This is a decision that affects the rest of your life, so you would want this to be a solid decision. You are inclined towards one choice today, but think abou

This is a decision that affects the rest of your life, so you would want this to be a solid decision. You are inclined towards one choice today, but think about the situation a decade later. Are you sure that your decision/inclination is mature enough that it would not be different a decade from now if you were to continue? I have been in a similar situation, and it would have been a mistake for me if I had taken the step. Cannot say more without knowing more about you and your situation really. In my case, that period ended up not breaking me, but rather making me. The new perspectives I developed allow me to think outside the box, forget past things more readily (which I find helpful for innovation), and gain significant confidence. I understood myself better coming out of that phase. One thing that helped was a realization that many great men have been in similar phases (and in my case for a similar reason as mine). Bertrand Russell is an example I had come across then (Google to find out more on this). Some other things that can help included taking genuine interest outside of programming/technology. Spend some time figuring out how great musicians create that music (what is their thought process like?), how movie makers write and make movies, how comedians come up with humor, ... even how leaders say things to get an otherwise difficult message across.