New Delhi, Jan. 26 -- Retiring before age 65 is a dream for many workers. For Taylor Kovar, turning dream into reality made him anxious and depressed.

Having worked since he was a teenager, Kovar decided when he got married at age 23 that he wanted to say goodbye to working when he turned 35. The Lufkin, Texas, resident saved and invested aggressively-some years setting aside as much as 50% of his family's income-and sold a healthcare business to retire in late 2021 at age 35. The next three years were spent traveling to all 50 states with his family, and trying hobbies like golf and fishing, only to learn how unsatisfying he found those pastimes to be.

The mental shift that came with retirement was even more difficult. Kovar remembers ...