In August 2022, the writer quit her dream job and embarked on a year and a half-long sabbatical to heal her burnout and find happiness beyond work. She spent $34,000 exploring South America and Asia, initially dashing through bucket list destinations like Patagonia and Thailand. However, she soon realized that she was feeling burned out and hollow despite living her dream, as she had changed her circumstances but not her state of mind.
The writer identified that she was approaching her sabbatical in the same workaholic manner as she had approached her career, leading to anxiety and an inability to live in the present. Realizing that she needed to change her approach, she took three key steps to transform her sabbatical and her life. First, she significantly cut back and shifted her focus from quantity to quality when it came to travel experiences. Learning to prioritize her well-being meant letting go of control and the metrics she believed defined her self-worth.
She also chose to ‘miss out’ on hot activities that didn’t align with her needs, ignoring FOMO and prioritizing joy over a sense of obligation. By doing so, she started to genuinely enjoy everything she did more, focusing on what brought her happiness rather than what she thought would make her a more accomplished traveler or professional. Additionally, she gave up trying to work and make money while traveling, abandoning freelancing to focus on expanding her knowledge in areas she hadn’t had time for while working full-time.
After returning home to Los Angeles, the writer found herself slipping back into anxiety and workaholism. To reconnect with the person she had become during her sabbatical, she started meditating, journaling, and taking walks every day. These routines now help her maintain and build on the emotional work she did during her trip, allowing her to embrace the time spent figuring out what’s next without slipping back into burnout or feelings of unworthiness. She has learned to cultivate a fulfilling identity and life even when not working a dream job or traveling the world.
