[unop]

I burned out just before the birth of my daughter - it was the extra I was doing to make sure I'd handed off to my replacement during paternity leave that sent me over the edge. The week my daughter was born, I was not at work but I couldn't help my mind from racing with fleeting thoughts and needlessly worrying about unfinished business .. I suppose it was "The inertia" and I knew I had to fix myself.

I requested to resign but was given leave to recover by my manager (which was very helpful). I ended up taking 6 months off doing all and nothing - took care of my baby daughter, helped my wife out, fixed small things around the house, picked up cycling, read a lot, went on small excursions and holidays, soaked up the sun, etc.

This helped "forget" and rejuvenate and I was now confident in myself that I wasn't a neurotic hamster-in-a-wheel anymore and stable enough to negotiate a better return to work - I ended up requesting a change of team/project which was a clean start and little in terms of attachment or responsibility that'd draw me back to being overwhelmed.

Things didn't work out in the new team - and that's just fine. I was free enough then to start job hunting and find work in a new place without being forced to jump ship.