Taking a pause

Why a sabbatical may be the rest and reflection you need

A new year, a new you. January seems to be filled with this saying, but what happens if the old you is just fine? Perhaps ‘you’ just need a little direction, some time to pause and discover who ‘you’ truly are and what ‘you’ genuinely want. For many women, this often surfaces when they have reached a point in their career where they ask, ‘Is this it?’

Are you asking yourself these questions, feeling unhappy or frustrated with the job you used to love? While it may have started out as a rewarding role many years ago, life and what you want from it can change. Taking a pause in the form of a sabbatical may be an option to consider. Unlike having a mental health rest if you are fatigued by your work, a sabbatical opens up the opportunity for self-study and exploration, a chance to take measure and re-evaluate what your life goals are and what you would like to achieve.

Is a sabbatical what I need?

Signs that you are headed for career burn out can include:

• Dreading going to work
• Poor performance and loss of motivation
• Experiencing difficulty with regulating emotions at work, causing conflict with co-workers
• Overwhelm
• Anxiety and/ or depression
• Panic Attacks
• A loss of sense of purpose

Things to consider

While a sabbatical may be the answer, taking a break from your career needs to be thought out:

• Finances: Can you afford to, without the financial burden leading to extra angst?
• Time: Is your employer supportive, giving you time and flexibility to focus on yourself?
• Plan a course of action: A sabbatical should be about purpose. If you need a break from work without focusing on self-growth, consider taking mental health days during which you can work through particular issues or concerns with a qualified therapist or coach.

Make it meaningful

One extremely worthwhile way to spend you sabbatical, could be to do personal growth or self-discovery work. After all, you want to make the most of this precious time and reach tangible results by the end of your pause. My TrueYou Self-Discovery Course is created especially for women, like yourself, to get to know themselves on a deep and intimate level, stripping back doubt and negative self-talk and enabling you to gain confidence and motivation in your goals and learn the necessary tools you need, to achieve them. Through a combination of Positive Psychology and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), I’ll help you unpack your core values, allowing you to live a life aligned to who you truly are – igniting your strengths and talents, and empowering you to define what true happiness and success looks like to you. By the end of the course you will be left with a clear sense of what your next career steps should be or you might have discovered your new vocation.