Table 2 Themes at time 1 and follow-up... | Emerald Publishing

Table 2

Themes at time 1 and follow-up (T2) and the changes in the themes over time

Time 1 Themes	Time 2 Themes (follow-up)	Changes in themes over time
The impact of retirement on identity	Navigating occupational identity challenges	Academics continued to experience identity challenges as they adapted to retirement Over time there were tensions between how they view themselves versus how others in society viewed them as retirees
The freedom of retirement	Structuring free time	Academics continued to find freedom from their work (creating more time) as the main benefit of retirement. Over time participants structured their free time intentionally. Those who were retired for some time balanced their free time so that it has some structure, yet had space for them to choose to participate in activities spontaneously
Striving for health and well-being (physical exercise and the absence of stress)	Appreciating health and well-being	Academics continued to enjoy health with many focused on appreciating their current health and well-being. They became aware of potential for changes in their daily lives associated with the aging process
The value of ongoing professional relationships in retirement	Continuing meaningful professional relationships and activities	Academics continued to attend conferences and get invited to collaborate in projects. Relationships and engaging occupations were essential to continued participation (especially for the senior research-active academics)

Time 1 Themes	Time 2 Themes (follow-up)	Changes in themes over time
The impact of retirement on identity	Navigating occupational identity challenges	Academics continued to experience identity challenges as they adapted to retirementOver time there were tensions between how they view themselves versus how others in society viewed them as retirees
The freedom of retirement	Structuring free time	Academics continued to find freedom from their work (creating more time) as the main benefit of retirement. Over time participants structured their free time intentionally. Those who were retired for some time balanced their free time so that it has some structure, yet had space for them to choose to participate in activities spontaneously
Striving for health and well-being (physical exercise and the absence of stress)	Appreciating health and well-being	Academics continued to enjoy health with many focused on appreciating their current health and well-being. They became aware of potential for changes in their daily lives associated with the aging process
The value of ongoing professional relationships in retirement	Continuing meaningful professional relationships and activities	Academics continued to attend conferences and get invited to collaborate in projects. Relationships and engaging occupations were essential to continued participation (especially for the senior research-active academics)