High Stress Job -- Stick it Out?

[shengjiang]

I work part-time, which is a huge plus because I have two small children but in some ways makes my high stress job more stressful because the job was not meant to accommodate a part-time schedule.  My income represents less than 1/3 of our HHI.  We save 100% of my income.  I feel like I have enough time with my kids, so that is not the issue -- if it were, this would be an easy decision and I would quit.  The problem is just the stress.  Would you stick it out for a few more years for the money?  In case it is relevant, we have a high HHI but live in a very high COL area / pay a lot of taxes. Not very Mustachian but trying to be more so.  I am feeling down in the dumps now but overall, quality of life is good (weekends free to spend with kids, able to eat breakfast and dinner with kids even on working days, only in office 3 days per week).  I have been trying to adjust my attitude as overall I really am amazingly lucky but some days it is hard to do that.

[ponyespresso]

Quit! I had a super stressy job way back when, I was getting depressed, so stressed, etc. The day I quit, my stress levels and mood improved dramatically. I totally had a situational depression (I remember wondering if it was the job, or just general depression -- it was the job).

If you quit perhaps you could trim your spending to help make up for your lost income. And of course, you can look for a better job. IMO life's too short to do something that makes you unhappy & stressed.

[AZDude]

I work part-time, which is a huge plus because I have two small children but in some ways makes my high stress job more stressful because the job was not meant to accommodate a part-time schedule.  My income represents less than 1/3 of our HHI.  We save 100% of my income.  I feel like I have enough time with my kids, so that is not the issue -- if it were, this would be an easy decision and I would quit.  The problem is just the stress.  Would you stick it out for a few more years for the money?  In case it is relevant, we have a high HHI but live in a very high COL area / pay a lot of taxes. Not very Mustachian but trying to be more so.  I am feeling down in the dumps now but overall, quality of life is good (weekends free to spend with kids, able to eat breakfast and dinner with kids even on working days, only in office 3 days per week).  I have been trying to adjust my attitude as overall I really am amazingly lucky but some days it is hard to do that.

Why is stressful? It could just be a problem of perception.

[mxt0133]

Does the stress bleed over to your non-working hours?  What is it exactly that is causing the stress, is it time constraints, toxic co-workers, ect?  If you pinpoint what the cause of stress is then maybe you can begin to reduce it.

I can understand that reluctance to quit because you feel lucky that you are able to save all of your salary and still spend time with your kids.  For me it's really a simple decision, since I am the only working spouse and I don't want to go on welfare, I suck it up.  But I do try to reduce the stress my job causes me, by taking regular breaks and mental health days, not letting little things upset me, ect.  I try to focus on the aspects of the job that I enjoy and the things that are meaningful to me.

[Jon_Snow]

I stuck it out...because FIRE was within reach. But it did not come without some personal costs.

The reality of FIRE has been beyond my expectations so I don't find myself filled with a ton of regrets. I figured there was time to "fix myself" in my FIRE life-phase. So far so good. :)

[Dee18]

When trying to make a decision like this, two things can help.  One is to refine your information.  Another is to think of more possibilities instead of viewing it as only having two options.  For the first, figure out the actual lost income after taxes.  If you view your income as the last dollars in at the highest bracket, how much money would you be giving up? Is it worth it to you and your family? As for the second thing, brainstorm additional possibilities:  quit this job and do something else part time or quit this job and go back to work at some point when the kids are older, or go ahead and apply for other less stressful part time jobs and see what turns up.  Also remember that most hard decisions are hard because they are 55-45, rather than 90-10.  If you were 90% sure of the answer, the issue would be easy.  But when it's 55-45 remember that whichever one you choose is probably not terribly "right" or "wrong." It's just a choice.