the boredom and loss of identity that comes after you leave it behind? Host Beverley Glazer sits down with University of Toronto gerontologist Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver to discuss how high achievers—physicians, CEOs, and Olympians—navigate the "Identity Gap." If you’ve hit a wall after leaving a leadership role, this is your roadmap for a "second awakening." What you’ll learn in this episode: The High-Achiever’s Wall: Why leaving a career of high-stakes decisions can feel like grief.The Identity Gap: How to stop being "the former CEO" and start thriving on curiosity.Avoiding the "Leisure Trap": Why hobbies aren't enough and how to design a meaningful daily structure.Resilience as a Skill: Practical habits to move from professional burnout to personal purpose.Guest Credentials: Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver is the Chair of the Department of Health & Society at the University of Toronto and the author of Retirement and Its Discontents. In this episode, we cover: Retirement Identity Crisis | Finding Purpose After 50 | High-Achiever Career Transitions | CEO and Physician Retirement | Healthy Aging Research | Gerontology | Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver | Reinvention for Women Over 50 | Overcoming the Leisure Trap. For similar episodes on reinvention and retirement check out #153 of Aging with Purpose and Passion Please Support the Show: If this story resonated with you please Subscribe and leave a 5-star review. It helps us reach more people who need to hear this. Resources: If you’re over 50 and love to travel, The Ageless Traveler is your #1 resource for life long travel. Discover exciting places, luxury travel for less, grandparent and solo travel, culture and culinary experiences, and meet the people who make travel easy. https://agelesstraveler.com Dr. Michelle Pannor Silver – Author & Gerontologist 📧 mpannor@gmail.com 🌐 https://www.michellepannorsilver.com 📸 Instagram: @michelle_in_to 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-pannor-silver-43712785 📘 https://www.facebook.com/michelle.pannor/ Beverley Glazer, MA – Reinvention Strategist, Empowerment Coach & Host 🌐 https://reinventImpossible.com 💼 https://www.linkedin.com/in/beverleyglazer 📘 https://www.facebook.com/reinventImpossible 👥 https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenover50rock 📸 https://www.instagram.com/beverleyglazer_reinvention/ Send us a text 🎁 BONUS: Tired of 3 AM Overthinking? Get the "Stuck to Unstoppable" Roadmap and receive my weekly strategic insights for women 50+ delivered to your inbox every weekend. GET THE FREE RESOURCE Here: https://reinvent-impossible.aweb.page/from-stuck-to-unstoppable Have feedback or a powerful story that's worth telling? Contact us at info@Reinventimpossible.com