Thanks for the thoughtful reply! Really helpful. The NGO sounds interesting. I read about a company like that that used pouchdb...wonder if it's the same one.

Thanks! Probably the same one, they were called "eHealth Africa".

Thanks. I'm worried about asking for a favor like that from my boss and coming back only to quit. And I'm worried that they'll misunderstand the term "burnout" and it will limit my options for returning one day in the future. What do you think?

Thank you!

Sure thing! If you wish to speak to (anonymously if you so wish, no problem at all for me), just shoot me an email at [email protected] :) I believe in such times talking about how you feel helps recovering.

I haven't asked for an extended holiday. I'm worried about making such a big ask of my boss (our culture is not very progressive) and then coming back only to quit. What do you think?

Why is an extended holiday such a big ask? - would they rather give you that or lose you to ill health? What you could do is just quit, take a few months off then start applying for a new job. I would have thought someone with your level of experience could easily find a new gig. Only you know your exact situation.

Great list! Several of those resonate with me. Thank you. I've been able to isolate the things I love about my job, and the things that contribute to my burnout. I can make changes to influence them (not completely change them), but I'm not sure I have the drive to anymore :-/

Thanks, I enjoyed the episode.

Thanks. Were you worried you'd come back and quit after making such a big ask of 3 months off?

Yes, definitely. But at least if that happened I would know it was the right thing to do and not be stuck in that hellish cycle of “what if”.

Interesting how many comments and articles I've seen like this. I haven't seen a comment or article saying they took the leap and regretted it. Does that mean no one ever regrets it, or those comments/articles just don't get upvoted? :P

OK so if you are not happy where you are and you make the leap and it doesn't work out then you can always go back to your old life. What have you lost? The thing is it doesn't have to be a giant leap into the unknown where all is lost if it doesn't work out - that's how people perceive it in their head. I've tried plenty of things that didn't work out, but you back up, regroup and try again from a different angle. I think what you'd regret more than anything is staying in a life that leaves you cold. If you live like that your hand will be forced eventually. Better off preparing for the inevitable.

Thanks. How long was your vacation, and how burned out were you before it?

Thanks. Don't you worry about asking for such a favor from your boss and then coming back only to quit?

Not really: it is a gamble you both are playing.

For your Boss, replacing you will take much longer than the 6 week sabbatical she's giving you, AND it will probably cost her more than your salary in that interim. So if you're quitting today, she'd like to take the gamble that you stay. Her gamble is that you are actually happy at your gig as you say you are, and she can save herself a whole lot of hassle. Worst case scenario she loses a month of lead time on an at-least-3-months headhunt. A bit of a wincer, but you can try to make that easier by letting her know as soon as you know that you're done.

If the job market was different, then I would be much more timid about the open strategy. If you do, in fact, dislike your job and are never going to come back, then you're changing the odds on the gamble and hurting your Boss unnecessarily. This could all backfire if your Boss doesn't value you as much as you think they do, but no one is usually off-base on that.

Good point. Thanks.