Will I Die Soon After I Retire? My Fear of Losing Life’s Joy After Years of Hard Work

In the FIRE (financial independence, retire early) community, there is a definite hope that by retiring early, you will still have your best years ahead of you to enjoy life to its fullest. However, this is just a hope, and how much “life” you actually get to enjoy depends entirely on when you retire. 

This is precisely the scenario one Redditor is considering with a post in r/Fire, as they are in their late 20s and working up to 60 hours a week. Their goal is to save as much money as possible with an eye on retiring early, but after seeing a parent’s friend die relatively young, they are now concerned about being in a similar situation. 

To be honest, this Redditor sounds like they might be emotionally reacting to an unfortunate loss, although there is no question that many people worry about this. 

Fear of Dying Early

In their post, the Redditor mentions being in their late 20s and working 50-60 hours per week, which is a definite mental burden. In an effort to save as much as possible, they don’t do much outside of work and put aside a good portion of their money toward retirement. 

Understandably, they feel a little bit like their life is on autopilot as they just go to work and go home and are beginning to grow broader concerns. A lot of the fears that caused them to write this post stem from the idea that their dad’s coworker recently passed away at 58. 

As a result, they think this might be them someday, and now they suddenly fear dying right after they retire. They believe it’s more and more common, though I question whether or not this is true, or again, just an emotional reaction. 

Ultimately, their big concern stems from an idea that we work hard during our lives, but we’re unable to enjoy the fruits of our labor because people are passing away. 

This Is Why Fire Exists

While this fear of passing away early might need to be discussed with a professional if it starts to take over one’s life, it’s always why FIRE exists. The whole concept of retiring early so you can enjoy life while still able to do so motivates so many people. 

The comment section on this post is full of Redditors echoing this sentiment. They know this is the top reason to get out of the corporate rat race as early as possible. The longer people work and the more emotionally and mentally stressed they are, the more it affects everyone’s overall health, which can lead to a broader list of health concerns. 

One of the other popular comments echoed throughout the comment section is that the lesson here is to make sure you are prioritizing their health. As tomorrow is never guaranteed, you should focus on pushing toward the FIRE lifestyle so you have the time to enjoy everything you could want to do and more. 

Take Care Of Your Health

It should go without saying that taking care of your health is a central focal point of the FIRE lifestyle. The reality is that death isn’t the only concern many of these Redditors have, so there is a strong sentiment of going to gym, eating healthy, and trying to live a balanced life as you try and get through the mental anguish of saving as much as possible in a job you can’t wait to get away from. 

This is especially true if you have a family history of specific health issues, as mentioned repeatedly in the comment section. Whether it’s heart disease, diabetes, or something else entirely, if you know you may be at risk for something, you must be even more focused in your FIRE journey to try and minimize the likelihood that something will become a problem later on.

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