Photo by Luis Villasmil on Unsplash

Welcome to the guide on How to Take a Sabbatical. I created this resource to help demystify the life-changing experience of a sabbatical.

I never thought a sabbatical was for me until I took one. I never thought I needed one and frankly never thought it was possible. You can read my sabbatical story on The Sabbatical Project website.

Consider this guide a starting point for anyone who is curious about taking a sabbatical. Here’s what you’ll find below:

I hope you find this useful.

Elliot Greenberger, coach and host of the “On Courage” podcast

<aside> 📄 To save this page to your Notion workspace, just click “Duplicate” in the upper right.

The podcast version of this guide can be found here

Feel free to email me with your feedback and questions.

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What is a Sabbatical?

Sabbaticals are often misunderstood, with many assumptions about who can take them, their purpose, and what they should look like.

The Sabbatical Project has researched various types of sabbaticals, each driven by unique motivations:

Working holidays: People pulled into a sabbatical by a passion project, with the goal of returning to work with more energy and clarity
Free dives: People pulled into sabbaticals by a sense of wanderlust, who “needed an adventure and a kind of a soul reset”
Quests: People pulled into sabbatical because their “current path was untenable”, driven by burnout or work mismatch

This guide applies to any sabbatical, but leans toward those seeking a Quest. My own sabbatical was a Quest. Understanding the broad spectrum of sabbaticals is powerful—there’s no one-size-fits-all.

Photo by Drew Coffman on Unsplash

Photo by Amanda Jones on Unsplash

Core Requirements

The term “sabbatical” originates from “sabbath”, signifying time for rest and worship.

Two foundational ideas define a sabbatical:

1. Taking a break from work.

Many of us have crafted our adult lives around our labor and productivity. A core aspect of a sabbatical, therefore, is to strip away work to discover who you are without work.

2. Connecting with living your life.

Without the distraction of day-to-day work, you have the opportunity to explore your purpose, values, and how you want to show up in the world. It’s about clarifying what fulfills you now, at this moment.

Both must align for a true sabbatical.

Besides intent, time is another crucial factor. The ideal duration of a sabbatical varies, but commonly, three months or more allows for meaningful self-discovery. It should be enough time for you to slow down, reconnect to yourself, discover what you really desire, and see the truth of your life today.