You know that feeling when you've been grinding through semester after semester, and suddenly someone mentions the word sabbatical? It's like a light at the end of a very long, very crowded tunnel. But here's the thing. I've watched too many colleagues treat their sabbatical like it's just another work project, complete with unrealistic deadlines and that familiar academic guilt we all know so well. The truth is, a real sabbatical should leave you feeling like you've remembered who you are outside of your office (and university's) walls.
Setting Up Actual Boundaries (Not Just Talking About Them)
We scholars are awful at this. We promise to work "just mornings" and then catch ourselves sending emails at 11pm because "it'll only take a second." During my friend Sarah's sabbatical, she turned off and placed her laptop in a separate room after 3pm. Sounds ridiculous? Perhaps. But she actually completed her book AND learned how to make sourdough bread that didn't look like a hockey puck. The secret isn't being perfectly disciplined. It's setting up physical barriers that make it mildly inconvenient to break your own rules.
Getting Into the Mindfulness Thing (Even If You're Skeptical)
I used to roll my eyes at meditation apps. Then my sabbatical hit month two, and I was still lying awake at 2am thinking about footnote formatting. Desperate times, right? Turns out, mindfulness isn’t just sitting cross-legged and humming (though if that works for you, go for it). Some of my colleagues discovered everything from essential oil diffusers to yoga classes at the community center. One professor I know even ended up reading a detailed Venty vaporizer review while exploring different ways to relax at home, eventually deciding that a calm vape session was his version of mindfulness. The point isn’t what tool or ritual you land on, it’s giving your brain permission to slow down. The bonus is that this sparks an extraordinary wave of creativity and deep thinking. Win – win!
Learning Something Completely Random
This might sound counterintuitive, but hear me out. Remember when learning (and reading!) was fun? Before grants and tenure committees? During sabbatical, you can pick up anything that catches your interest. My neighbor, a chemistry professor, spent three months learning to refinish furniture, in addition to finishing his book. Another colleague took violin lessons and sounded absolutely terrible for months…and loved every minute of it (including all the research time for her paper, as she had something else to focus on). There's something magical about learning something new again. It reminds you what it feels like to be curious instead of just competent.
Actually Talking to People (Revolutionary, I Know)
Academia can be strangely lonely. You're surrounded by ideas and texts all day, and you look around and realize you haven't had a genuine conversation in weeks. Sabbaticals allow you time to remember other people exist…and that they're pretty interesting. I don't mean business networking events or conference small talk. I'm referring to dinner with your neighbor, volunteering at the local animal shelter, or going to that book club your friend won't stop talking about. Actual conversation with actual human beings who don't have a vested interest in your methodology can make an enormous difference.
Making Stuff Just Because
When was the last time you created something without worrying about whether it was "good enough" to publish? Creative projects during sabbatical are about remembering what it feels like to make something exist that didn't before. Write bad poetry. Paint terrible landscapes. Build something with your hands, even if it falls apart. The joy isn't in the outcome; it's in the process of creating without judgment.
Traveling Like a Human, Not an Academic
Travel to conferences does not count. Nor does that study vacation when you spent three days in archives and had nothing more exciting than the interior of libraries (although, let’s be honest, those are exciting). Real sabbatical travel means staying somewhere long enough to develop routines. Shop at local grocery stores. Get lost and find your way back. Have conversations with strangers. Eat food that doesn't come from the hotel restaurant. The goal is experiencing what life feels like in a different place.
Taming the Technology Beast
Your phone is not your friend while on sabbatical. Neither is your email or that Facebook account that you maintain for "professional networking." Try this: what if you read email twice a day rather than every twelve minutes? Groundbreaking idea! Some do the complete digital detox, but the little things work, too. Put your phone away in another room while you read and write. Get an actual alarm clock rather than your phone. Observe how frequently you find yourself grabbing for distractions once your brain begins developing stimulating ideas. Hot tip: Bring this back with you into your regular life. It's important!
The best sabbaticals are about remembering why you became an academic in the first place - probably because you love learning and thinking and discovering new things. A good sabbatical leaves you excited to go back to teaching, not because you have to, but because you want to share what you've learned about both your field and yourself.