Going on a sabbatical, a long leave from your main job while maintaining your position, to do only what you’ve wanted to do for six months – learn a new language, get a dog, or finally start running. It sounds perfect. But is it always the case in reality? Sometimes the dream of “going on a sabbatical” turns into disappointment: sleeping until lunchtime, boredom, and a feeling that time is wasted. Sometimes it becomes the very break in a relationship that is taken to break up a little later.
How long should a sabbatical last and how do you prepare for it so that you don’t end up disappointed? Mariana Franko, a psychotherapist, blogger, and founder of the Sense psychological studio, tells us about this.
Who goes to sabbatical and why
In past eras, people had a clear division: work was for money, and hobbies were for the soul and fulfilment. For example, my uncle worked as an economist, and in his spare time he skilfully made things with his own hands. Nowadays, we are increasingly able to combine both self-realisation and financial security at work, and so the demand for activities that satisfy both needs is growing.
However, in reality, needs do not always coincide: a hobby may not bring money, and a job may not give a sense of satisfaction. Understanding your needs and priorities is only one of the scenarios when people go into sabbatical.
In my experience, most often in our realities, people take a long leave of absence because they want to reassess their values: “what is work for me, is it my vocation, and who am I without work?”
These people usually have a financial cushion and understand that they may not work for some time, are going through an age or other crisis and feel the need to change their life tired or burned out. To avoid this feeling, enjoy life. You can spin the slots in your free time, and rich colours and pleasant music will help you relax. So visit Stay Casino and give it a try.
Whatever the motivation, people go to sabbaticals for change. And the result “before and after” often depends on expectations. Do you want to take a long holiday, but are not sure if it will help? Ask yourself: “Am I going on sabbatical ‘for’ or running away ‘from’?”
Also, figure out how you feel about it:
As a day of rest, when we do new things and try to explore how it affects the quality of life, values and motivation.
Or as a search for paradise – an ephemeral place where we can escape from fatigue, problems, everyday life and where we will always be happy.
If it’s the latter, then expectations need to be normalised and adjusted to avoid disappointment. In my experience, people often try to overcome crises or meet needs by looking for the perfect and simple solution, thinking: this is it. But simple solutions rarely solve big problems.
Why sabbaticals are unlikely to cure burnout
Sabaticals can indeed help prevent burnout – when you feel like you’re on the edge, but can still withstand stress. But if a person is already burned out, then Sabatical is likely to be just a long break before quitting.
The syndrome of emotional or, as it is also called, professional burnout occurs mainly for two reasons:
- Attitude to your work and the meaning you attach to it. Do you feel that you are making a significant contribution? Does he or she do what he or she loves and wants to fulfil? Does he/she receive recognition?
- Working conditions. A heavy workload, frequent overtime, a toxic boss, or simply an unfriendly team that schemes.
Sabbaticals will not solve both problems. In the first case, you need not only a holiday, but also focused work on yourself – or even psychotherapy. And to change your working conditions, you need to change your place. After all, while you’re on holiday, work doesn’t go sabbatical, nor do overtime, a toxic boss, or a feeling of being “out of place”.
How to set realistic expectations from a sabbatical
#1: Specify the goal
Do you want to go to a sabbatical for what? Just for fun? Because it’s better? In my experience, people who moved to another city or abroad simply because “it’s better there” were not satisfied and felt disappointed in the end. And those who had clearer goals (a more peaceful life, career, or a pleasant climate) were more satisfied because they got what they wanted.
Choose one specific goal – why exactly are you going to sabbatical and what experience do you want to gain? For example, to devote yourself to a hobby, spend more time with your loved ones, write a book, or live somewhere far away in the mountains.
A goal will keep you motivated and allow you to measure the success of this experience.
#2. Set priorities
When you have one global goal, you should also write down additional items: what else would you like to realise? For example:
- Take a body check-up that you haven’t had time for in a long time
- Learn a foreign language or take a training course
- Go on a week-long hike in the mountains or go on a long retreat
- Read that list of books you’ve been meaning to read
- Start a book club or blog
- Live in the countryside, away from the internet and civilisation, etc.
Set priorities: what is most important to you and what is not. Don’t plan to do everything – there is still time for rest. But it’s good to have guidelines and plans so that you don’t regret it later and dream of another holiday.
#3. Decide on the duration and schedule
The duration of the sabbatical is not up to us alone; in some companies, it is simply impossible to take it for a year or more. But when planning such a holiday, evaluate your goals and to-do list. This will help you answer the question honestly: how much time do you need to recover and focus?
I do not advise taking a very long sabbatical – from a year to two. According to psychologists, in two years, a person fully adapts and gets used to a new lifestyle. After such a long holiday, it will be more difficult to return to working days with a schedule, responsibility, and work stress. Parents after maternity leave and people who have been unemployed for more than two years have experienced this first-hand.
#4. Understand your needs
It’s best to combine a sabbatical with a visit to a psychotherapist, counsellor or coach. This will help you figure out what exactly is going on in your life, why you needed a sabbatical, why you wanted to distance yourself from work, and what needs are hidden behind this desire.
A long holiday is a good time to ask yourself a lot of important questions. Then, in addition to a great experience and time for ourselves, we return from the sabbatical with a reassessment of values and new, strong foundations and meanings. And also, perhaps, with more motivation to work, a firm intention to get a promotion, or ideas for a hobby.
