As someone who has tried that, eventual depression. Sitting around doing nothing is awesome until it isn't
I took a over a year off from working two years ago, and it probably took less than 6 months for depression to begin setting in. By a year I recognized how awful and lethargic I felt, and when I started working again a few months later I was ecstatic to get out of bed at 6:30am to actually go do something every day. In the past this is something I would've loathed, but it was so much better than sitting around all day playing games.
I can't speak for others, but I know personally I need "work" to be happy. I don't think it has to be a job at an office, but something to make me feel like I'm contributing and striving towards something useful & bigger than myself.
There's definitely a magic number there for people who are used to being productive/creative at work. Finding the proper length for a hiatus where you feel refreshed and ready to work again without the burnout, but not so long that you become depressed/lazy/restless is tough. Especially so if it takes a while to find the next job after said hiatus the restlessness and depression can set despite the planning.
I took a over a year off from working two years ago, and it probably took less than 6 months for depression to begin setting in. By a year I recognized how awful and lethargic I felt, and when I started working again a few months later I was ecstatic to get out of bed at 6:30am to actually go do something every day. In the past this is something I would've loathed, but it was so much better than sitting around all day playing games.
I can't speak for others, but I know personally I need "work" to be happy. I don't think it has to be a job at an office, but something to make me feel like I'm contributing and striving towards something useful & bigger than myself.