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Original poster

Quitting job to have a break - foolish or ok?

41 replies

Shazzanwnw · 04/02/2020 20:18

I’ve been in my current job for 18 months and don’t enjoy it at all - the work load is crazy, lots of pressure, poor management, unfriendly team etc etc. I constantly feel unwell and exhausted and have been feeling very stressed and unhappy for a while now.

Recently i’ve been considering quitting and taking a break. I am not sure how long for, possibly just to have a couple of months off and then look for a new job or maybe a bit longer if I decide to re-train or travel (both are possibilities at the moment).

I could support myself using savings for up to 12 months (although this would be living frugally and would deplete my savings). If I decided to travel or take longer off I could look at renting my house out.

I am nearly 40 and single and just feel trapped where I am, I never have the energy to look for another job and am not sure I even want to do the same role anymore.

My job is reasonably well paid and before it I had a couple of months out of work after being made redundant from my previous job so sometimes I think it would be madness to give it up to be unemployed and other times I think it’s making me bloody miserable and life’s too short to stay in this situation and that I should take a break if that’s what I think I need.

Do you think if I was applying for jobs in 6 months this would go against me? How could I explain it in a way that wouldn’t put people off?

OP posts:
SapphosRock · 05/02/2020 10:14

Do you own a property? If so rent it out use the money to travel the world.

In my alternative life I would have taught English in Thailand, learned to scuba dive in Australia, visited Mount Everest, gone trekking in Nepal.

I have a partner and DC though so plans are on hold for 18 years. If I was single and childless I would definitely do it now!

Ohfrigginghellers · 05/02/2020 10:15

Do it

Clutterfreeintraining · 05/02/2020 10:51

I'm in a similar situation but am planning to hold off for another few months to build my savings up further and various other reasons. I've saved enough to take a year off but will need the same amount again to cover the costs of travelling and to give me a bit of a buffer when I come back.

Just knowing that a big change is coming is helping me to focus and not get too stressed with work-related issues.

I am a bit anxious about giving up my business but I'm fairly confident I'll get a job when I return and if not, it'll be possible to rebuild my business but maybe with some slight tweaks to avoid getting into the stressful situations I've got myself in over the last couple of years.

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ItIsWhatItIsInnit · 05/02/2020 11:18

Do it. I quit my last job and got 2 offers within a month. I didn't have to explain anything other than "I didn't like my job, so I quit". Had a nice summer off!

Ursaminor · 05/02/2020 12:17

I went to:

  • Hong Kong (but would probably give that a miss at the moment)
  • Singapore - brilliant
  • Bali - it was an experience - not my favourite place (was in 1999 just after the East Timor war and they were missing their Australian tourists, so I felt under siege!)
  • West and South Australia, and Sydney ( the day after the millenium)
  • New Zealand ( got a MagicBus ticket and travelled North and South islands)- my favourite place in the world
  • Over to San Francisco, and with a North American railpass travelled to Seattle, Jasper, Winnapeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec
  • Down to Boston and home. Get an open jaw air ticket ( can arrive at one airport and depart from another) - I booked from Trailfinders, who gave good advice. Stayed in hostels and was never lonely - sometimes it was difficult getting a minute to yourself! Also - check the weather carefully. I set off in September and landed in HK in typhoon season. I would spend more time in South East Asia if I was doing it again.
HollyBollyBooBoo · 05/02/2020 12:24

I think this is the future...people will end up taking multiple career breaks over the course of their life because we'll all be working so much longer.

Your mental and emotional well being has to come first, I think you've made the right decision!

AmyFl · 05/02/2020 16:39

Thanks dimsum123, that's interesting that they wanted proof.

bruffin · 05/02/2020 17:02

New Zealand ( got a MagicBus ticket and travelled North and South islands)- my favourite place in the world
Mine too!

VetOnCall · 05/02/2020 17:06

Go travelling! I've taken extended periods of between 4 and 12 months between jobs several times and gone travelling and/or done voluntary work abroad for various charities providing veterinary care in deprived/remote regions. Then I jacked it all in in the UK and moved to Canada about 18 months ago. I'm very much a rather regret the things I don't do kind of person Grin I promise you wouldn't regret it though!

Cadenza12 · 05/02/2020 17:21

Why don't you just change jobs? Surely it's easier to get a job if you already have one?

Original poster
Shazzanwnw · 05/02/2020 21:36

Thanks all I'm liking all the stories of travelling!

I hope it will become more normal to take a break, it kind of annoys me how it's frowned upon by lots of people and seen as something negative on a CV

OP posts:
dimsum123 · 05/02/2020 21:50

I got my PADI diving certificate whilst in Oz (stayed on a boat in the great barrier reef for 3 days, was amazing!).

I'm sure that was the reason I got a really good job once I came back as during the interview the diving came up and it turned out the interviewer was a keen diver, we ended up chatting about that and I got offered the job! I was a lawyer in those days (pre DC) and this was a top city firm.

ByeMF · 05/02/2020 22:52

Do it! Life is too short to be miserable.

ItIsWhatItIsInnit · 06/02/2020 10:36

I hope it will become more normal to take a break, it kind of annoys me how it's frowned upon by lots of people and seen as something negative on a CV

I really think that's starting to change. I had 2 offers while I was unemployed, and another woman who joined at the same time had just taken a year out to travel round India and tried to start a meditation business.

I don't really get why we're "supposed" to work nonstop without any breaks till we're 65. What's wrong with taking a few months out? Does the fact that some people can save months/years worth of money and don't NEED to be employed constantly scare companies? Well, it shouldn't. If people like jobs, they stay, and if they don't, they won't.

InOtterNews · 06/02/2020 10:40

Do it. If you have savings from 12 months - maybe go travelling for 6 months. Then reassess. When you come back from travelling you'll have some money to live on while you job hunt etc

Rent the house out on a short-term let while you're away.

I've never had the luxury of taking a big chunk of time to travel - but I do have a fantastic employer who lets me go for a month at a time.

bruffin · 06/02/2020 12:02

Ds employer is great, he can buy extra holiday which is paid back over the year. He can also buy a travel voucher from STA which is paid back over the year as well

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