Sorry about the long post, but in need of some advice.
I've been at my job for 3 years now. It's actually a really good company. The pay is decent, there are tons of benefits, weekends off, etc. The problem is that the work can be stressful and the hours can be long, so "burn out" seems to have crept up on me over time. It's a physical job and I work 50-60 hours a week. I was the top producer of my company the last two years in a row, if that can be somewhat of a testament to how hard I work and how much I put in. My boss is a good guy and if I take care of him and the company, he generally takes care of me. I like everyone I work with and there is never any drama with anyone. It's a great atmosphere in exchange for shitty work and long hours, if you will.
However, lately I have come to a point where it feels like I am just at work going through the motions and not feeling like I am getting any satisfaction out of what I am doing. I still do a good job, but it feels like I am just working to try to leave for the day, if that makes sense? I'm often at work dreaming about what I could be doing and dreading the jobs I have to do, constantly anticipating and longing for the weekend to come around. And even then, it has come to a point where even the weekends feel too short, that I don't have time to live life, and I dread having to go back to work on Monday. This has led to a bit of depression and not feeling as happy as I want to be and I need to change that.
That said, I really just want to take a 1-2 month break from work. I'm not in a position to retire or anything, so I would definitely need to come back to reality eventually and work again, but right now I am just not happy with how mundane my life feels. I have plenty of hobbies and a few close friends, so that's not an issue. I think I am just in need of a real break. To not have to worry about having to work for an extended time. I plan to take that time to travel to new places in my state, and participate in a few of my hobbies. I am an avid snowboarder and hold a season pass at a local resort, so I plan to be doing a lot of that, for instance. I just need a break from responsibility and I need to clear my head for a little bit by actually living life and doing a lot of what actually makes me happy.
The problem is, i've never been in a position like this ever in my life, so I'm a little reluctant on what to do. I've just worked countless dead-end jobs all my life, and now that I'm getting older (over 40) and more financially secure, I am starting to long for more freedom to do more things that bring me joy and take the depression and stress away. I know working is mandatory in life. After all, work provides the funds that would even allow me to think of doing this in the first place.
The MAIN concern I have is I don't know about how to go about all of this with my current job. I don't have enough PTO to request a month+ off. I don't think my boss would even tolerate someone taking that much time off in the first place. The problem is, I do know that I need a break, but I am not 100% sure I want to give up this job and have to find another one when I eventually want to come back to work. What would you do if you were in my shoes?
TL;DR – Want to take a month or two break from working, but don't want to lose my current job and have to find a new one when I eventually come back to work.