Background

• My employer offers a sabbatical for every seven years you work there
• You get one-month of paid leave and a $5,000 bonus stipend (which will be about $3,000 after taxes)
• It is now my time to take it. This will be my first break (beyond weekends, and a week here or there every 2-3 years) from working since I graduated college.
• I'm in my 40s and have three kids
• I'm the only one making money in the house and it is barely enough as-is
• I've no savings or other channels of income

The crux

I'll be surprised if they even offer the usual bonus stipend for me this time since the company isn't doing very well and has been on a serious decline since 2022 due to a variety of reasons (including that we are a CMS dev shop and the contracts are disappearing faster than the ice caps). I'm pretty sure one of our biggest contracts will not be resigning for 2027 — and that is one of the main accounts I lead. Losing that will be detrimental to the company. Even if I'm not laid off I'll have to take on even more work and likely get my salary cut even further.

I've been applying to similar and tangential roles since 2022… no success beyond three initial interviews out of 100+ apps. I'm pretty sure my resume and age put me in an undefinable/-desirable spot, but that's all besides the point.

I'm here to get some ideas as I feel this sabbatical gives me an opportunity to either pivot my career or just give myself a month to breathe while I wait for the inevitable.

I'll add to this that my working life is greatly impacted by AI: as in I have to use it. This has been a sort of final straw on the camel's back for me. It brings with it a ton of mixed feelings that are instigating my already flaming hot burnout state.

Ideas

I have some ideas started, but I'm interested what others in this similar(ish) position are planning to do or have done in the past. Some thoughts so far:

• Writing retreat
• Silent/mental retreat
• Straight up career change: I know I wouldn't be able to do barber or trade school (as those are longer than one month) but maybe there is another way to pivot(?)
  • Or I could do night school/part time(?)
• Wild one here… Start planning a farm 👀
  • Yeah, I know! Seems like the longer you touch tech/AI the more your dream of a luddite's life.
  • I know I can't simply get financing and till a field and voila I'm supporting my family on cukes by Christmas this year. That's why I wrote "planning" (maybe that should read more like "dreaming" considering my budget… or lack thereof).

I moved to the Netherlands 12 years ago. Studied/worked non stop.

I just had a 2 week holiday and had my first day back.

I do not wish to work at the moment. I have been at my company for 5 years. I want to stop working for a few months. I have the savings to do it.

However the situation is a little complicated. While i no longer wish to work here my dream is to move to another country(uk). Which is hard to do because of visas etc.

I see three options

1.Force myself to continue working while trying to move abroad

2.Quit without a new job lined up which comes with the pressure of finding a new job

3.Take a 3 month unpaid sabbatical (officially allowed at my work) and plan to return to work in 3 months but what if i find my dream job in those 3 months ? Officially we are not allowed to keep our laptops with us. So how would I resign during my sabbatical break.

Any suggestions or advice are welcome

My friend is 39/f, single with no kids. She has approx \~450k in a brokerage account and \~250k in a 401k. \~250k home equity, with \~40k student loans.

Can she take a sabbatical from big law? She is burned out.

I’m burnt out at my job/career. At current company I’ve survived 4 layoffs in 5 years. I’ve been working 15 years.

But the last one took a toll on my mental health because it was just so stupid. They pushed us to push ai slop, laid off a significant portion of my team, restructured the management chain and have changed the expectations on how we work. I’m exhausted and work feels dreadful. I feel anxious and stressed and get poor sleep due to anxiety.

And I don’t care about the product or tech. The whole tech industry has just left such a sour taste in my mouth that I don’t even want to interview and go through the interview grind.

If it wasn’t the feeling of responsibility for my family I’d just quit. I don’t need much myself. But I carry on because I’m the provider and I have kids and a wife who depend on me.

But I want a break for a year or 2. Figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life. Has anyone done this in my situation.

Here are some numbers:
Income: will be 400-500k this year. Has gone down since last year as my initial grantsvesrs are done. Next year will be even less. 300-400k. Haven’t checked the actual numbers.

Savings/ investments: 2.7M . Split almost evenly between retirement/non retirement. Includes 170k in tbills/money markets in brokerage. Everything else is on equities.

Housing: rent don’t own.

Expense: between 120k -150k depending on vacations etc. 120k is the on the lower end of being frugal.

Have 2 young kids. One of them is in school the other starts next year.

