The Case for Sabbaticals — and How to Take a Successful One

In her early thirties, Bethany was at a crossroads. After working for the U.S. government in Washington, DC, she’d been accepted into a PhD program in law in Australia, which she’d chosen in order to be closer to her partner. But when the relationship abruptly ended just before she enrolled, she felt as if the floor had dropped out from beneath her. This was on top of an already hard year: Bethany’s father had passed away several months earlier. Overwhelmed and disoriented, she worried that she had “lost the ability to appreciate joy in life.” But instead of seeking a different PhD program or a new job, she did something radical for a high achiever. She saved up for a year and then allowed herself a six-month sabbatical from work.