Ask HN: How to not feel bad/guilty about quitting the current job for a break?

Using a throwaway account for obvious reasons. I am a 28 year old developer working in New York at one of the big tech companies for the last several years. Lately I am finding myself burnt out and in poor health both physically and mentally and all around miserable. I have lost joy in a lot of things in life including the work. I recognized work being a key thing contributing to this and made the decision to quit my job, take 2-3 months off just mentally recovering and improving my physical health and then finding a new job at another company- likely a startup instead of another megacorp.

I have enough money saved up that I could afford to not do anything for many years and live off my savings if I wanted. I am single with no house, no kids or responsibilities and a simple lifestyle, the most expensive thing I own is my $2500 desktop.

However as I get closer to handing in my resignation the more self-doubt is creeping in. The thing is this job pays incredibly well and I feel guilty quitting it to take an extended break without having anything lined up. Another thing is that I have been working basically non-stop since I was 16-17 so the idea of taking 2-3 months off for myself is also making me feel bad and guilty. Moreover I see people who are much worse off then me who continue to grind and that makes me feel even more guilty for doing this.

I imagine there are many here who might have been in similar situations and can share their story and offer advice. I would love to hear your thoughts on this What should I do and how do I stop feeling like shit for considering this?

I didn't even hate my job and I quit to take 2 months to travel. Giving myself some time off to experience new places, meet new people, and work on projects I wanted to was the best thing I've ever done. I'm much like you where I worry about always being better for tomorrow, but that means you don't live today. Or if you are, it's not to your full potential.

Even when I was abroad, I would still put in a 4 hour day, dedicated to whatever project I felt like working on. What you don't realize is how much work occupies not only your physical time, but your mental time. I had 8 full hours that I never had to think about things I wanted to do. In the end, it re-ignited my passion for code and gave me a new perspective on how I want to work the rest of my life.

Unlike these jobs, your youth and health won’t always be there. Figure out what you would regret least and do that. I just resigned from my job, with only 10k in savings, to pursue something that I find extremely compelling.

> Moreover I see people who are much worse off then me who continue to grind and that makes me feel even more guilty for doing this.

Unless you want to be a saint and donate all your money to charity then there will always be people less fortunate than you. Though perhaps donating some money to charity will make you feel better about it? And of course be a good thing to do. But to ruin your mental and physical health by working yourself silly just because there are others who have to go through the daily grind in worse conditions would be a real shame.

Some people spend their money on fancy cars or big houses, you spend your money on 2-3 months off, think of it that way.

Also, perhaps you should look into freelancing sites like toptal? I don't have experience using them myself but from what I hear if you are good enough to pass the interviews then they have a wide range of work available and you can choose how many hours per week you want to work. Apparently the pay is not as good as you would get in New York but it might be enough to live on if you have a simple life. Perhaps consider working 20-30 hours a week after your break so you don't have to feel guilty about using up all your savings?

You're feeling what you're feeling because you're trying to treat your mental health issues yourself, and your mental health issues are interfering with your attempt at treatment.

Instead of trying to self-treat, you really should go see a mental health professional; that's what they're there for. Your work very likely will cover it; if not, well, this is why you have savings. Once a professional has helped you deal with your unhealthy attitudes towards work and what could very possibly be depression, then you can determine the best way to move forward with your life.