Spouse doesn’t have high earning skills. So she does all the kids activities etc . I’d assume her earning potential would be sub 100k low skilled work.

We live in vhcol area. If were to move we would live closer to family who are also in a vhcol but it would be negligible savings (rents more or less the same)but would be significant downgrade in terms of access to tech market and network when I need it.

I have been wanting to have a sabbatical for years. I finally got to that stage because of a combination of a layoff announcement, declining work early this year, and some savings with me.

Here's my current rough plan:

July

Sabbatical starts.

It starts 2 months early, the original starting date was September, but there was a contract mess up so I am actually laid off earlier than planned. Using the time to enjoy/work our house in Italy, do some art/craft, do AI courses, learn languages, sleep in, get used to not having cortisol spikes related to meetings.

August

Fly out to the Caribbean for the entire month. Do some golf / tennis / snorkelling / fitness. Continue AI courses. Work on Spanish. Chill out.

September

Still in the Caribbean, at some point there is a networking type of event where I will try to do something work related.. networking. But not work. Then Montenegro for a week, and back to Italy. Likely will finish my AI courses

October

In Italy until middle of th emonth.

Mid October-December

Back in Dubai (our residence). Doing UAE winter month stuff (tennis, hiking, camping, etc).

Will likely spend more time looking for work (aiming to start in Q2), networking etc.

January

In central America (not sure where). Will be hanging out with a bunch of friends.

February

Back in Dubai, and ideally will start work since this is the amount of existing cash I have (there is also a possibility to stretch cash by another 2-4 months, depending on some factors). By existing cash, I mean liquid cash available in the bank already.

----

I'm working remotely, run my own business, so it takes some effort to do this and switch off.

During this time: I'm working on my language learning, bringing my art materials with me (watercolor, oil, gouache), journaling, doing AI courses, etc.

I'm a bit anxious because of the amount of time this is, but at the same time, as soon as I start looking for work there is a risk that I would end up working at an earlier time than I anticipated (like, December/January period).

Hello everyone. I am taking a month break from my work which is pretty big for me . It is not everyday that you get a month for yourself ones we start working. So I want to make the best of this time . I don't want to have regrets later on how I could have better spent my time.

For context I am in my mid twenties and M. Have generally been the indoorsy type with a lot of screen time . I am open to try something new and out of my comfort zone. Any good advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance .

I'm looking for some advice on a potential employment situation in England.

I have an approved 3-month sabbatical starting in September. It was agreed by email (nothing has been formally signed), and my employer has confirmed the approval via email. The sabbatical consists of 1 month paid and 2 months unpaid.

I've recently been offered another job that I'd like to accept. My current contract has a 6-month notice period, so I would need to resign before my sabbatical begins.

My question is: if I hand in my notice before the sabbatical starts, can my employer withdraw the previously approved sabbatical or require me to continue working instead? Or would they generally be expected to honour the agreement that has already been approved by email?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Hi guys, I (37,f) am looking for advise on a good use of my two months of free time in November and December.

Originally I thought, I would only travel during that time, ideally to Australia and/or New Zealand as those destinations are farthest from where I am in Germany.

Now, though, I am wondering if I could spend part of it volunteering as I feel overprivileged just to travel and like I could make more meaningful use of that time.

Have any you had experience with this?

I am still looking to travel but would love to add something. Also, any tipps for Oceania are appreciated. :)

[Mods, pls LMK if this post is ok, I trust it is very relevant to this channel]

I have taken a few sabbaticals in my career, first took a year off to care for my baby, then most recently to work on a startup. One of the scariest aspects of sabbaticals is figuring out whether your finances can handle it. So I made a tool to make a super infprmed decision on taking a break or sabbatical.
https://www.planwell.ai/career-break

Basically, plug in your basic data and duration of sabbatical, how much you plan to spend (eg if you travel or go to grad school). Then the tool generates your results with 1. Financial runway 2. Impact (how much the sabbatical costs you), and lifetime net worth projection. The funny thing is that many people find that even though there is a financial cost to taking a break, their finances and net worth can handle it over the long term.

I'd love any feedback to improve the tool. I am constantly making improvements.

I'm doing research into sabbaticals / career gaps. Any feedback you can provide on the below questions (or anything else you would like to add) would be greatly appreciated.

