I’m in the process of doing the same. From a dollars and cents perspective not the smartest move, but from a finding value in life seems like quite the right direction.
Any advice on staying informed and challenged? Some of the recent changes and new products in tech are actually quite interesting. When you are on the hype-cycle hamster wheel you’re forced to stay informed about both the hype and the interesting stuff. I feel like it’s quite easy to tune it all out otherwise though.
I've somewhat found the opposite. The cycle I've been in is has had a tight grip on my time and attention that's its been hard to keep up with anything not mission critical. Now I'm backing off, I've got time to get more up to speed.
For keeping challenged long term, I've got a few products I finally have the time to do prototypes for and some chances to work in new areas.
I quit a while ago, now I have issues finding an employer that doesn't have idiotic hiring practices or even anyone who will take a look at my portfolio of projects. I haven't had a single interview in which the interviewer would ask me anything about my projects, let alone seemed to know about them, or even read my website. Hiring is utterly stupid these days.
So maybe one recommendation is to make sure you interview well, if you can, or prepare for some unemployed time.
For me quitting was also the only healthy thing I could do, and I am still glad I did leave that lost place.