Lesley Doyle has worked as a commercial property solicitor for several years, working for a number of top firms and controlling the property portfolios of well known companies.

Lesley Doyle: "I suddenly enjoy my job"

Last year she progressed to a job where she was earning �55,000 a year, but the hours were long and made worse by an hour and a half commute each way to work.

"I'd have long spells where I'd be working until nine or 10 at night at least two or three days a week, and I'd be working two weekends out of every three," she says.

"I was dreading going into work, and waking up in the middle of the night and worrying about things I hadn't done."

She left the post late last year, and in January took another job with a much lower salary.

She still works as a commercial property solicitor, although she deals with much smaller clients.

But she has no regrets about making the switch.

Healthier lifestyle

"I suddenly enjoy my job, and I enjoy my clients and the people I work with."

She has a much shorter journey to the office, giving her more time outside work.

"I'm not so tired, I see my husband and I can play golf in the evenings."

"I don't work at weekends unless I really want to."

And she says the switch has improved her health.

"I now can buy proper food and cook it in the evening rather than grab a snack at the station when the train's delayed."

"I've lost two stone without really trying and my blood pressure's gone down."

Getting away from it

Steve Austwick made a rather more drastic change to his lifestyle.

He had worked as an accountant for 13 years, when he left his job last year to move to the Latvian capital Riga.

To me the balance should be towards your personal life, your family life and your leisure time

Steve Austwick

Together with his wife he helps to run a charity for homeless children in the city.

He got a mixed reaction from his workmates when he told them of his plans.

"Some thought it was great, some thought I was crazy," he says.

He is still working as an accountant in Latvia, but is earning much less money.

"I'm not here as a big career move upwards because I've had a big career move downwards in terms of numbers.

"I've moved jobs to have the quality of life that I want with less money, rather than moving jobs just to change the number of hours I'm in the office."

More space

But his lower salary still goes a long way in Latvia.

"In Reading, where I was before, I was living in a little Victorian terrace house.

"Here I've got an 1800 square foot, four bedroom apartment in a nice part of town for half the price - that's a huge difference."

He thinks people should not concentrate on their jobs to the exclusion of everything else.

"To me the balance should be towards your personal life, your family life and your leisure time."

"I don't like the idea of putting in long hours day after day just to pull in some more money in future."