This could seem pithy, but as a middle-aged software developer with a comfortable existence, I recognize a lot of where you're coming from. I think that it's h

This could seem pithy, but as a middle-aged software developer with a comfortable existence, I recognize a lot of where you're coming from. I think that it's hard to reduce work hours too - it's how a lot of us in industry define ourselves; commits, features, bugfixes and projects are how we look back and measure success. But reducing work hours and taking time back for yourself is part of the solution, I reckon. I took a week off work a little while ago and went for a 300+ mile multi-day cycle ride (stopping in at restaurants, bars and hotels along the way -- nothing fancy, but all different experiences and conversations). I don't know if it's realistic to spend more than a month doing that -- or whether I'd begin to feel guilty because not everyone can take the opportunity to -- but it genuinely improved my sense of self and health, for a while at least.