The Sabbatical Project: Category: Female

Andy moves from burnout to balanced entrepreneur

Andy’s sabbatical takes them from a software engineer experiencing burnout to an invigorated and balanced entrepreneur.

My break changed my life. It taught me how little I could survive on and caused me to re-evaluate my Silicon Valley lifestyle. It opened my eyes to new ways of being and working filled with balance, time off, and unstructured time to explore my various passions.

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20s-30s30s-40sCareer change

Cady Finds a New Way of Working

Cady quits her job to take a sabbatical which leads her to discover a new way of working and take control of her time.

My break taught me to tolerate a different way of working, one that isn’t filled with daily emergencies and mini-crises. One that includes balance, days off, and time to explore creative hobbies and interests.

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30s-40sCareer changeEntrepreneurship

Sarah Sails into a Sabbatical

Sarah and her fiancé Andrew’s sabbatical sees them sailing out into the open ocean and living differently for two and a half years.

In a world that often glorifies non-stop productivity, the idea of taking a sabbatical can be met with skepticism. However, I firmly believe that the benefits of a sabbatical far outweigh any potential drawbacks.

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30s-40sCreativityEntrepreneurship

Carol learns to balance life and work

After years of sacrificing her personal life for her job, Carol goes on sabbatical and learns to balance work and life.

“You’re going to check your email five times a day for the first week, and twice a day for the second. But then—you’re going to put your phone down and forget that it exists until you come back.“

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30s-40sFemalePersonal Stories

Elle Finds Freedom to Explore

After experiencing burnout, grief and a detachment from her identity, Elle sets out on a sabbatical to travel, explore, and reconnect to herself.

I knew there had to be more out there… I had to give myself permission to do all the things I had previously told myself I couldn’t or shouldn’t.

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30s-40sFemaleHealing/burnout

Milena Designs Her Sabbatical

Milena leverages her design thinking and strategic skills to plan a 12-week sabbatical miles away from home.

I took 3 months off of my work without pay and so did my partner. We saved up for 6 months in advance… using my design thinking brain when planning a sabbatical turned out to be a good thing.

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20s-30s30s-40sCareer change

Cinzia’s Career-Changing Sabbatical

From structuring derivatives to teaching about longevity and happiness, Cinzia’s incredible story shows how she made changes and found meaning for her life.

My sabbatical made me realize that I could not work for a company just to make money. I needed to have an impact and find meaning through my work.

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30s-40s50s+Career change

Sonia’s 3-Month Healing Sabbatical

Sonia takes a sabbatical to heal from burnout and grief, spend time with her friends and family, and understand what healing means to her.

While I hoped and expected my sabbatical would shift my mind –quiet it, slow it down– I was completely shocked at how much this pause brought me into my body…

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30s-40sC-levelCreativity

Bethany Finds her Sense of Self

A former government employee embarks on a journey to rediscover her sense of self after personal and professional struggles.

My sabbatical opened up my ideas about what I can do as a professional and gave me more confidence in trying new things that I don’t necessarily have the credential or experience for.

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20s-30sFemalePersonal Stories

Marina Travels and Finds Herself

Marina takes a 32-week sabbatical as a way of healing from her physical and mental health crises. She gains the courage to transform herself.

I realized that the only way to become myself again, was to take care of myself — deeply.

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Career changeEducationEntrepreneurship

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