A friend of mine decided to take a sabbatical year and went from his homeland Poland to Brazil. Now he is posting daily posts about his insights. I never took a sabbatical in my life but thought that 2020 is somehow very close to taking a sabbatical. So I did look up sabbatical and came upon these interesting facts;
That's what they say: 'Taking a sabbatical is an amazing, rejuvenating and life-changing experience. Spending time in a new place or country away from the daily grind can help you see life in a completely new way.'
The concept of the sabbatical is based on the Biblical practice of shmita, which is related to agriculture. According to Leviticus 25, Jews in the Land of Israel must take a year-long break from working the fields every seven years. A "sabbatical" has come to mean an extended absence in the career of an individual to fulfill some goal, e.g., writing a book or travelling extensively for research. Resource Wikipedia
In the TED talk The power of time off, Stefan Sagmeister discusses the benefits of taking a sabbatical, both for ourselves and wider society.
Stefan owns and runs a design studio. Dissatisfied with the concept of spending 40 years working before earning a 15-20 year retirement, he decided to mix things up.
Every seven years he closes down his office to take a year-long sabbatical, to focus on projects that otherwise may not happen within his regular working life. It’s also an opportunity for replenishment; to gain new creative inspiration (which will later benefit the studio’s clients) by being in a different environment. His talk also details other inspiring sabbatical success stories.
According to monster.co.uk / What is a Sabbatical?
A sabbatical is a break from work, often paid and usually lasting between a couple of months and a year. Even if a sabbatical has never occurred to you, the reasons below might show you the way a career break can benefit you:
Shake things up. Frequently people want to break free from a rut they feel they are in. Rather than just taking time off, sabbaticals can rejuvenate a career and allow for more purpose on your return.
Make a difference. Many sabbaticals revolve around charity work or voluntary projects which will have a lasting impact in disadvantaged parts of the world. If your job doesn’t afford such opportunities, then a sabbatical may do.
Gain experience. This is a key reason for ambitious people who cannot gain the skills they need in their job. A sabbatical can allow you time to retrain, perhaps whilst taking part in a project outside of your usual experience.
Discover other cultures. Sabbaticals often involve travel which can lead to cultural experiences in their own right. It can also mean working in new and different ways in the UK which will help you in your job down the line.
Get educated. A popular reason for a sabbatical is to study. Many people take the opportunity to continue their learning or to fill in gaps in their education.
Improve your health. For people with certain long-term conditions, a sabbatical can allow for a good deal of rejuvenation. Rest and relaxation are often needed to recover from certain medical treatments and a career break may fit the bill.
It is better than quitting. People who want time away from their job sometime feel that sabbatical ‘allows’ them to. Of course whether or not they have a job to return to usually depends on their employer.
There are also special sabbatical retreats you can join, https://thesabbaticalexperience.com