How to Take a Sabbatical: Real-World Advice and Inspiration From 6 People Who Did It
If you‘re feeling burnt out at work and fantasizing about quitting, what you may really need is not a new job, but an extended break. Enter the sabbatical – a several-week or even months-long hiatus from work meant for travel, learning, or passion projects.
While sabbaticals are still a rare employee benefit, they are gaining popularity as companies recognize their power to fight burnout, increase retention, and infuse creativity. According to a 2019 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management, 15% of companies now offer an unpaid sabbatical program, while 5% offer paid sabbaticals.
Sabbaticals can be a win-win – giving you the time and space to achieve a meaningful goal or experience, while ultimately benefiting your employer as you return refreshed and inspired. But knowing how to take a sabbatical, and what to do with one, can feel daunting.
To help you envision what‘s possible, we‘ve compiled real-world examples of six different sabbatical experiences. Learn how these professionals crafted their breaks to suit their unique goals. Then discover how to propose and plan your own perfect sabbatical.
6 Real-World Sabbatical Experiences
1. Language Immersion in Brazil
Dan Sally, an Inbound Marketing Specialist at HubSpot, used his sabbatical to supercharge his language learning. He explains:
"I had been learning Brazilian Portuguese for about five months when HubSpot announced our sabbatical program. I wanted to take my skills to the next level through immersion, but with a wife and four kids at home, an extended international trip seemed out of reach.
The sabbatical came at the perfect time. My family and I rented an apartment in Rio de Janeiro for the month of July. We spent the time swimming, exploring the city, and of course eating lots of delicious food. Being there with the kids kept my mind off work and focused on the experience.
By the end of the month, my conversational skills had skyrocketed. It was the perfect combination of education and family bonding."
2. A Hometown Reset
Meghan Keaney Anderson, VP of Marketing at HubSpot, took a sabbatical that was close to home in location but rejuvenating in spirit:
"For my sabbatical, I didn‘t jet off to an exotic location. Instead, I rented a quiet house by the harbor in my hometown of Marblehead, Massachusetts. I spent the whole month taking long walks with my dog and reading on the front porch.
I know it may not sound exciting, but that time to clear my mind was exactly what I needed. The familiar setting allowed me to fully disconnect from work and just be present. When I returned, I had a renewed sense of clarity and motivation."
3. Surfing and Volunteering in Costa Rica
Corey Beale, Senior Director of Customer Selling at HubSpot, made the most of his sabbatical budget with a trip that balanced adventure, leisure and giving back:
"I rented an incredible house in Costa Rica and invited friends and family to come stay with me throughout the month. We shared lots of laughs and surfing sessions.
I also wanted to do some good while I was there. I used some of the HubSpot sabbatical stipend to make a donation to a local school. It felt amazing to pay the experience forward.
To top it off, I ended up adopting a stray dog I met there! I brought him back to the States and he was adopted by a fellow HubSpotter. Talk about a life-changing trip."
4. Family-Friendly Road Trip
For Kate Gillette Horne, a Senior Customer Success Manager at HubSpot, the biggest sabbatical question was how to spend a month off with a one-year-old. She landed on a classic American road trip:
"My husband and I considered lots of epic trip ideas, but ultimately we decided to keep it simple and baby-friendly with a road trip up the California coast.
We rented an RV, stopped at beaches and parks along the way, and spent quality time together as a family. My team back at HubSpot was fully supportive and helped cover my workload, so I was able to truly disconnect.
My advice is not to put too much pressure on your sabbatical to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. For me, low-key family bonding time was perfect."
5. Creative Staycation
Beth Dunn, Product Editor at HubSpot, rediscovered a creative outlet close to home:
"I know it might sound strange, but for my sabbatical I stayed home and knitted. It had been a hobby of mine for years but I rarely had time for it. With a month off, I was able to dive back in and even knit myself a secret-message sweater.
Having a creative project to focus on gave the time a sense of purpose and accomplishment. I‘d encourage anyone considering a sabbatical to pick up an old hobby or craft that brings you joy. You don‘t have to travel the world to find inspiration."
6. Hands-On Learning
Al Biedrzycki, a Marketing Team Manager at HubSpot, used his sabbatical to learn a highly specific new skill:
"I‘m a music lover and I‘d always wanted to learn more about how guitars are made. So for my sabbatical, I signed up for a two-week guitar building intensive in Oregon.
It was amazing to work with my hands and create a tangible object from scratch. I came back to the office energized and with a beautiful new guitar.
If there‘s a niche skill you‘ve always wanted to learn, a sabbatical is the perfect time to pursue it. Immersive learning is highly rejuvenating."
The Business Case for Sabbaticals
These stories demonstrate the incredible range of experiences a sabbatical can encompass. But you may be wondering, why would a company want to give employees so much time off?
