Guardiola's father confirmed that this was the reason for the decision, according to World Soccer.
"Pep was absolutely exhausted and overworked," Valenti Guardiola reportedly told Catalunya Radio. "He was thinking about football 24 hours per day, and always thought about the fans and the people who care about the club. It was a big responsibility for him."
"I don't know what he will do next, but I do know that he will enter his next job with the same commitment that he showed at Barca."
Guardiola leaves after guiding the club through the most succesful period in its history. It has won 13 major trophies since he took charge in 2008, and done it by playing a style that clubs around the world hope to emulate. It marked Guardiola's last home game with an emotional send-off ceremony on Saturday.
Barcelona was unable to defend its La Liga and UEFA Champions League crowns, but it can still capture the Spanish Cup when it meets Athletic Bilbao in the final on May 25.
Tito Vilanova, Guardiola's longtime assistant, will take over at the end of the season.
There has been suspicion that Guardiola was leaving in order to take a job at another club — most likely Chelsea FC. Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich reportedly offered him an eye-popping £12 million ($19.3 million) per season contract, but Guardiola is committed to taking a sabbatical from the game.
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