I retired at 62 with everything I thought I wanted - and within a year I understood why so many men don't survive it - Silicon Canals

"Three months after my retirement party, I found myself sitting in my home office at 2 PM on a Tuesday, staring at a blank computer screen. The cursor blinked back at me, waiting for something, anything. But for the first time in forty years, I had absolutely nothing to type. The silence was deafening. I'd done everything right, or so I thought. Saved aggressively, invested wisely,"

"You spend forty years being something. In my case, I was a senior executive, then later a business owner. Every morning, I knew exactly who I was and what I needed to do. My calendar told me where to be, my inbox told me what mattered, and my title told me who I was. Then one day, it all stops."

A retiree experienced profound emptiness and loss of purpose in early retirement despite financial preparedness. After four decades of professional identity, daily structure vanished and social roles blurred, leaving confusion about self-worth and conversational footing. Financial planning failed to address psychological consequences, creating a 'psychological crater' when role and routine evaporated. Retirement increased risk of social isolation, diminished meaning, and health decline. Successful transition requires deliberate planning for identity, routines, meaningful activities, social connections, and mental-health support to preserve purpose and prevent deterioration. Practical steps include phased retirement, volunteer work, hobby development, and professional counseling.

Read at Silicon Canals