...and I know people who aren't working to burnout levels who are doing just fine, so YMMV. Typically these people make deliberate lifestyle choices (avoiding

...and I know people who aren't working to burnout levels who are doing just fine, so YMMV. Typically these people make deliberate lifestyle choices (avoiding car ownership, renting near work instead of owning far away from work, using the time they don't spend commuting to cook more, etc.) combined with reasonable financial choices. They also tend to have less traditional employment (e.g. consulting / freelancing instead of W-2), giving them more "time flexibility" (which is different from more time, and somewhat orthogonal), "space flexibility" (e.g. don't need to commute, can blend travel and work as desired), and "situation flexibility" (e.g. freedom to switch clients / employers, or to turn down high-paying high-stress work in favor of lower-paying lower-stress work). Finally, most people in this category are also much better at saying no, communicating clear expectations around deadlines, identifying the right problems to solve, and negotiating raises than most people. It sounds like you want it both ways: you want to reduce your workload without giving anything up or learning the skills that make that possible. You're right - it doesn't work that way, and you have to decide what you want more. Personally, I'd take the added time in a pinch.