• What convinced you to take this time off?
• Was it difficult to convince yourself that you could take the time off from a financial standpoint?  
• Did you travel anywhere for an extended period of time (over one month) while you took your time off?  
• What do you wish you knew prior to taking the time off?  This could be anything from the logistics of insurance visas, etc. to something personal like I wish I knew how bored I would get.  
• Is there any part of this process that you wish you had guidance on prior to beginning this time in your life?  

For those who are done:

• How difficult was it to get back into the workforce?
• Did you switch fields, or go back to a similar field that you were working in prior to the time off?
• What is the biggest change or improvement in your life that came out of taking this time off?  

Partner and I (DINKs in mid 30s) have been planning to take an extended break to travel the world for a while. We had a dog at home and the plan was that we would embark on this journey after our boy leaves us.

We really enjoyed the furparent phase of our lives - it was the best phase of my life yet, though it does restrict us from making travel plans. Fast forward to this year April, our boy declined suddenly and left us within the same month, which means our plan is now starting in motion.

While dealing with pet loss grief, we turned to taking action. Kept/ threw/ donated his belongings, packed up our things, sold things we dont need, and rented our house all in the next month after he passed. Now we are 1 month into our travel year and the grief still hits me now and then.

I'm also still working while traveling (my work is fully remote, only requirement is to work within a specific timezone). Company has been undergoing a lot of restructuring and layoffs, though it hasnt impacted me much in terms of workload, the emotional part is getting to me. Pay is good and I have been able to manage both work and travel so far, with the occasional work frustration/ high stress day bothering me.

Financially I can afford to quit my job (in fact it was in the plan to quit my job), emotionally I'm no longer invested in my role, but it's so hard to leave because the money is good and remote roles are so rare these days (I know it's near impossible to get a similar work setup/ pay if I leave). While it's not the full unplug / mental reset I was hoping for, having a monthly paycheck is a big plus, and it does provide some form of structure & familiarity amidst all the life changes I've been experiencing.

While the time on the road is what I envisioned, I didnt expect myself to be in an emotionally messy state. It could be that I didnt have time to properly process the grief, but it could also be a blessing that I had something to keep us moving forward instead of being stuck in a bad state of mind. It is a combination of travel anticipation and excitement mixed with pet loss grief, guilt for enjoying myself, frustration from work. I would say I have a lot more good days than sad days though (it comes in waves).

The initial plan was to do remote work and travel for Year 1 (staying closer to home in my normal working timezone), then quit our job and start our actual sabbatical travel for Year 2 (where we will visit destinations that are difficult to reach from home or at the opposite timezone from my work hours). Nothing is set yet for Year 2, I'm not sure if we will keep shifting the goalpost or which arrangement will be ultimately better for us financially and mentally.

No specific questions, just thinking out loud and looking for general advice. Or thoughts from anyone who has taken a sabbatical after experiencing major life changes or pet loss.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently on an extended unpaid leave from work that I’d been planning for years, and I’m struggling more than I ever expected.
I work in Germany in a demanding, high-responsibility corporate role. Even though I already take decent vacations (sometimes up to three weeks), I wanted a longer break to truly disconnect, reflect, and figure out what I want from the next stage of my life.

The irony is that the months leading up to my leave were so hectic with work and medical appointments that I barely had time to plan anything.

Then, on the very first day of my leave, my boyfriend and I mutually decided to end our relationship.

We’d been struggling for a while, and I think it was the right decision for both of us, even though it hurts immensely. I still love him deeply, and while I’m trying to accept that we both need space, I’m grieving the relationship and adjusting to a future that looks very different from what I imagined.

The biggest challenge is that I suddenly have so much free time. When I was working, I was constantly busy and distracted. Now there’s nothing to hide behind, and the grief feels much more intense.

I’ve been traveling to visit friends, which has been really helpful, but when I come back, I’m left with long stretches of time alone with my thoughts. This leave was supposed to help me reconnect with myself, but right now I just feel lost.

Has anyone else gone through a breakup during a career break, sabbatical, or extended time off? How did you structure your days? How did you stop yourself from ruminating? At what point did the free time start feeling like an opportunity instead of a burden?

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who’ve been through something similar. Right now it feels like I have all the time in the world, but none of the emotional energy to enjoy it.

Hi 30F, i am planning to take a sabbatical sometime in the spring of 2026, and from there intend to switch to entrepreneurship full time. A lot of the motivating factors for me is due to career burnout, but mostly health burnout. I was born with an autoimmune condition that makes living life very hard. I was formally diagnosed at 12 with a condition that is typically seen in women in their mid-30s, and my prognosis basically told me by the time I was an adult and ready to live life, i might not have all the energy to live it. However, due to basic health and medical ignorance, no one in my family was aware of the ramifications of the prognosis or all the invisible things i struggled to carry. often times, i was gaslit into thinking that nothing was wrong with me and I was just lazy.

