Ask HN: 37% paycut to escape software burnout
me: mid-30's, dad to 3, software engineer and mentally ill for over 20 years
situation: been "doing career" for 7 years in software engineering, advancing to 100k a year but sacrificing myself in the meantime (anxiety and suffering from schizotypal disorder)
effect: my mental condition and quality of life has been steadily worsening over the years but since i began "careering" its become worse to the point of not living home anymore and basically "just working" and being exhausted to the point of not being the great dad i want to be.
choice: a new job has been posted: be a tech at a museum, earn 37% less, flexible and reduced working hours and stress, work close to home, be part of creative development of exhibitions etc.
i am very much thinking that those 37% is easy to "sacrifice" for the opportunity of not feeling i am rapidly decaying but it also seems like a "shutting the door behind me" to a skillset i've been developing since age 7 to me now doing data engineering.