Stopping work might seem like a well-deserved break, but it can also precipitate big changes in brain health, including an increased risk of cognitive decline and depression.

Before retiring, you’re getting up in the morning, socialising with co-workers and dealing with the mental challenges of your job, said Ross Andel, a professor at Arizona State University who studies cognitive ageing and retirement. “All of a sudden, after 50 years, you lose that routine.”