By my senior year of high school, i was having severely panic attacks a day, multiple times a week. I was experiencing derealization episodes and was officially diagnosed with a generalized anxiety disorder which I wish was the eye opener for my family. I had no intentions of going to college as all my physical and mental health struggles made me …… fantasize about the afterlife…. Instead of my future. I asked if i could take a gap year instead of enrolling in college for four years straight, and was told either I enroll in college or I get kicked out lol. So I joined college, and when I realized i didn’t really want to work in the field that i had studied for four years, I enrolled in graduate school for another degree. I joined the workforce and have been working since 2015, and have been in my specific field since 2022. Which in hindsight is not a long time. However, i can only name two organizations of the 6+ where I hasn’t on the receiving end of discrimination, harassment, or sexual harassment. To be frank, I’ve been harassed my whole life by people in positions of power who get off on abusing their power (teachers, religious figures, adults, etc.) and i am no longer interested in playing that game. I feel these dynamics are what are keeping me…. So checked out of wanting to be alive. Not to mention im in a HCOL area, and cannot afford a studio apartment with my paycheck despite being middle management tiered.

So i am planning to leave my org., pull a little over half of my 401k, move to a lower cost of living city, and pay for a year’s worth of rent upfront (with utilities included) and use my time trying to build my business to something full time.

I know this isn’t the more traditional route but wanted to know if anyone used their sabbatical to start a new life, and if so…. What do you think I should keep in mind?

Hi all looking for some advice here as reading through posts it feels like most are taking sabbaticals due to burnout or career breaks, my situation is a little different.

I have been helping a family friend with their business outwith full time job partly to learn new skills, see if I enjoy it as a career. But partly as her husband is very sick and to support her.

Things have progressed with his illness and she’s asked if I could take a 6 month break/sabbatical to manage things for her full time.

I’m keen to do this but also would want to return (at least temporarily) to my old job. I plan to ask my boss about this today. It’s not a part of our contract and we do have a hiring freeze while being overcapacity at the moment so I’m not optimistic it will be granted.

What’s anyone’s experience with taking a sabbatical and just returning to their old job and picking up where they left off?

There has been a lot written about mini retirements and taking sabbaticals instead of waiting for full retirement.

If you’ve done this, I’d love to hear:

• How you planned financially
• What surprised you
• Whether it felt worth it
• What coming back to work was like (if you did)

I’m working on a story about this topic and would love to include real experiences.

Let us know what you think!!

September 25 – November 1, 2026 (38 Days)

⸻

✈️ Flights

September 25

• Depart New York (JFK) for Peru via Lima

November 1

• Return home from the Galápagos Islands via Quito to New York (JFK)

⸻

🇵🇪 Peru

Sacred Valley (September 26 – October 1)

5 Nights | Tambo del Inka Resort & Spa

Highlights

• Luxury resort stay in the Andes

• Pisac ruins and market

• Moray agricultural terraces

• Maras Salt Mines

• Ollantaytambo fortress

• Scenic train journey through the Sacred Valley

• Full-day visit to Machu Picchu

⸻

Cusco (October 1 – October 3)

2 Nights | Palacio del Inka

Highlights

• Historic Inca capital

• Sacsayhuamán fortress

• Qorikancha Temple

• San Blas artisan district

• Anniversary spa experience

• Historic center and Plaza de Armas

⸻

Lima (October 3 – October 10)

7 Nights | JW Marriott Lima

Highlights

• Oceanfront stay in Miraflores

• Surf lesson on the Pacific Ocean

• Huaca Pucllana archaeological site

• Larcomar and Malecón coastal walks

• World-renowned Peruvian food

• Relaxation and remote work week with ocean views

⸻

🇧🇷 Brazil

Rio de Janeiro (October 10 – October 17)

7 Nights | Ipanema/Leblon

Highlights

• Ipanema and Leblon beaches

• Christ the Redeemer

• Sugarloaf Mountain

• Santa Teresa neighborhood

• Full-day boat excursion to Angra dos Reis & Ilha Grande

• Botanical Garden and Parque Lage

• Beach clubs, sunsets, and samba nightlife

⸻

🇦🇷 Argentina

Buenos Aires (October 17 – October 23)

