How to take extended breaks from work and the health benefits (from preventing burnout to shifting perspective)

“I wish I had done it sooner,” he said.

The Kulczyks liked it so much that they went in the opposite direction for another mini-sabbatical in Portland, Maine, in 2022.

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“Companies are starting to realize that burnout is a problem,” she says.

Schabram, who is German, said that Americans’ views on vacation time are very different from Europeans, who tend to value vacation and rest more.

Rosida Dou took advantage of the sudden free time she had when she was made redundant. She wanted to get her rest before looking for her next job, but she was shocked at how many questions she had about how to make time for her travels. received. So she decided to become a career break coach.

Dow partners with Stephanie Perry to launch ExodUS Summit, a virtual conference and community for Black women “interested in creating a plan for location freedom, financial freedom, and/or time freedom.” raised.

They bring in experts to talk about practical issues surrounding long-term travel, such as economics, safety, and medical care, as well as more philosophical topics, such as the value of rest and freedom from intergenerational trauma.

“When I coach women who are going on sabbatical, the number one thing they’re looking for is permission,” said Dow, who moved to Mexico City as part of her reinvention.

She said showcasing women who go on long trips is powerful because “many of us aren’t open to possibilities that haven’t been shown to us before.”

Perry experienced this herself when she vacationed to Brazil in 2014, staying in hostels and meeting people who were traveling for months instead of days.

“I was convinced that everyone who traveled long-term was a trust fund baby,” Perry said. When she researched budget travel, she discovered people who were traveling for $40 per day.

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A common hurdle for people considering a vacation is cost. There are creative ways to get around that, Perry said.

“My housework allows me to work very little and travel a lot,” she said. She teaches her classes online for travelers who want to start working as house sitters.

Ashley Graham took time off from her job at a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., to plan a road trip through the southern part of the country. She visited a friend who offered her a free place to stay on the way.

“This was a great way to connect with my past life,” Graham said. Graham fell in love with the city while on sabbatical and later moved to New Orleans.

Eric Lewitzer and Annie Galvin put two employees in charge of their 3 Fish Studios art gallery in San Francisco, California, and decided to spend their summers in France and Ireland.

When they returned to San Francisco, Ms. Lewitzer saw her hometown differently. He felt that his life was out of balance. We have too much work and too little time to be in touch with nature.

This change in perspective led the couple to purchase a weekend home in the Sierra Nevada mountains. When the gallery closed during the pandemic, this became their full-time home. They are currently considering relocating studio space in San Francisco.

“It all comes back to the same thing: the willingness to take chances,” Lewitzer said.

For Gregory Du Bois, taking a break from college to become a ski enthusiast in Vail, Colorado, set him on a path to a mini-sabbatical through a career in technology. Each time he took on a new job, he negotiated extended vacation time, explaining to his manager that he needed a recharging break to perform at his best.

“I almost feel like this is a very sabbatical way of life,” Du Bois said. Du Bois is now retired from the technology industry and works as a life coach based in Sedona, Arizona. “For me, it’s a spiritual rebirth.”

Nature is a great healer.Go outside and get some fresh air