[thrownawaydad]

You have my sympathies. I did this once (see my other comment). In my case, finding the next job without having an existing one was unusually difficult. (Yes, everyone says this.) Employers strongly avoid the unemployed. And as it happens, it cut my comp in half.

It's a tradeoff, but there's more to life than money.

[lampshades]

As a counterpoint, I found it extremely easy to find a new job without having an existing one.

[thekiptxt]

In your case, did it end up being worth it in the end?

[thrownawaydad]

Yes, but the alternative in my case probably would have involved suicide. Unfortunately, that's not something you can tell prospective employers, as an explanation for taking a break. (I'm not at all suicidal these days, so worry not.)

My suggestion there is to think of a plausible fib that won't raise flags. You could make up a consulting jaunt or maybe a dying relative you had to take care of. Or just say you needed a sabbatical. This might seem unethical, but my read is that employers really _want_ to see you "act normal", which in our society means lying about certain things in a professional context.

[thekiptxt]

I’m very glad to read this, as I am feeling in a similar boat, and the strong impetus to move was getting close to suicide. Thankfully, I am making progress and I have committed to the changes, which lifts my spirits.

This comment is encouraging, thank you.

[thrownawaydad]

Good luck. Perhaps useful to keep the Buddhist parable of the farmer in mind: https://donsnotes.com/religion/parables/buddhist-farmer.html

In short, it's hard to tell whether something that seems awful now might not turn out to be good in the long run.