Early retirement when living alone

[Scarletpetunias]

I am in the fairly fortunate position of being able to retire early - I’m seriously considering finishing next year when I’m 56. I can make the finances work, the one thing that is panicking me a bit is the fact I live alone and worry about loneliness etc.

I have a lovely DP but we live apart - 50 miles - so it tends to be weekends and holidays together. He’s also going to be working for another few years, which in a way is a good thing as I won’t be tempted to structure my new life just around him. However, colleagues I speak to who are at a similar stage to myself all have a DH/DP at home and it feels like that must give some security somehow.

i fully intend to find other pursuits when I stop full time work but I’m just interested to hear if others on their own managed the transition successfully. My current job is FT, pretty full on and involves a lot of meeting people.

Can you reduce to working part time, 2 or 3 days a week, for a year or two then retire?
Stats show that people who do this prior to retirement cope with the transition better.

@StripeyDeckchair that would be my ideal, but the job I do wouldn’t really lendd itself to PT working. I’d just end up having to catch up on everything I’d missed on the days off! I’d like to be ‘occupied’ for 2 or 3 days a week, either voluntary or paid in a less stressful type role. Unfortunately, I think I’ll need to make a clean break and then start looking for something new.