I have a nice job right now, but I don't know how long it will last. I don't have a work schedule, I can go weeks without anyone even DMing me on slack, 100% remote, and I have a lot of autonomy. The drawback is that it's part-time (I don't mind that it's part-time, I love the free time I have) and I have no idea how long this job will last (I'm entering my 4th month now). I make just enough to live comfortably in the Philippines and work only two days a week if I want to try out being a digital nomad (The only thing stopping me is my lack of job security).
As I mentioned, I have no idea how long the job will last and I have internalized employment-related trauma from previous jobs, so I having a feeling that I will be let go at any moment. While looking at job advertisements, I just feel dread that I will have to adhere to a schedule (clock in at X time and get off at X time), get micromanaged, and just be treated like actual trash. I also see advertisements using language such as “fast-paced” all too frequently, which we all know is just a corporate buzzword that is synonymous with a shitty work environment and has high employee turnover.
Basically, once you have a taste of what work/life COULD be, it's really hard to want to ever return to the norm.