08/19/2026
Months away from work can unlock a deeper level of rest than shorter periods allow, Joe Pinsker wrote in 2022. https://theatln.tc/urIhGXzI
Employers’ sabbatical programs can be paid or unpaid, and sometimes, between jobs, workers carve out (and fund) their own extended stretches of time off. Nearly all of the sabbatical-takers Pinsker spoke with raved about their time off—they recalled being happier, less exhausted, less stressed. Several thought that they’d benefit from having a sabbatical every three to five years, with each ideally lasting about six months. Laura Giurge, a behavioral-science professor at the London School of Economics, suggested that the optimal duration might vary based on someone’s goals, with shorter ones for personal projects and longer ones for recovering from burnout. Unfortunately, though, she said that there isn’t much academic research on how often people should get sabbaticals or how long their benefits last.
But there is reason to think that sabbaticals are more than just a temporary joy; they seem to enable self-reflection that can prompt more enduring shifts. The extra time might be channeled into simple but essential activities—cooking, exercising, calling friends and family—or new projects that spring from old passions. “The sabbatical-takers I spoke with mentioned very few drawbacks,” Pinsker continues. “Some had worried about money or the arc of their career—but, really, these are problems with how sabbaticals are supported, not with sabbaticals themselves.“
🎨: Gabriela Pesqueira / The Atlantic
