How do people work stressful jobs?

I really do not get how people can work 9-5 jobs Monday through Friday with bosses in your face telling you to hurry up or to smile. I am self employed at home as a programmer and when I was making good money life was great. Now I am losing money due to the economy so I may have to look into being a slave again. While reviewing the job ads, they remind me of how much I used to hate stressful jobs.



I rather have an easy job with average pay in a 1,300 sq ft home in a quiet neighborhood, than a ridiculously stressful job making $100K. I know some people say ';do what you love as a hobby as a job!'; however I used to LOVE working on cars and making them fancy with nice interiors and speakers, however after working as an installer for Circuit City, after I quit that job I never did anything custom to a car ever again.



So I am afraid to get a job as a programmer and hate it to a point where I no longer want to even look at a PC again like I did with installing car stereos. I think I must have mental problems or something since working such a job as a slave is extremely hard for me to a point where I hate life and I just have to quit working due to pounding migraines and sore legs.How do people work stressful jobs?
I would guess people that work stressful jobs have a successful way of relaxing and leaving the stress behind, or they just hide the stress from the outside world. You're not weak or anything because you quit a high-stress job. You just need to find a way to deal with stress. A few ways I deal with stress in the short-term are;



1. I listen to music (if I can, but usually I can't. However, this works best for me, especially if the music is slow and calming, like some of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata).



2. I imagine how I'll feel after I've finished the stressful task; relaxed, because that's one less thing to do, happy, because that means I'm that much closer to being done for the day, etc.



3. I imagine a vacation. It's like taking a vacation, but you're in the office/in the classroom/on the street. Personally, I imagine being on my own private island, sitting under the palm trees, listening to the waves and the seagulls, and watching a brilliant orange and purple sunset.



Also, the links below can give you more ideas. Find what works for you, and find a different place to work at where you can do the things you love. You can always find a different hobby to turn into your profession, but make it your second or third favorite thing to do. Make a list of your three favorite hobbies. Avoid choosing the first hobby, because then it becomes tedious and boring (unless you're really passionate and enthuisiastic about it). Good luck. I hope you find a low-stress job you like. :)How do people work stressful jobs?
A girls gotta eat...
work at michaels!! it's so much fun and so easy