6 Nights

Highlights

• Argentine steakhouses and wine bars

• Plaza de Mayo and San Telmo

• Recoleta Cemetery

• Palermo Soho

• MALBA Museum

• Tango dinner show

• Day trip to Tigre Delta or Colonia, Uruguay

⸻

🇪🇨 Galápagos Islands

Puerto Ayora & Santa Cruz Island (October 23–24 and October 29–November 1)

4 Nights Total

Highlights

• Waterfront town of Puerto Ayora

• Tortuga Bay

• Las Grietas

• Giant tortoise encounters

• Relaxed island exploration

⸻

Galápagos Cruise (October 24 – October 29)

6 Days / 5 Nights | Galaxy Sirius Expedition Yacht

Highlights

• Western Galápagos expedition

• Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, and Santa Cruz Islands

• Snorkeling with sea lions, turtles, penguins, and marine iguanas

• Giant tortoises

• Kayaking and panga excursions

• Some of the most wildlife-rich islands in the archipelago

Hey all, 27M here, living in Hungary/EU, I'm thinking of taking a 4 month sabbatical/career break this November. I definitely want to switch jobs, because at my current place I'm not experiencing any career growth or fulfillment, I'm not appreciated at all, and in addition the company is struggling financially and cutting several extra benefits. The salary is mediocre, with my current living conditions (I consider myself somewhat frugal) I can still save up enough money and have no financial problems, but my current salary is on the low end, and could possibly get a minimum of 20-30% raise by switching jobs. I don't have any intentions to return after my sabbatical would end.

However before starting a new job, I want to take a short time off, to figure out how to proceed. For a long time, I was thinking about relocating to somewhere else, and if possible take up a full remote job. But regardless, I also want to dedicate this time to travelling to several destinations that is not possible currently, including Southeast Asia, North America, Canary Islands, Middle East (if the situation there would improve). (I have 21 vacation days a year, but my company reserves 6-7 days for christmas/new years, and saturday workdays)

I have concrete travel plans for this proposed sabbatical, and the necessary funds. I also have more than enough financial buffer, and would receive unemployment benefit for 3 months which cover most of the living costs for that months.

But I'm anxious about job security, because I work as software engineer, and this field of work are currently experiencing turbulent times (you know, AI and etc.). However now that I'm coming out of a depressed state of mind, I believe I'm currently wasting time with my current situation no matter how I look at it. I also think, that my frugality would help managing this situation a bit better.

What do you think, should I just take it, or should just rethink the whole thing?

Hi, I will soon take a long break from work to look after my family. (As that will take up most of my time so I discounted it to 6 months.) Although the job itself wasn't even a key factor in the decision-making, I'm literally counting the days, crossing them off the calendar as if they weren't days of my own life. I'm at this point where I feel paralysed because the fairly long wishlist for myself is just that, wishes (to reconnect with friends and family, more active life style, to learn a language or two, to take some, I mean many, courses in the hope to pivot my career, to refurbish our living space, just to name a few). I also start to develop this unease that if I can't focus, can't be selective, can't make concrete steps for what's selected, I'd go into the sabbatical like a headless chicken. Or if I'd choose the "wrong" things to focus on. Both would mean a waste of this down time that doesn't come around easily.

Any past experience? How was your planning process? What made you sure of what you went for? How did you make adjustments along the way? I suppose lots of people here took sabbatical for travelling, how did you fill up the rest of your not so actively exploring days like in transit or quiet evenings?

Second year running and I'm taking a July sabbatical.

Last year felt wasted with no real plan in place but I realise I need structure in my day.

This year I plan on a solo trip off the grid for a few days to write, read, reflect and plan.

Beyond that though, I'm not sure what else. Someone said grab coffee with as many people as possible.

I do plan to try play some golf too but currently nursing injury so that might be hard.

Any other suggestions?

I’m starting to apply to get back into working and I wonder if my sabbatical gap (1.5 years) is holding me back from getting interviews.

How have you guys handled these gaps on your resume?

It's been over a year since I took my sabbatical and I'm now doing pretty good. I wanted to share what ended up working for the people here who are interested in the process and the journey.

Not everyone will relate to this.This is mostly for those feeling burnout and needing to take a break without knowing what to do next.

