ive heard horror stories. i feel like doing a phd (at least in my field which is molec cell bio and immunology) means losing a chunk of your life to being stressed out and hating your life.

is it worth it? i have a lot of passion for my field (im a researcher at the moment) and im aiming for my masters because im scared of committing to a phd. i love my life, i love going on random day trips, i love staying up late with fiends, i love traveling. im scared that would all go away and i'll lose my mind or something.

ive been advised by more advanced people in my field to just go for the phd. but im just scared.

is it possible for a phd to be... chill?