Sabbaticals Help People To Rediscover the Joy of Work

Any thing in this world, no matter how pleasant it may seem at first, can grow tiring when we’re exposed to it continuously. Whether it is eating our favorite dish every night for a week or seeing what was once our favorite movie on television every couple of weeks, people just get tired of the same old stuff. It isn’t any wonder that many people feel drained of energy as they go into the office for another week of the same duties. Some continue to do this week after week for years, even decades. What experts are discovering is that by allowing employees to take a much needed break from their professional duties, companies can help them to rediscover why they took the job in the first place.

Americans are the hardest working people on Earth. They work some of the longest hours while not having any guaranteed vacation time under the law. It isn’t any wonder why our job satisfaction rates are so low. With a much needed sabbatical, however, a person can free their mind and take a break from what has become daily drudgery. What many of these workers find while on vacation is that they’re still driven to do their job, but they simply felt overburdened or just needed a change in perspective in order to rediscover why they entered a given field in the first place.

Sabbaticals are by their very nature supposed to be longer than a regular vacation. As a bare minimum, experts agree that they should at least be six months in duration. The worker should be encouraged to accomplish things during this period which they couldn’t find time for before. It is during this time that many people travel around the world or dedicate themselves to a specific personal project. The choices are limitless. One person, for example, may choose to take the time to finish a fiction novel they’ve been working on for years but never could find the time or energy to really get it done. Another person may decide to trek across the United States on a bicycle. Really, it just depends on the individual.

Companies are discovering today that it is in their best interests to promote the emotional well-being of all workers. This includes giving them enough time to not only spend with family, but to also pursue interests outside of work hours. For many professionals who are expected to be on-call or be there at any time the company needs them, giving them this kind of support is a unique challenge to management. Fortunately, the mid-career sabbatical is a great way to ensure that workers who may be feeling rundown find the fire once again that drives them to be excellent employees. A more driven, efficient worker, after all, is better than a half dozen who simply are going through the daily motions in order to get a paycheck.