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How much time did you spend pursuing those new “hobbies”?

I would imagine saying you took some time off for your mental health would be totally fine, I’d have no problems saying that or hiring someone who said that.

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3 years which is unfortunately on the cusp of legitimately being out of the loop on current trends. I can't blame any employer for not wanting to take that risk when there are plenty of other candidates to choose from. It definitely effects my confidence in applying for jobs because I know my little hobby projects I've continued to work on are not the same thing as stepping right back into a production environment. I think all I can really do is be honest and hope to find a sympathetic employer willing to toss me a rope. Alternatively I'll have to step back to a more jr role for a while to get my chops back up.

I think the trick is, if they ask about the gap in employment, to simply tell them that you had to take time off to care for a family member. Anything past that is not their business. Depending on your state/country, it's illegal to ask for more details.

I hope that you don't feel bad or anything -- you're not the only person to have health/family/whatever issues.

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