As they near retirement, almost everyone asks the same question: Will I be happier not working?

The quick answer for many of us is a resounding yes. But if you’ve spent much of your career hating your job, there’s no guarantee you’ll instantly flip the happy switch once you retire.

If you’re disheartened with your work and can’t wait to call it quits, you may count down the days and months until you can leave it all behind. Just don’t expect to turn into a gleeful lover of life the day after you retire.

“Happiness is a habit you build over time,” said Andre Martin, an organizational psychologist in Portland, Ore. “If you’ve been disengaged at work for a long time, you can carry it into your next chapter.”

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