I think that you analyzed the situation correct in your second paragraph: E.g. people that work in construction: "Construction is a tough, heavy, manual industr

I think that you analyzed the situation correct in your second paragraph: E.g. people that work in construction: "Construction is a tough, heavy, manual industry where injury and ill health are likely; many workers leave the industry early due to ill health or musculoskeletal disorders (Arndt et al., 2005)." (Excerpt from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0003687015301058 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S000368701...) I come from a different career (mechanical engineering degree and then worked in infosec consulting) and i observed that software engineers have the following advantages: 1. highest degree of freedom in their working conditions. 2. The most intellectually challenging work there often is in the entire company. those are the reasons that have drawn me to this industry and they continue to hold true for me :) And yes, the body and mind needs balance from intellectual work. For me it works best to do sports and spent time with family.