1. CONSIDER

WHY SHOULD I TAKE A SABBATICAL? WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT FROM A SABBATICAL?

Sabbaticals come about in different ways. Once the preserve of academia, they were an encouraged leave of absence for scholarly writing and research. In fact, the word sabbatical derives from the Hebrew word 'Sabbath', the day of rest, as scholars would take a year's break from their studies every seven years. Sabbaticals have now been redefined, and come about in various different circumstances across all industries. It may be about taking advantage of time off (voluntarily or otherwise) between jobs; enjoying some gardening leave (minus the gardening); taking a well-earned break from a current role. Or due to a big personal change; selling a business; shifting priorities; embarking on a fullyfledged mid-life crisis, being freshly responsibility-free (hurrah!) or easing into retirement. After all, going from spinning 20 plates at once to suddenly doing nothing can be a bit daunting.

The great thing about the word sabbatical is that it covers all of the above, but requires minimal explanation of the details, which can be tricky to talk about. Consider it a fig leaf for a wealth of situations where we’re essentially just putting ourselves first for once. We have little trouble with the hedonistic pursuits of youngsters taking gap years, so let’s start getting comfortable with the adult equivalent (minus the Thailand full moon parties, backpacks and hostel bunk beds, unless you want that, of course). A sabbatical is defined simply as an extended break away from work, meaning that we can handpick all the fun stuff. They could last one month or 12, consist of ticking off multiple bucket list items across 30 different countries or spending the whole time getting under the skin of just one destination; it’s all a sabbatical, and the juicy details are down to you (and us). What we do know is that however they come about and however long they last, the same themes come up again and again. “I want to… reconnect with family/pursue self-improvement/prevent myself from burning out/reignite my passion for life and work/see the world while I can…” Whatever your motivation, we’ve come up with some ideas on what might work for you, from pages 24 to 51.

WHO WOULD BENEFIT FROM TAKING A SABBATICAL? Pretty much everyone. For CEOs, teachers, entrepreneurs etc, the benefits of being refreshed and reinvigorated both personally and professionally are so clear that there is no single profile for who needs a sabbatical, or what that break should look like. An increasing number of savvy companies are developing sabbatical policies for their staff because the positive impact on employee retention and workplace happiness is huge. Indeed, 25% of Fortune’s '100 Best Companies to Work For' offer their staff sabbaticals. It's never been more socially acceptable to prioritise life over work. There’s no longer any stigma about putting our wellbeing first, in whatever form that takes. Which leads us nicely onto the benefits… b

of clients who took a sabbatical with Original Travel went for between three and six months (47% for one to three months) of people who took a sabbatical in 2017 and 2018 wanted to learn a new skill

of employees surveyed across the UK and Europe said they do not have a good work-life balance

WORK BENEFITS

No matter what you do as a day job, we've all Taking a sabbatical doesn’t have to mean tuning out experienced the benefit of seeing things through a entirely. In fact, we may find ourselves refocusing the different lens. Sometimes when we’re caught up in the energy normally channelled into work into a philanthropic moment of a project, we forget exactly what we’re doing project (page 38) or to learning a new skill (page 32). and why we’re doing it. We often look to an outsider for Whether we’re swapping morning meetings for mountain an objective point of view, but a sabbatical allows you the biking or mindful meditation, travel in all forms broadens emotional and physical space to be that outsider yourself. the mind and inspires us in myriad ways. From appreciating Who am I? What do I want? Why do I want it? How can I the joy of simplicity in rural life (page 30) to experiencing make it happen? Very important questions, but ones that a wealth of culture and history in ancient cities (page 26), can get lost in the day-to-day doing of life. If we only have a these skills, challenges and experiences transcend the limited amount of energy and we’ve already used up a hefty personal to enrich our professional lives too, letting us portion running a business/team/project; or on our bring new perspectives and ideas into the workplace. MD commute; or on politics at work; or the general daily grind, of Personal Career Management Corinne Mills suggests: how can we be expected to have the time, energy and 'Taking time out to study, learn a new skill or try some space to see the bigger picture? Viewing the world from interesting experiences can another perspective can make us be positively life-changing, “Taking time out to study, realise we want something totally both professionally and from a personal point of view. Stepping learn a new skill or try some different – a complete career change – or maybe it will make us off the treadmill of work enables interesting experiences can appreciate what we already have you to think about what you really want to do with the rest be positively life-changing, and renew our passion for it. Either way, we’ll have more clarity and be of your career, and life.' both professionally and from a making more informed decisions. personal point of view. Stepping off the treadmill of work enables you to think about what you really want to do with the rest of your career, and life.”

