A 29-year-old software engineer has gone viral online after opening up about quitting his high-paying Rs 25 lakh per annum corporate job because he no longer wanted to continue the exhausting cycle of nonstop work.
In the now-viral post titled, “29, resigned from my Rs 25 LPA software job, and I genuinely don’t want to work anymore,” shared by r/personalfinanceindia community, the tech professional opened up about the emotional exhaustion that had built up after years of relentlessly chasing career growth and financial success.
The software engineer, who has around six years of experience in the industry, explained that he had always been highly ambitious since his college days. Alongside his full-time job, he constantly took on additional work to maximise his earnings and opportunities.
According to him, he taught students, freelanced, worked through UrbanClap and created websites for clients while simultaneously pursuing bigger professional milestones. However, over time, the constant hustle began taking a mental toll.
“To be honest, I think I’ve reached a point where it just feels like ‘bas ho gaya’,” the user wrote, explaining that the endless routine of working without pause had left him mentally drained.
The techie further shared that he currently has savings of nearly Rs 15 lakh and has been seriously considering relocating to Manali in search of a slower and more peaceful lifestyle. He added that he has no immediate plans for marriage, children or a rigid long-term future, and simply wants some time away from the pressures of corporate life.
“Financially, I know I’m not ‘free,’ but I feel I can survive for at least 1-2 years comfortably,” he wrote. He estimated that if his monthly expenses remained around Rs 30,000, he could realistically sustain himself for nearly three to four years.
The engineer also admitted that he is not actively looking for another job and does not feel motivated to return to a traditional corporate setup anytime soon. Instead, he said he wants “peace, clarity, slower days, time to think,” and an opportunity to eventually understand what kind of life he truly wants.
While he remains uncertain about his future plans, he hinted that he may eventually return to freelancing or work independently on personal projects and applications on his own terms.
The post quickly gained traction online, with several social media users sharing similar experiences and offering advice.
“You’re burnt out. Next time take it slow. Career is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t be the hare, be the tortoise,” said one user.
“Good decision. And you can always freelance bro. Yes, i quit corporate last year, am a freelancer. Life’s never been better,” commented another.
A third user shared detailed advice based on personal experience and suggested avoiding crowded tourist hubs altogether. “Been there everytime I quit my job and take a break for at least 6-9 months. During that time I travel, learn skills like bartending, woodworking etc use those skills to help people, build some technical side project. Manali is crowded, if you want peace be someplace remote like Jibhi, Shangarh etc to actually enjoy slow living and recharge yourself.
Another commenter described how taking a temporary break from work helped them reset mentally before eventually rejoining the corporate world.
“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 comment read.