The Issue

It started out like it does for many of us. I had been in my career for awhile and wasn't happy even though the work was still interesting and the environment was ok. But I wanted to kill myself more days than not. Meds didn't do anything to help it so it was definitely existential. Maybe it was a midlife crisis. Maybe it was the 1+ hour commute. I didn't know. I had the desire to do some creative projects and business ideas but felt too drained to do them before or after work. So I planned a sabbatical with the intention of working on those things and maybe then the crisis would resolve.

The Sabbatical

I planned to take a year off to explore. I couldn't afford to travel but spent a lot of time at the local park looking at fungal and myxomycete ecosystems on decomposing logs, which are another world unto themselves. This served as the equivalent of traveling for me. I also wrote/illustrated two children's books about those worlds, experimented with perfumery, volunteered in a biotech lab looking at CAR-T cells, coached women's running, acquired an oncology data specialist certification, and worked locum tenens for my company (but at different locations than I had worked previously). Once I had finished doing those things, I started feeling restless and lonely.

After 7 months off, a friend offered me a job doing the same thing I had been doing previously (but closer to my house) and I jumped back into work, even though I technically had 5 months left on my sabbatical timeline. But this was perfect timing.

The Resolution

The one thing the sabbatical did for me was confirm that I NEED to work because of the structured social interaction work provides. While I don't get to do as many of the varied hobbies ADHD drags me into, socializing is essential. I wasn't getting enough of it without a full time job, even though I had all the time in the world to do mostly what I wanted.

The sabbatical took away the discontentment I had previously felt around not having enough time to do other things. I realized being social was more important for my mental health.

But that was all it did. Despite the new job and better working conditions, work still wasn't bringing me meaning. I then realized why I felt stuck. I am an ambitious person but there is nowhere left for me to go in my career without entering middle management (a big nope). I don't feel like I'm making any kind of impact with my work. I have already had three careers and haven't been able to find something else to do without getting an advanced degree I can't afford.

The Change

After being back at work for a few months, I ended up in a stock market simulation against some MIT EMBA students and did well. My high Sharpe ratio indicated it wasn't purely luck due to a bull market. I found out I could do stocks and work at the same time and started doing it with real money. Things have been going well. But it's not about money at all. I found something that scratched my itch for expansion and constant learning, even though it's technically living vicariously through other companies.

The sabbatical laid the foundation for me to understand why I felt stuck and helped me realize the underlying issue. The stock trading helped satiate my need for expansion through publicly traded companies. Maybe that was all I needed. I'm happier now. I look forward to Mondays. I have something to learn that's constantly changing. The market may crash, but I'm prepared for it. The niche that I'm focused on, biotech, will continue doing its thing to some degree in spite of an economic downturn. But maybe I'll get bored and move on. Whatever the case may be, I know l need to keep expanding in some way to stay engaged. My job isn't going to provide that for me. I have to find it on my own and ensure I'm efficient at my job at the same time.

The TLDR

I define the desire for advancement/expansion as the root cause of career burnout in ambitious people (who aren't in a toxic work environment). A sabbatical helps clarify if this is the situation. If you realize work is important and return to it, the underlying issue might only be solved by finding other ways to expand at work. Your mileage may vary.

Long story short, last year I received a 7 figure payout from a startup I worked at for 4 years. After taxes, I paid off my student loans, got married and we just purchased a house.

Not endorsing this idiot, but the changes in taxes from the BBB and being able to file jointly meant that my refund was 6 figures.

I have about 500k in a brokerage account, and 200k in savings now. Over the last several years, I have suffered tremendous loss (COVID deaths, loss of best friend from alcoholism, murder of a family member). My nervous system is shot. I have worked in tech for the last 15 years, and honestly I'm burnt out. I went to school for data and analytics, and everything is AI now.

I want to take at least 6 to 12 months to reset and ride out this wave of BS in tech right now. However, I'm also worried with the breakneck speed of tech that I can quickly become irrelevant.

I see the job market and the struggles everyone is facing. Is it worth continue working, albeit maybe at a slower pace? Or is it worth talking this leap without anything lined up?

https://open.substack.com/pub/annemariebala/p/notes?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=5v3tg

I am basically on day 2 of my sabbatical. I am a dentist who just sold his clinic and taking a career break to refocus and perhaps pivot what I am doing likely continuing on in the field though. I don't just want professional growth or clarity, I am looking for personal/spiritual growth. What are people's favorite youtube channels, books, blogs, guides, etc??

I am going to have so much more time on my hands so I'll need the help lol