A sabbatical is a break from work that I think everyone, especially nurses. Each person’s sabbatical leave might look different depending on their field of work and if it is paid vs unpaid. More and more people are taking sabbaticals or career breaks to reevaluate how they want to work. In one of my previous blog posts, I highlighted the various companies that currently offer sabbaticals to their employees, including McDonald’s. The sabbatical definition is a period during which an employee can take time away from work to study or travel. I have called my career break a sabbatical because it fits the definition and I want to do all 3!
Your why?
The first question should be your why? Wouldn’t we all like to stop working and just relax and do nothing? I think most of us would say, YES! However, in order to grow from the sabbatical, you must identify your why. If you read my burnout assessment, you may have determined that you are burned out and need a break. Maybe you want to explore a project or an idea? Maybe you want to live out a dream job of yours?
‘My why’ was that I was exhausted and burned out. I was not feeling the same excitement for my role as I had previously felt. The demands of the job continued to grow and were infiltrating all aspects of my life.
Your goals
Next, you will want to establish your goals. Your sabbatical should have a purpose. You may be taking the break to recover from burnout, but you should also consider what else you may want to discover the source of your burnout.
If you decide that you want to travel the world or live in another country for a bit, Great! However, also think about what you want from the experience. Is it to learn a new language?
The primary purpose of my sabbatical is to recover from burnout. Then, I would find a livelihood (job/role) that would let my natural authentic self shine and allow me to work in a flexible manner. I planned on traveling, spending time with family and friends, working out, binge-watching tv, and doing nothing. Absolutely nothing!
My days would be simple with minimal planning. I would go with the flow and let my body and energy level dictate the day. It would be a complete contrast to my previous role in which every moment of the day was dictated by Microsoft Outlook Calendar. Even, while writing this I cringe when I remember waiting for the notification on my found to tell me where I had to be next or which Microsoft Teams link I should click on next.
How long should a sabbatical be?
Honestly, that depends on how your why and your goals. Depending on what you want to get out of your sabbatical will determine the length. Most formal sabbatical programs from universities are 1 year along. As it is focused on professors, they can determine the focus of the sabbatical and then report it to the university. Some companies allow for 1 month to 6 months.
My question to you is, what is a realistic timeline for your sabbatical. Do you need 1 month or 3 months to recover from burnout or explore your interests?
My initial plan was to take 3 months off and do the things that I love and enjoy. However, I did not realize that I just needed time to recover and heal. This forced me to take another 3 months to then discover what I wanted to do in life.
What about my responsibilities like my family, kids, et?
The idea of a sabbatical may seem radical to most people. The idea of not working may cause you to feel pains in your chest or your mind racing. On top of that, if you have significant other, partners, spouses, or elderly parents who all depend on you, it may not seem feasible to take a sabbatical from your job. I get it!
Although, for a moment consider what it would mean for you if you didn’t? Would you be truly living or just existing because everyone expects you to work.
But what if you did, for even 1 month? Would it allow you to be more present for those that you love?
The conversations about your sabbatical should be inclusive of those that it may affect. You can make a list of the pros and cons and how it would affect those that you are responsible for. Even if it is not now, you can start planning for one in 6 months!
You have done the homework and exploration now! You are ready for the Sabbatical, (Drum roll please). What is next?
Does my job offer a sabbatical?
Now that you have established your why, and your goals, and spoken to your loved ones, you need to determine if your job has a sabbatical program. If it does, FANTASTIC! You should take time to read more about your company’s sabbatical program as there is variation between duration, applying to be part of the sabbatical program, and expectations at the end of the sabbatical. Especially if you decide to leave the company.
What if my job doesn’t offer a sabbatical?
However, for most Americans, and nurses there is no sabbatical program. We are left with 2 options, 1) Inquire if your company would support a sabbatical or 2) Take a self-funded sabbatical. In hindsight, I could have explored asking my company for a sabbatical. I can honestly say that I did not consider this option. The “Great Resignation” has forced many companies to evaluate their retention practices. Even if not advertised, you may be surprised that your company may consider giving you a sabbatical. If they do not offer it, why not pitch the idea to them? You never know what may happen. The worst they can say is no.
I am going to take a self-funded sabbatical, but how will I take care of myself?
This was the toughest part and continues to haunt me every now and then. During my career, payday is every 2 weeks. Spend money, work hours, and more money would arrive. Now, I was going to spend money, go with the flow, and then spend money. There was going to be no income. What was I going to do?
I recently came across the book The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. Chapter 7, “Freedom: Controlling your time is the highest dividend money pays” described how money can buy freedom. Imagine that we save money for things we want to purchase, a car, house clothes, etc. Instead of focusing on a thing, what if we just saved money so that we could buy our time.?
After reading this book, I realized that’s essentially what I did. I was saving money for another home but realized that I could use it to support my sabbatical. I know, I make it seem simple but it really is!
Next Steps
If you are contemplating taking a break from work, it is absolutely possible. By establishing your why, your goals, and getting suupport for your loved ones, you are on your way to creating your sabbatical. Next, you can decide what is the best timing, and how you want to maximize your sabbatical.
Next week I will share with you how I planned my self-funded sabbatical, step by step.
As always, thanks for reading, and have a great holiday weekend.