The Benefits of Taking A Sabbatical
About 12 years ago, I found myself feeling seriously burned out. I was working two jobs (one as a nurse and one at Polo Ralph Lauren) and I was in graduate school. It was a crazy busy and overwhelming time.
The HOTY, who at the time was my boyfriend, suggested that I take a sabbatical. WTF was a sabbatical? I wondered. Dictionary.com defines a sabbatical as “any extended period of leave from one’s customary work, especially for rest, to acquire new skills or training.”
Well, there was NO WAY in the world that I could do that, I thought. My mantra at the time was: work! work! work! Lucky for me, the soon-to-be HOTY was much more zen and enlightened than I was!
He explained that while a sabbatical may seem paradoxical, the reality is that taking periods away from work can actually help you work smarter or develop a new career direction. Much to my surprise, sabbaticals are not about quitting your job and moving to Tibet to become a monk. Quite the contrary, in fact!
The truth of the matter is that sabbaticals mean that you’re not simply on vacation, but choosing not to work while gaining new experiences or refocusing your career. Recent studies attribute everything from a boost in employee retention and higher future productivity for those who take sabbaticals.
There are many other Silver Lining of a sabbatical:
- Time for reflection.
- Opportunity for rejuvenation and renewal.
- Provides a fresh perspective.
- Improved morale.
- Fresh perspective
Stefan Sagmeister gave a powerful TED Talk on Sabbaticals entitled: The power of time off. Hope that you enjoy it and that it helps you consider the possibility.
Hollye, so when will you be taking a sabbatical? Surely you deserve one after the book tour. Or maybe during your book tour you could give up your blogging activity?
At any rate don't forget to get enough rest while traveling. I hope it's fun for you.
Thank you so much, Carolee! I'm definitely planning on it after the book tour. Thank you for being so thoughtful! 🙂