“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes… including you.” – Anne Lamott

The Gift of Stepping Away

For the first time in my career, I took an extended pause. With two previous maternity leaves of four and six months, I have had two essential career breaks.  However, this eight-week sabbatical from my work in the NHS was a deliberate decision to rest, reflect and reconnect with the parts of me that often get drowned out by the demands of daily life. I took a 6-week sabbatical and added 2 weeks of annual leave. And what I found wasn’t just rest.

I found myself in a deeper, quieter, more creative way. Today's article isn’t just a reflection, but it’s an invitation to consider what might be waiting for you when you give yourself the space to pause.

Why I Took a Sabbatical

Burnout doesn’t always announce itself with sirens or a signpost! Sometimes it arrives quietly—in the form of exhaustion you can’t shake, a dullness in what once brought you joy, or a sense that you’re always giving, but rarely replenishing.

As a GP Director, coach, mentor, entrepreneur and leader, my week is busy and packed to the brim.  Rather than waiting for burnout to surface, I knew I wanted to take the time to: 

• Restore my energy levels
• Create space to view my creativity and passions
• Reflect on who I was as a person beyond my daily roles
• Reconnect with my inner voice
• Spend essential time being a wife and mother.

So, I stepped away for a purpose, not under pressure.

What Time Away Taught Me: Five Lessons from My Sabbatical

1️⃣ Rest Is Productive in a Different Way

In the culture we live in, we have started to celebrate doing rather than the value of just being. In providing my body with rest, I found renewal and clarity. I found the energy that was missing from my daily work.

Your output does not measure your worth.

💎Journaling prompt: “What does true rest feel like in my body—not just sleep, but soul-level restoration?”

2️⃣ Creativity Returns When There’s Space for It

In the quiet, I rediscovered my love for writing, designing, reflecting, and dreaming. During my time away, I created infographics, journal prompts, and planned workshops not because I had to, but because I wanted to. I reached out to charities and offered my services. I offered my time not for personal gain, but to make the most of the time I had to help.

Creativity isn’t just art—it’s access to your deepest self.

“The creative adult is the child who survived.” – Ursula K. Le Guin

 

3️⃣ Identity Isn’t Tied to Role

During the time spent moving away from job titles and to-do lists, I asked a valuable question: Who am I when I'm not working?

What emerged was a richer sense of self and one that included a return to a person of joy, play, gentleness, and loved ones.

Your identity is far more than just your profession.

💎 Journaling exercise: List five things that bring you joy that have nothing to do with your job.

4️⃣ Slowness Is a Skill, Not a Flaw

Slowing down initially felt awkward, and I had to unlearn the habit of rushing. However, slowness helped me notice more, feel more deeply, and appreciate the present. With time, I realised: what we rush through, we often miss the meaning of.

Presence is the portal to fulfilment.

5️⃣ Boundaries Are Not Just Protective—They’re Liberating

Saying no became easier. Reassessing what was “essential” became necessary. I built new rhythms that honoured my energy, health, and values. With the return to work, I have brought those rhythms with me.

💎Journaling prompt: “What boundaries did I naturally honour during rest—and how can I keep them in place now?”

What Might a Pause Teach You?

You may not be in a position or a season where a full sabbatical is possible. But moments of pause — an hour, an afternoon, or even a weekend —may still offer valuable insights.  Within these moments of quietness and reflection, you need to ask yourself: 

• What is the rest inviting me to remember?

• What version of me might emerge if I stepped back, even a little?

• What rhythm feels more aligned with who I am becoming? 

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I ask that you create space this week, even if it's just for a few hours.  Take time to reflect using the five prompts above intentionally. You may wish to journal, take a walk, doodle, or be quiet.  

✨ Ask not, “What should I do next?” but “What do I need most right now?”

Sometimes, stepping away is the most powerful step forward.

And if you’d like to keep receiving insights like these, join my Weekly 💎 GEM Newsletter—a gentle, grounding email space for growth, rest, and leadership from within.