Recommend Rescuezilla instead of Timeshift:
Yes, back up often. I am not very different and experiment a lot and have been since I started on Linux using Zorin OS. Back then, I broke Zorin OS a lot. And had to reinstall a lot. Learned the hard way... These days, I am still the mad scientist, but needing to reinstall has become very rare. But back ups help for more than just the entirety of the OS. Files can become damaged, too.
I compress and save my work in Home Folder, manually. It works out better for me, saving space, time and saving from unnecessary bloat.
In the thread I linked above, I also point out the danger of trying to back up root. There are times when you should consider it... But generally, it is best avoided.
I also made a thread on here about restoring after a reinstallation;
You can get an inexpensive USB stick just for backups, too, using My method instead of Rescuezilla.