A 29-year-old software engineer who quit his ₹25 lakh per annum job sparked discussion online about burnout, mental exhaustion and stepping away from corporate life.
In a Reddit post titled, “29, resigned from my ₹25 LPA software job, and I genuinely don’t want to work anymore,” the techie said he had spent years chasing ambition, money and growth, but had now reached a point of mental exhaustion. “I’m a software engineer with around 6 years of experience, and recently I resigned from my ₹25 LPA job. To be honest, I think I’ve reached a point where it just feels like “bas ho gaya’,” he wrote.
The techie explained that since his college days, he had constantly worked on multiple hustles alongside his job, including teaching students, freelancing, working through UrbanClap and building websites for clients. “I used to be an extremely ambitious person from my college days… But somewhere along the way, I feel mentally exhausted from this entire cycle of working endlessly,” he wrote.
He also said that as of now, he has no plans of marriage, kids or a very structured future. He said that he currently has savings of around ₹15 lakh and is considering moving to Manali to live a slower and more peaceful life for a few years. “Financially, I know I’m not ‘free,’ but I feel I can survive for at least 1–2 years comfortably,” he said, adding that if his monthly expenses remain around ₹30,000, he could comfortably survive for 3-4 years.
He also admitted that he is not actively looking for another job and does not feel a strong desire to return to corporate work anytime soon. “At this stage, I just want peace, clarity, slower days, time to think, and maybe eventually figure out what kind of life I actually want,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}He also admitted that he is not actively looking for another job and does not feel a strong desire to return to corporate work anytime soon. “At this stage, I just want peace, clarity, slower days, time to think, and maybe eventually figure out what kind of life I actually want,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}“Maybe I’ll build something later, maybe I’ll freelance again, maybe I’ll create apps/projects on my own terms… I genuinely don’t know yet,” he added.
Social media reactions
The post quickly drew reactions from users, many of whom shared similar experiences with burnout and career fatigue.
One user wrote, “Good decision. And you can always freelance bro. Yes, i quit corporate last year, am a freelancer. Life's never been better.”
“Burnout is real. In the same boat , take some time for yourself. I would also highly recommend the following things : check vit d levels, aerobic excercises, consult a therapist,” commented another.
“On the same boat, will quit after financial freedom,” shared a third user.
One user also said that taking a break from work had helped them mentally and professionally. “had been in this stage last year , took a break for 3 months , went for a bike trip, spent quality time for my own , resigned in november now restarted again joined another org and this break has been something which i would recommend everyone. sometimes you need to take a break to free yourself . its not an escape its reshaping you . wishing you a best of luck mate , cheers,” the user said.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)