“Our portfolio is down and prices are up. This has caused some anxiety in our household, and I’ve considered going back to work (even just part time.) I think more income will help with cash flow and reduce worry… but I’m concerned that I will feel like I failed at early retirement. What do you think about this?”
I don’t know the best way to work through this decision and associated emotions, but a technique that I have used successfully in the past is to find others who have been through something similar and see if I can learn from their decisions and example.