Let me reassure you this is not the case. For a few people, it may be true, but I guarantee any decent job these days comes at a high price. There is increasing pressure to achieve more at work; to put in many, many hours of unpaid overtime to work yourself to death for the benefit of shareholders. You think these people look happy in their 9 - 5 but those ones with an actual 9 - 5 are at the other end of the spectrum - poorly paid and with little hope of flexibility, promotion or job satisfaction.

Happiness is your choice. Take some time to really think about what you want to do with your life and go and do it - that's how you find happiness. Don't look at others and think they have it better than you because they are probably looking at you and thinking the exact same thing.

You have to set boundaries, both in professional work and in the PhD. It is so easy to be swallowed up into a form of obsessiveness otherwise. Treeoflife is right in that many professional jobs are very time consuming and take a large chunk of your life as well. And with this form of work you have to ensure that your personal wellbeing, your relationships take priority at points. You have to allocate time to actually look after yourself, your home, your life. However, that being said, the very nature of theoretical study can be especially debillitating at times.

Today I tried to get to grips with the nuances between social constructionism and constructivism and then constructivism as educational theory and then how this impacts on phenomenological interpretation (while analysing transcripts). After a few hours of this I basically wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Honestly, understanding theory in a context, when it has a practical application and can basically do some good in the world-well there are no problems but once it is divorced from a human practical context-I HATE it with a passion.

So sorry to hear about your recent health scare Marasp and hope that things improve rapidly for you. Take care of yourself and your life-and remember to set those boundaries with your study (you will have to do it with your employment as well, whatever form of professional work and life you work within). You too Nick1-stay away from those theoretical black holes in Humanities and hang onto your original sense of purpose-it will be there somewhere buried within but still alive.

I think this might be very common in higher degree courses/science. When I was nearing the end of my 2-year Master's, I finished the report for my second big project and after that, would only have to write a literature thesis (which had 7 weeks scheduled for it). I started but I noticed that I couldn't think any more. I had worked so much, that I really needed a rest. I called the GP and they suggested taking a week off. On that day, I thought 'What am I going to do for a whole week?' and was doubting if I should follow their advice. I did and I spent the week meeting up with friends, sleeping in, not thinking about my course and after that week, I felt refreshed and was ready to put in the last bit.

I am doing PhD research now and notice that the same thing is actually happening where I get a cold really easily. I am still trying to find a better work-private life balance; it's hard.

Good luck and I hope you will listen to you body. Apply for the extension and take a few weeks away from your project.

For those who are wondering I am getting a long extension. The new resubmission date is early next year. It has to be done, as I am psychologically and mentally fragile and I do not respond well to treatment. BUT I AM NOT GIVING UP!

Thinking of you Marasp. I was wondering how you're getting on.

Here for you if you need to chat.

It IS possible to get through this.

All the very best x