There are many reasons for a person to take an extended break from work. I, myself, recently had the privilege to explore this experience at my workplace and after being away for three months returned to work at Looking Glass Counseling. The time away helped me to do meaningful clinical work in Turkey, connect with friends, make new friends and try new activities I never thought I would do. As I took that time away, it refreshed me and made me more excited and motivated to return to the individual therapy work I did prior to my time away.
According to the Harvard Business Review a sabbatical is ”an extended break from your job lasting long enough for you to truly distance yourself from your normal work life.” There are many reasons to take one for yourself. This can include working on a passion project combined with rest (a working holiday of sorts), taking an opportunity to go to a new place and try new things unrelated to work, or stepping away from a challenging work environment and assessing what one wants out of work in the future including whether staying at their current job or doing something else after the sabbatical ends.
Although the cited article above explores many useful facets of a sabbatical, here are a few questions to discern if a sabbatical could serve you:
Do you have an opportunity to do something new that needs more dedicated time than a vacation or a weekend can allow?
Are you feeling dissatisfied or directionless at your job despite making efforts to make your job meaningful?
Is so much happening in your life that taking a break from work could help refocus your current circumstances?
Are you feeling burned out at your job?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, I suggest making time to reflect further on whether a sabbatical could be a good fit for you and your situation. You could explore this with a therapist, talk with friends or family or speak to your employer about this topic. Some organizations have resources and means to help people take a paid sabbatical while other companies want to support this venture but would need to offer such as an unpaid benefit.
Regardless of your reason, a sabbatical can help someone gain insight into their circumstances and needs as well as how their current job can bolster or detract from their quality of life. A little space away from the usual routing can go a long way in overall mental/emotional wellness!
Lou Lim, LMHC, REAT is a licensed mental health counselor and registered expressive arts therapist (REAT) with a master's degree in Expressive Therapy and Mental Health Counseling from Lesley University. He is a member of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association and on the committee for REAT credentialing. He has 13 years of experience in counseling and expressive therapy working with children, adolescents, teenagers, adults, and retirees.
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