"Believe it or not, all of this can take a toll on you as a human being, which is why I believe [that] now I needed to take a break," Phasiwe said.
"After this five-year period, it's almost like having been through a war zone where you were facing a lot of difficulties and after that period you need to de-stress, debrief and sort of get re-integrated into society," he said.
Phasiwe is currently serving his notice and intends to leave the power utility at the end of the month.
He is unsure about what his next move will be.
"This time that I am trying to take out now is essentially for me to refresh myself before I decide what it is I want to do going forward," he said.
Eskom is yet to announce a replacement for Phasiwe.