But they do have other concerns: What’s the best response to strangers at parties who ask, “So what do you do?” How do they handle peers’ curiosity (can you really afford to do this at your age?) and envy (so you really CAN afford to do this!)? What kind of message are they sending their children?

For Donna Buxton, who had a very demanding job in computer operations in the health care industry until her retirement at 46, the big issue was guilt. Never mind that her husband, Michael, who at the time was the president of a forging company, was doing well enough on his own to support the family — the couple has one daughter — and was encouraging her to walk away.

“I had a very strong work ethic, and I felt I should be contributing to the household in a financial way,” said Ms. Buxton, now 55, who lives in Villa Park, Calif. “But my husband kept repeating to me that he didn’t want me to work for the sake of working — he wanted me to work only if I were passionate about it.”

Her passion had been dampened by the round-the-clock nature of her job.

“The stress level was so high, and it was taking such a huge toll on the family, that we decided it wasn’t worth it anymore,” Ms. Buxton said.

Since retiring, she has become involved in civic affairs and joined a golf group and a health club. She has had some job offers, “but,” she said, “I was so burned out I turned them down.”

Stress reduction was also what Al Villeta was after when he retired last year, at 52, from his job as a UPS driver and porter in Forest Hills, Queens.