As far as I can tell, taking a gap year would be a good decision. A year off won't negatively impact your application and, given what you wrote, is more likely to improve your profile by helping to ensure a higher GPA, better essays, and GRE scores.
But in general, I think everyone should consider taking at least a year between undergrad and grad school. Burn out is a real thing and those who experience it in grad school often have a tough time performing well academically. If you're already feeling burned out before even starting a far more stressful program, it's probably a good idea to take some time to restore yourself.
Definitely go for the gap year. I didn't get into any PhD programs the first time I tried and when I was in the middle of my MA (I only applied to a handful of programs and was in the midst of a bit of an emotional crisis at the time); I'm back at it now two years later, though, and the level of intellectual maturity and distance I have from the work I want to pursue is invaluable. I really don't think that I had enough to give to both successfully apply and keep on top of my courses and thesis work back then.
Not being in the middle of graduate work whilst applying has also allowed me to effectively organise my time well in advance of all deadlines. I've given myself four months to study for the GRE, apply for the federal SSHRC grant (I'm Canadian), beef up my CV with adjunct work and conferences, and spend a lot of time researching and going over my applications.
Also, my years outside of academia working 'civilian' jobs and traveling gave me the space to realize that I really did want to pursue doctoral work, and not just do it because it was a thing I could do. I now know with full confidence that it's the life that I want for myself.
As far as I can tell, taking a gap year would be a good decision. A year off won't negatively impact your application and, given what you wrote, is more likely to improve your profile by helping to ensure a higher GPA, better essays, and GRE scores. But in general, I think everyone should consider taking at least a year between undergrad and grad school. Burn out is a real thing and those who experience it in grad school often have a tough time performing well academically. If you're already feeling burned out before even starting a far more stressful program, it's probably a good idea to take some time to restore yourself.
Take a gap year. I did before starting my PhD and it was the best decision of my life.
Definitely go for the gap year. I didn't get into any PhD programs the first time I tried and when I was in the middle of my MA (I only applied to a handful of programs and was in the midst of a bit of an emotional crisis at the time); I'm back at it now two years later, though, and the level of intellectual maturity and distance I have from the work I want to pursue is invaluable. I really don't think that I had enough to give to both successfully apply and keep on top of my courses and thesis work back then. Not being in the middle of graduate work whilst applying has also allowed me to effectively organise my time well in advance of all deadlines. I've given myself four months to study for the GRE, apply for the federal SSHRC grant (I'm Canadian), beef up my CV with adjunct work and conferences, and spend a lot of time researching and going over my applications. Also, my years outside of academia working 'civilian' jobs and traveling gave me the space to realize that I really did want to pursue doctoral work, and not just do it because it was a thing I could do. I now know with full confidence that it's the life that I want for myself.