If you’ve spent a significant portion of your life in the same position, then you might find yourself dreaming of something different. Making a change midway through a career is an increasingly popular move. Around a third of adults in the UK claim to want to change jobs, even if only a minority of them can.
Deciding what you want is often a matter of gaining a new perspective – and, in many cases, this means taking a short break from your career in the form of a sabbatical.
But exactly why might a break of a few months, or more, be worthwhile? Let’s consider the common symptoms that a sabbatical might address.
You Crave Personal Growth and a Fresh Perspective
It might be that you’ve settled into a rut. You turn up at your place of work each day, and perform the same tasks to a very high standard. You’ve reached a point in life where you aren’t progressing. You might even have lost sight of who you are, beyond your job description.
Taking a break from this kind of environment can help to rediscover what really excites you. It might take you out of your comfort zone, and challenge your creative powers in a way that you find truly inspiring.
You’re Feeling Burnt Out or Mentally Drained
A sense of chronic mental fatigue is a classic sign that a break is needed. If you find that you’re constantly stressed out by looming deadlines, then a period of rest and travel, without any obligations, might provide you with the time you need to ‘reset’ your mind.
Burnout is a term that’s often used, and yet we don’t always recognise it in ourselves. Ask yourself whether you feel exhausted most of the time. Are you experiencing feelings of helplessness and demotivation? What about headaches, insomnia, and frequent illness caused by a weakened immune system?
If the answers to these questions are yes, then it might be time to take a break.
You’ve Always Dreamed of It & Now Feels Like the Right Time
Many of us will have privately longed to take time out at a certain point in our lives. For such people, it’s simply a matter of timing. How do you know when the perfect moment to leave is? In many cases, the opportunity won’t arrive until we make it arrive. There’s no ‘perfect’ moment to take a sabbatical, in other words – you have to make the perfect moment yourself.
You’re Financially Ready for the Leap
Taking a long time off work can be expensive. You’ll need to plan out how you’re going to make ends meet while you aren’t earning. If you don’t, then you might put yourself at risk of falling back into work out of necessity, before you’ve really had a chance to benefit from your sabbatical.
Your plan might involve getting your financial situation under control, perhaps with the help of debt consolidation loans and other strategies. You might look to sell a few choice assets, especially if they aren’t going to support your lifestyle during your sabbatical. If you intend to spend a year overseas, then selling your car might be a great way to help make it happen.
You Want to Reassess Your Career Path or Goals
It might be that you aren’t suffering from burnout – and yet, you are experiencing a nagging sense of dissatisfaction with your professional life. You might regret that your career didn’t take another path, and that your experience wasn’t all that you thought it would be. Or, you might have enjoyed your career, but simply think that it’s time for something new.Through the right travel, you’ll be exposed to new ideas, cultures, and outlooks. You might begin to consider your own situation with an outsider’s perspective – and this can be a considerable source of inspiration.
Photo credit – header, street sign
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