I quit my job, because I was burnt-out, and felt unappreciated. I spoke with my brother about it at the time to see if he had any advice. He simply asked me "Do you see yourself working there another 5 years?", that sealed it for me. No income, was living on savings at the time. During my time off (~3 months) I barely did any development, my focus was on fitness and improving my mental wellbeing. I didn't return to my old job, instead I started working for myself as a contractor. I no longer felt burnt-out, and the team I joined really appreciates me; so overall I felt the time off was a great decision. The only thing I would have done differently is create a new schedule, and reward system then stick to it. Do X this week, go do Y this weekend. I didn't expect the withdrawal symptoms, I still felt like a part of me was still at work. It takes a while to adjust to your new freedom, reality only started sinking in after the 1st month off. Time goes by so quickly, before you know it it's over. Ideally I would have liked more time off (6-9 months), but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to start working as a contractor at the time. My advice is if you're considering a sabbatical, do it! Just understand why you need one, and decide how long it should be then double it. Chances are you will only take a few sabbaticals in your career.