It turns out sabbaticals are a surprisingly smart business strategy. According to research by the Sabbatical Project, sabbaticals result in:
- Increased employee retention
- Heightened creativity and confidence
- Renewed commitment and loyalty to the company
- Strengthened leadership and problem-solving abilities
By offering sabbaticals, companies invest in their employees‘ long-term satisfaction and development. That leads to lower turnover and a more skilled, engaged workforce.
Sabbaticals can also increase representation in leadership by giving junior employees the opportunity to step up while senior team members are out. One study found that 30% of people who fill in for a colleague on sabbatical are promoted within 5 years.
In short, sabbaticals are a powerful tool for building an innovative, committed and diverse organization. Forward-thinking companies like Patagonia, Deloitte, Adobe and of course HubSpot are paving the way – and reaping the rewards in employee engagement and groundbreaking work.
How to Propose a Sabbatical
Now that you‘re sold on the benefits of a sabbatical, how do you actually make it happen? Follow these steps to propose a sabbatical to your employer.
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Check your company‘s policy. Some organizations have a formal sabbatical program with clear eligibility requirements and application processes. If yours doesn‘t, you may need to make the case from scratch.
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Gather evidence of the benefits. Arm yourself with statistics and case studies demonstrating how sabbaticals benefit the company, not just the employee. Point to examples of other organizations with successful programs.
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Outline your sabbatical plan. Create a written proposal laying out the logistics of your sabbatical, including:
- Desired dates and length
- How your work will be covered while you‘re gone
- Your intention for the time, and how it will improve your work upon return
- A transition plan for ramping back up afterward
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Make the business case. Frame your sabbatical as an investment that will pay off for the company in increased skills, motivation and retention. This Harvard Business Review piece suggests quantifying what it would cost to replace you if you burned out and quit instead.
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Time it right. Propose your sabbatical well in advance, at a natural lull in the business cycle. Be flexible and open to adjusting dates if needed.
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Offer a trial run. If leadership is skeptical, suggest testing a sabbatical on a small scale before committing to a formal policy. Offer to be the guinea pig and document the results.
With a thoughtful approach and well-researched case, you can convince even the most traditional organization to try out a sabbatical policy. It helps to have allies, so feel out your manager and colleagues to see if others would take advantage of the benefit too.
Planning a Meaningful Sabbatical
The key to a fulfilling sabbatical is fitting the plan to your unique needs and goals. Are you craving adventure and new experiences? Focused time to pursue a passion? A mix of learning and leisure? Clarifying what you want to gain from the time will help you craft the ideal itinerary.
A Step-by-Step Sabbatical Planner
Use this handy checklist to map out your sabbatical, from daydream to reality:
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Identify your purpose. What do you want to gain from this experience? Write down your top sabbatical priorities, whether that‘s adventure, rest, family time, education, creativity, or service.
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Brainstorm options. Let yourself dream big as you list sabbatical ideas, from traveling the world to learning a new language to volunteering for a cause. The book The Sabbatical Guide features over 100 examples.
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Assess feasibility. Research costs, logistics and timing for your top ideas. Narrow it down to 1-3 realistic options that match your budget, schedule and other constraints.
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Make it a SMART goal. Refine your plan with the SMART goal framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. A vague idea like "travel in Europe" becomes "spend the month of July in Portugal completing a photography project and language class."
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Sell your vision. Propose your plan to your employer, emphasizing how it will enhance your work. Share your specific goal and itinerary. Prepare to address objections and adjust as needed.
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Arrange logistics. Once you get the green light, it‘s time to dive into planning. Book travel, enroll in programs, gather equipment, and find lodging. Create trip packing lists and schedules.
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Set expectations. Work with your manager and team to clearly define how your work will be covered and what (if anything) you‘ll check in on while away. Aim to delegate as much as possible to ensure a genuine break.
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Embrace the experience. After all that preparation, make sure to immerse yourself in the sabbatical experience. Whether you‘re learning a skill or touring the world, be present and focus on growth.
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Share the story. Upon returning, find ways to bring your sabbatical insights into your work. Give a presentation to your team about what you learned. Suggest new approaches based on your time away.
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Pay it forward. Use your experience to advocate for others to take sabbaticals and help your company expand its program. Mentor colleagues in crafting their own meaningful breaks.
With these strategies, you‘ll be well on your way to your own life-changing sabbatical. Remember, this is an investment in yourself and your career. It‘s a rare opportunity to step back, reassess your path, and jumpstart your growth.
So dream big, do your research, and make the case – your ideal sabbatical awaits. As the writer John Muir put it, "Keep close to nature‘s heart…and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." A sabbatical is the ultimate spirit cleanse. Embrace it.
