First let me say that I agree with you on one thing: there are probably thousands of jobs that I feel fortunate to not have to do every day. And many of those

First let me say that I agree with you on one thing: there are probably thousands of jobs that I feel fortunate to not have to do every day. And many of those are physically difficult professions that are taxing on the body. I also feel privileged to work in a profession where I get to do something that I enjoy, and I get paid for it. However, the situation you describe for yourself is not the same situation discussed in the article. You are making your own decision to work how ever many hours a day you work. And you are reaping the rewards from that work directly (I'm assuming you are self-employed, since you said you are your own boss). You are not being asked to work 80 hour weeks by someone else, and then not getting compensated even in the form of gratitude from your employer for going the extra mile to get something done for the company. I (and multiple friends of mine) have been in that situation before, and it's no picnic. When you are expected to deliver on deadlines that are beyond completely unrealistic, and are pressured on every side to "just get it done" by people who know absolutely nothing about developing software, and are reprimanded for coming in late after working long hours the night before it can be extremely hazardous to your health. Stress can kill you, and the body does need sleep. Long hours day after day for weeks on end catches up with you, and yes it can cause serious health problems. BTW, the fact that you are sitting on your backside the whole time actually makes the situation worse, not better. Happily, it has been a long time since I've been in that situation, and I intend to continue to do everything I can to keep it that way.