- retiring @ 50 cannot be good for anyone - mentally, that is. You are far far too young to do sweet FA @ 50.
Thomas Coupling! Those two statements are not linked in any way! I retired at 51 and have never felt so mentally stimulated since I was at Uni. I won't go into detail about how I spend my day but rest assured that from the moment I get up (at a time of my choosing) to moment I turn out the light my brain is active and happily engaged on a variety of tasks. I simply stopped paid employment at 51 and no longer had to deal with the brain-dead mental pygmies who seemed determined to thwart best practice in my chosen profession. Believe me, working is not the secret to mental wellbeing!!!