Snaefellsnes, Iceland Sedona, Arizona, USA

HEALTH BENEFITS

“As a GP, I regularly see patients with work related stress and burnout. A change of environment, for example a sabbatical, can be a where do we find the time to It’s no secret that stress has a great antidote to these problems.” simply sit and think and reflect? massive impact on our health, Mindfulness and meditation both physical and mental. Reduce stress and you also Dr Rachel Allen have become increasingly popular in the West for this very reduce the risk of stroke, reason - we’re searching for a diabetes, heart attack, high blood pressure and mental way to be in tune with ourselves - but it’s often temporary, health issues… the list goes on. and finding the time can be tough, so the cycle continues.

The sad truth is that some of us don’t appreciate our Even our sacred holidays that we’ve worked so hard for are health until it’s too late; until either we or someone close only a temporary change of pace before we’re right back in to us has a wake-up call that makes us sit up and value our the rat race again. physical and mental wellbeing. Whether you’re currently Always being in work mode can mean we forget to make in top shape, looking to improve or want to totally revamp time for the things we actually enjoy and that make us your health routine, taking a sabbatical not only eliminates happy. Studies show that 15% of people are experiencing the health-battering stress-factor of work from our lives, mental health problems in the workplace, and evidence but also allows us to focus generally on what our bodies suggests that 13% of all sickness absence days in the and minds actually want and need. UK are attributable to mental health issues. Sabbaticals

We've become so used to rushing from pillar to post, provide a remedy, a total break from the norm to help us grabbing food on the go (we’re no strangers to a cheeky reset ourselves, refocus our priorities and - essentially desk lunch between meetings), pushing ourselves until we - put our wellbeing and happiness first. Being happier have no energy to do anything but watch TV and go to bed; makes us healthier.

PERSONAL BENEFITS Sadly, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves disconnected from those we love the most. Whether our family consists of a partner, children or any other wonderful combination, time away from the stresses of everyday life can help us reconnect, rebuild and strengthen these important bonds. Overcoming challenges together, having more time for one another and enjoying fresh experiences together bonds us.

The same is true if the person we’re disconnected from is ourself, left wondering who we are and where we belong. Whether it’s a full-on identity crisis or a more gentle dawning realisation that we’re far from being the person we thought we’d turn out to be, travelling to new places with new challenges - and the space to make mistakes and try new things - can help us figure things out.

of clients who took a sabbatical with Original Travel did so out of a desire for self-improvement

SO, IT'S DECIDED Original Travel have had the precious task of planning many sabbaticals and handling all of the life admin that entails. This sabbatical guide is just a snapshot of what we can do for you. “THANK YOU to the team for such life enhancing experiences!! We have had an amazing experience with some fantastic guides, and in some of the most beautiful places in the world! It is only when looking back that the enormity of what we have done truly hits home. It has been an absolutely mind-blowing experience.”

“It’s only normal to come up with excuses not to try something new or bold. We all fear uncertainty and things going wrong. Another way is to focus instead on the potential upsides and how the decision could transform your life for the better” Gil Dove, Leadership Coach

Change can be scary. Whether we’re teetering on the edge, or have already taken the sabbatical decision plunge, fears about the logistics - the ‘what abouts', the ‘what ifs' - can start to creep in. Sometimes these are self-doubts, other times they're niggling questions from those far-too-practical voices around us, but either can lead to excuses as to why we should or shouldn’t do something.

The good news is that these concerns are entirely conquerable. After all, the practicalities can be organised into submission, especially with the help of experts who’ve seen it all before (that’s us). Other fears are more deeply rooted emotional barriers within ourselves, but these too are entirely surmountable. After all, “twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Turns out Mark Twain may not actually have said this, but it still stands.

Images, clockwise from left: Cliff jumping, Croatia; Exploring Havana, Cuba; Skiing in Verbier, Switzerland; Friends reunited, California, USA; Silver surfers, Bali, Indonesia