I retire at 40 before I exhaust myself from work

I got married 26 years ago, six years after graduating and starting my career. At the time, I was working as a production manager for a foreign company in an industrial park. My working hours were from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., while my wife started at the same time but finished 30 minutes later.

My wife and I shared a common principle: after work, we would dedicate all our time to family and not bring work home. At night, we turned off the lights and went to bed at 9:00 p.m. sharp, ensuring we stayed healthy and ready for the next day.

Two years after getting married, we decided to have our first child. When our baby was six months old, we purchased a plot of land, built a house, and moved there. My wife quit her job to focus on raising our child. She started her own business and hired two assistants.

No matter how busy our work was, we always adhered to the principle of eating on time and getting enough sleep to maintain our health. We never felt the need to overwork ourselves to the point of compromising our health.

Our Gen Z children are influenced by our habits and never studied past 8:30 p.m. when they were young. Currently, my eldest is working while pursuing a Master’s degree, and my second child is in their third year of university.

I have been retired from my company for 10 years now, leaving when I was just over 40, to manage our business with my wife. In the mornings, we wake up early to exercise, clean the house, and drive out for breakfast before opening our business. At noon, we eat lunch, take a 30–45-minute nap to recharge, and then resume work. We finish work and start exercising at 5:00 p.m., then return home to cook dinner, eat, and relax.

This steady routine of balanced work and living has kept us physically and mentally healthy, avoiding the stress, exhaustion, and illnesses that plague many who overwork themselves.

Would you retire early if work were affecting your health?

*This opinion was translated into English with the assistance of AI. Readers’ views are personal and do not necessarily match VnExpress’ viewpoints.