I took 3 months off after burning out and it was absolutely worth it. I had to plan ahead, keep an emergency fund on hand, and force myself to adjust to not working, but I truly had time to heal. I was sad to go back to work, but also glad that I picked up some good habits during the sabbatical, like journaling and reading daily. Good luck with yours.
I took one a few years back at the worst time possible(beginning of pandamic), I did not know how I was going to figure it all out but just knew that I needed one . It's been over 3 ½ years since I am back in the game. I can't even explain it in the comments but what I achieved in the first 5 years of my career vs what I did in the last 3 years is unmatched.
Great video Wayne! Hope you really get to enjoy your time away from work. Long directionless walks are a real passion of mine and I would definitely take much longer ones if I could take a sabbatical 😅 haven’t ever taken one yet but absolutely feel the weird pressure and guilt of just sitting down and doing nothing 😔
I've taken 2 short ones (3 months) in the span of 5 years and I typically try to learn new skills and new tools during that time, and resting from typical designer burn out in the process. I am wondering if I should take one now to master Origami Studio (which was how I discovered your channel, great stuff, by the way). I don't think employers will take sabbaticals badly as long as you remain a competitive hire when you come back. So with that realistic expectation, my best advice is to focus on working on yourself on top of resting and making sure you're in top form. Many friends I know who take sabbaticals waste them, as they weren't doing anything valuable with their time. And the consequences of that is basically much tougher employment conditions when they come back from their break. To each their own though, I don't want to sound capitalist or anything saying that even breaks have to be productive, but the intent and goals of the sabbaticals needs to be clear so then you can measure the risks and rewards and make the decision of what you want to do :)
Hey! Sorry for the late reply! I think it's a fair perspective, especially with the current landscape for jobs. It can definitely be wasted time, but I think there are a lot of ways to broaden horizons that lead back to a positive message towards future employers. And I'd be a hypocrite to not say I'm doing some design work on the side too, because I am. Can't escape! Thanks for the comment!
![Sabbaticals: Time [off] well spent | Dennis DiDonna | TEDxEVHS](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tRp7_mXYIH4/mqdefault.jpg)
![Sabbaticals: Time [off] well spent | Dennis DiDonna | TEDxEVHS](/img/tr.png)
I took 3 months off after burning out and it was absolutely worth it. I had to plan ahead, keep an emergency fund on hand, and force myself to adjust to not working, but I truly had time to heal. I was sad to go back to work, but also glad that I picked up some good habits during the sabbatical, like journaling and reading daily. Good luck with yours.
Thanks for sharing! It’s nice to hear it was enough time to form those habits too!
I took one a few years back at the worst time possible(beginning of pandamic), I did not know how I was going to figure it all out but just knew that I needed one .
It's been over 3 ½ years since I am back in the game. I can't even explain it in the comments but what I achieved in the first 5 years of my career vs what I did in the last 3 years is unmatched.
That’s really cool! Listening to your mind and body can be tough sometimes, so it’s nice to hear that you did it, and that it helped.
Great video Wayne! Hope you really get to enjoy your time away from work.
Long directionless walks are a real passion of mine and I would definitely take much longer ones if I could take a sabbatical 😅 haven’t ever taken one yet but absolutely feel the weird pressure and guilt of just sitting down and doing nothing 😔
Thanks dude! Man, aimless walks in Japan were the best btw. Interesting stuff everywhere. You’d love it!
I've taken 2 short ones (3 months) in the span of 5 years and I typically try to learn new skills and new tools during that time, and resting from typical designer burn out in the process. I am wondering if I should take one now to master Origami Studio (which was how I discovered your channel, great stuff, by the way).
I don't think employers will take sabbaticals badly as long as you remain a competitive hire when you come back. So with that realistic expectation, my best advice is to focus on working on yourself on top of resting and making sure you're in top form. Many friends I know who take sabbaticals waste them, as they weren't doing anything valuable with their time. And the consequences of that is basically much tougher employment conditions when they come back from their break.
To each their own though, I don't want to sound capitalist or anything saying that even breaks have to be productive, but the intent and goals of the sabbaticals needs to be clear so then you can measure the risks and rewards and make the decision of what you want to do :)
Hey! Sorry for the late reply!
I think it's a fair perspective, especially with the current landscape for jobs. It can definitely be wasted time, but I think there are a lot of ways to broaden horizons that lead back to a positive message towards future employers. And
I'd be a hypocrite to not say I'm doing some design work on the side too, because I am. Can't escape! Thanks for the comment!