The best thing to do with a sabbatical is travel
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. I am writing this from a seaside cafe on the Greek island of Paxos. I’ve just ordered a freddo cappuccino.
My husband, Rahul, is sitting across from me engrossed in a book. Our itinerary for the afternoon includes a dip at the beach near our Airbnb, and, just maybe, a quest to find spinach pie. On a regular vacation, we’d have scheduled a bakery run into an activity-packed day, but this time we’re following our whims.
That’s because this visit is part of a seven-week sabbatical trip that will also include Morocco and India. With 3½ weeks to go in Greece, we hardly view the pie plan as urgent. More companies are offering sabbaticals, giving staff the opportunity for temporary escape.
This past January, a review of 300,000 businesses by the payroll platform Gusto found the number of employees on sabbatical was up 49% from the same time five years earlier. Proponents say an extended break can leave workers happy and more productive. That’s why my husband implemented a new policy at Heady, the digital product consultancy he founded, letting employees take up to two months off after three years.
Many choose to use their sabbatical to catch up on home life (and sleep), but experts say traveling can amplify the rewards. “Immersion into a brand new world can be significantly more powerful than a staycation at home, as it allows you to separate from your work environment even further," said Colorado-based vocational psychologist Bryan Dik, Ph.D. As such, added Dik, a travel sabbatical can help set staffers up to generate new ideas, indulge their creativity and re-establish confidence.
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