Thinking about leaving work early because of stress is something I care about deeply. Stress is always with us, even for people who seem happy. It can come from relationships, sports disappointments, and, of course, work.
Not long ago, after a quiet spell in Cubicle Land, I sat through a meeting with several executives and things exploded. Fortunately my job wasn’t at risk, but as the saying goes, the fallout rolls downhill—and I felt like I was standing at the bottom with a flimsy umbrella.
Where I work, information moves up the ladder in bits and pieces, and only certain parts trickle back down. That incomplete picture, mixed with office politics, can help by keeping meddling executives away, but it can also land you in hot water for reasons you don’t understand.
Workplace stress is hurting people. A recent Harvard study, done with NPR and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that nearly half of working Americans say their jobs affect their health, and 72% of those say the effect is negative. I count myself among them.
Avoiding stress at work has helped my performance. I try to steer clear of politics-heavy meetings and focus on clear, calm execution. Mastering those habits shapes how management sees you: when things go sideways, you’ll be in a stronger position and your reputation can protect you—at least for a while.
Another major source of stress is when work takes over your life. Many colleagues work 50 to 60 hours a week or more, including nights, weekends, and holidays. It’s stressful just to think about. That pattern, stretched over months or years, wears you down. I’ve spent winter holidays and long weekends on war-room calls while trying to hit software deadlines at Fortune 500 firms—deadlines that are often missed despite the drama.
When you do have a big deliverable, sometimes there’s no avoiding the extra effort. If you give it your best, you stand a better chance of reaping rewards—raises, bonuses, promotions. Use those to pay down debt, max out tax-deferred accounts, and maybe invest in rental property or other income sources.
If you manage people, lead by example: aim for about a 45-hour week, avoid emailing at night, and take all your vacation every year. The most valued employees I’ve seen are the ones who get results with a good attitude, leave on time, and actually use their time off. By contrast, the people who burn themselves out with long hours and skip vacation are often the least effective and end up unhealthy.
From my career, I’ve learned a simple truth: no matter how strong you are or how well regarded, stressful situations will come up. You might be punished unfairly because of broken information flows or political jockeying. A team might suddenly fail to deliver. A re-org can sap morale and shake everyone’s confidence.
I don’t believe the best work always comes from companies where the CEO earns 300 times the average worker. Being your own boss and having control over your time is, to me, far more rewarding.
Leaving the daily grind gives you back your well-being. Think about being on vacation: by day two or three your worries start to melt away—that’s the feeling of distancing yourself from the constant demands of a 9-to-5 job. Early retirement won’t remove stress entirely, but it cuts out a big, politicized source of it.
More free time also makes it easier to exercise. I now manage three workouts a week—short runs, gym classes, or weight sessions at home—and I’d like to make daily activity a lifelong habit. If I want to live healthily into my late 90s, I can’t wait until retirement age to start.
Retiring early also gives you the chance to focus on what matters most: family and friends. Time seems to speed up as we get older, and it’s easy to end up with regrets about missed events or neglected relationships. If you can free up time now, you can avoid those regrets later and be there more for the people you love.
With that extra time, you can either drift into permanent vacation or use it to learn and create. Many great thinkers and creators did important work late in life—Franklin, da Vinci, Gandhi, Mandela, Mother Teresa, Picasso, Jane Goodall. I’m not saying early retirement guarantees genius, but it does give you room to explore passions, volunteer, paint, write, or take on projects you couldn’t in a cubicle job.
Travel is another perk. If you save and trim expenses, you can plan longer trips after you retire. Be mindful of the environmental cost of flights, travel with an open mind, and go beyond tourist zones—you’ll likely learn more about the world than from a guidebook (and maybe blog about it).
Saying goodbye to rush hour is a nice side effect of leaving work. Less commuting cuts your fuel use, saves time, and reduces the need for expensive work clothes and dry cleaning. You might even start a garden and source more local food. If quitting isn’t an option yet, look for ways to shrink your commute: bike, move closer, telecommute, or use public transit.
I’ve had to learn to handle anxiety the hard way—reacting quickly and figuring things out later. Sometimes medication is appropriate, and sometimes lifestyle changes make a big difference. I owe a lot to my wife for getting me into running. That runner’s high is real. I can clear my head better with a run than with other workouts; it leaves me with a positive buzz for hours.
These days, I’m getting better at managing stress. That said, it’s important to put things in perspective: many people face much worse problems than I do—homelessness, war, abuse, bullying, or addiction. Remembering our blessings and helping those in need is a powerful way to reduce stress and keep things in perspective.
Are you thinking about early retirement because of stress? I’d love to hear from you.