Retiring early? 7 out of 10 Americans do every year - Here’s how to plan

Does the idea of the daily grind becoming a distant memory sound amazing, but also anxiety-inducing?

If you’re entering your golden years, but need a little direction; Priority Health has a few suggestions.

First of all, recognize that this is a big change—the majority of your life has been spent working (typically for someone else, being told what to do, how it should be done, and when). You have limited free time, but the potential to earn whatever funding you need for your lifestyle.

In retirement, you are the boss of everything and have unlimited free-time, but you’re on a fixed income.

It’s totally normal to have some anxiety, get stressed, feel sadness, loneliness, disorientation, or even depression when faced with this existential flip.

Here’s where we enter ‘great power / great responsibility’ territory.

The best thing to do is take action.

Take care of yourself mentally and physically—make time for friends, hobbies, and relaxation, but keep yourself on a daily schedule to stay organized and mentally clear.

Call your doctor if you’re struggling mentally or physically. The faster you take care of it, the better.

Also—start planning what your life will look like on the day-to-day before pulling the rip-cord. Get your finances in order now so you know what kind of lifestyle you can support (and for how long) later. Get rid of debt faster by paying off higher-interest loans ASAP and avoid buying on credit unless you can afford to immediately pay your bill.

One more thing: look at what your healthcare options will be. Insurance is different when you’re not under your employer’s plan.

Priority Health has options you can explore , or you can get with your employer’s Human Resources department now to ask every question you can think of!