A job should allow you to live your life, not be your life.

My education and entire career prior to the pandemic was devoted to biochem. The expectation is that any time you're not in lab, you're thinking about your work. Which, at the time I loved -- it was the peak of everything I worked for.

The pandemic hit and shut all campus activities down, save for critical lab maintenance tasks. During the shutdown, I realized there was no reason for me to have driven myself so hard these years and that maybe there was more I could be do with my time than just working. Moreover, after taking a hard look at typical career advancement in the field, I understood academia would never offer the kind of compensation I felt anyone working that much deserved.

So I left -- took a new job in a completely unrelated field and am currently making over double the salary (even at an entry level position) for perhaps half the work. Since then, I've taken two vacations, spent far more time with my family and friends and enjoyed every weekend and holiday off, worry-free.

I miss the science dearly, but that career path precludes a personal life.