What kind of work were you doing? Framing houses? base and case? Cabinets etc? While I agree that a construction crew can have a few rough personalilites, I would assume these high paying tech jobs are going to come with much higher levels of stress.
Furthermore, there is no MMM rule that you have to ride your bike in freezing temperatures man! The rule is don't drive a 75k suv across 60 miles of high traffic roads every day. There is a balance here.
Handyman work can be really hard, finding, managing, billing and collecting from clients can be a HUGE pita. I would hang your own shingle as a specialist in whatever skill you have. There are TONS of guys who are a 1 man band in the trades and make great coin. Getting subbed out to and managed by a GC is is a hell of a lot easier than being micromanaged by some asshole homeowner that thinks they own you.
I was doing residential remodel, so a bit of everything. Framing, finish, siding, windows, doors, insulation, drywall, light roofing, flooring occasionally, cabinets occasionally--and probably more that I'm forgetting. I think you're right that high paying tech jobs would probably be more stressful.
You are totally right about the balance. I have a tendency to overdo things in pursuit of some ideal, while totally neglecting my own sensitivity. I recently bought a Kia Soul for 6k and suddenly I look back at my idealistic decision to pull all my tools with a bike trailer as being somewhat ridiculous and limiting, and adding unnecessarily to my stress. If I was working for a contractor in San Diego that only took jobs in a few neighborhoods, that'd be one thing. But I was pulling my tools all over Seattle, sometimes in shit weather.
I do wonder if I should just get another carpentry job, but be selective about it--ask for a 4 day work week right out of the gate, ensure that there are protocols for nipping interpersonal issue in the bud (unlike last time where I waited until I was on the verge of a mental breakdown), make sure there isn't a culture of "we don't take breaks, only lunch" (I will say I need my 2 x 10 minute breaks every day, unless there's a unique circumstance like a concrete pour), etc. Like, literally have a list of questions and stipulations to go over in the job interview.
Yeah I thought maybe I could focus on bathrooms and "hang my shingle" doing that. I keep going back to the idea of working 5 more years, really focus on skill acquisition and net worth while taking self care very seriously, and then when my net worth is between 250k and 500k and I have a decade of experience, either go out on my own, or be a sub for a GC, or something like that.