Since I started my sabbatical, my friends are always asking how my sabbatical is going. They also like to poke fun at the fact that I don’t have a real job. During my sabbatical, if I say that I am working, their response is, “ Tommy, you don’t have a job.” A joke well understood from the show Martin in the 90s. Although I laugh at this joke, my sabbatical journey sparks conversations with my family and friends about sabbaticals.
One day in speaking with my brother, he described a tough day at work and blurted out, “I think I should create an engineering sabbatical.”
This week my friend, who is a mechanic, mentioned he is working overtime. My response after hearing the tiredness in his voice was, “Why are you working overtime?.” His response was, “ I’m going to start a mechanics sabbatical.”
The mere idea that my journey is teaching people about the idea of career breaks is mind-blowing. Although my passion is nursing and creating breaks for nurses, truly everyone should consider taking a sabbatical. If you think the sabbatical idea is too far-fetched, here are the 5 reasons why you take a sabbatical.
Why should someone take a sabbatical?
Burnout
Burnout is the current buzzword. It’s plastered on the news, the internet, and social media. I am not sure if I am more attuned to it now, but it seems like everyone is experiencing it. Maybe it occurs only after a hard week. Or maybe it is all of the time. If so you really need to consider if is this what you want your life to look and feel like. Life becomes complicated in general and not always because of a job. Yet, if you find yourself always exhausted, losing interest in your day-to-day work, losing interest in your fun activities, and or physical manifestations such as headaches, migraines, or weight gain/loss. My dear, you are burned out!
One of my new outlooks on life is that I will not do anything that makes me exhausted or doesn’t bring me joy. Sometimes we just need time away to re-calibrate our inner self. A Sabbatical can do that for you!
Explore a new career path
When determining what we want to be when we grow up, it is typically at a young age. I recently read in Psychology of Money, that when attending college at 18 we are tasked with determining what we want to do with the rest of our lives. Then life happens or circumstances will not allow us to pursue it and we just accept life.
Last year a friend of mine and I were discussing my sabbatical. He shared that he always wanted to fly planes. Like he is obsessed with it. As I was preparing to quit my job, I asked him why doesn’t he just learn to fly planes. He is quite successful in his role and has checked off many of the life things like a house, car, dog, etc. He pondered the idea with hesitancy. A year later, he is now preparing to start the program in a few months. There will be sacrifices! It will not be easy. Yet, what is the one thing in life you might regret not doing if you died tomorrow? Whatever that thing is, you should be making a plan to do it. Your sabbatical will give you time to do just that.
Start a project
Have you ever been assigned a project or thought of a project that could help your organization? The common phrase always seems to be, “If I had more time?” What if you created more time? What if you negotiated with your job to give you a set period off from the day-to-day to work on this project? Maybe share the cost-benefit analysis. A sabbatical leave could be a win-win for you and your organization. This concept is basically the foundation of academic sabbaticals.
Also, think about volunteering or starting your own non-for-profit. Sometimes all you need is the mental space to get your project or idea rolling. If so, the sabbatical time is a seamless way to begin a project. You will feel more fulfilled by your role.
Travel
The world is so large and there is so much of it to discover. I am always amazed when I hear people say that they want to travel. What is holding you back? Honestly, you don’t need a sabbatical to travel. However, if you wanted to live in a new country to explore their culture, visit the 7 wonders of the world, or hike a particular mountain, it is all possible. With social media constantly showing us where everyone else is, it is hard not to see all aspects of the world. If your interest lies in participating in a mission trip to help others, most companies will support extended leave to do so. Sabbatical is the perfect time to discover places that you have always wanted to see.
Self-Care
Have you ever woken up and wondered how did I end up here? Sometimes, you smile at the idea because you have so many amazing things occurring. Sometimes, you have a frown dreading having to get ready for your job another day. If you are spending the least amount of time on the things that you value the most, you need time for yourself. Sabbatical time gives you mental clarity, time to move at your own pace, and to evaluate what is most important to you. Maybe it is as simple as wanting to spend more time with your family, working on antique furniture in your house, or dabbling in painting. The sabbatical is the best way to explore the question, “ How did I end up here?” and to make it “ I am so glad that I am here!”.
There are so many other reasons to take a sabbatical but these are my top 5. If your job has a sabbatical plan and you have not taken advantage of it, look into it right now.
Maybe you are not as fortunate to have a sabbatical benefit, think about what you would do with a sabbatical. If you are not loving your life, it’s time to reflect and create the life you want. The Sabbatical is just the way to do so.
Til Next time…