felt this one deep in the chest. seven years running demand gen campaigns and i hit a stretch where I'd wake up at 3am with my jaw already clenched, dreading Slack pings that hadn't even arrived yet. the breaking point was a client asking for "the same but different" for the 40th time. Nearly hurled the laptop into a lake that day.
never went full cafe mode, but a friend of mine left her agency director role to work at a plant nursery. she makes a third of what she used to and hasn't had a stress headache in something like 8 months, so she considers it a fair trade. Hardest part for her was explaining the move to people who couldn't fathom walking away from a "good job." You just gotta tell them your sanity is worth more than their approval.
If the savings cushion allows for some experimenting, the cafe thing could work as a bridge gig for a few months. Doesn't have to be a forever decision, and honestly the worst case is a weird chapter in the life story that makes for great anecdotes later. One thing nobody warns you about: healing from burnout takes longer than expected, so don't rush the process
