I feel burnt out regularly. Earlier in my career I loved reading about software development, both research and practice. But my job isn't particularly stressful. At some points, I feel stress at work, often due to a lack of control over the work environment and vision of the leadership. But they don't push me to work a lot of hours. We're encouraged to use our PTO.

I think the issue, in American culture, is bigger than just employers and career choices. My wife and I discuss this subject often. The problem is that we are a two career couple who are raising a child in a culture that hasn't, and may never, adapt to not having one parent at home. Our society isn't setup for it. Vital services, like healthcare or simply furnace maintenance before Winter, require a person home from 9am-5pm. Doing so requires either working remotely or a promise to make up the time when you get back to the office.

I'm not sure what the answer is. Maybe working remotely will help. Maybe we need to postpone careers until kids are raised like my parents' generation did. (My wife is far better suited to a career. I would gladly volunteer to be at home if we didn't need both pays.)