How to Return to Work After Sabbatical
Discover strategies for reorienting your life and leadership after a transformative break.
“I can’t do it. I need to quit.” Plenty of leaders have told me this during their first week back to work after sabbatical.
Returning back to work after sabbatical is incredibly challenging. A leader has experienced replenishment, reconnection with friends and family, a fresh look at what matters in life and likely felt as clear-headed as they have in a long time. Then they have a feeling of dread; I have to go back to the way things were. As a Sabbatical Coach this is where I get to tell a leader, “It CAN be different than it was!”
Most leaders don’t need to resign after sabbatical, but almost all need to make shifts in key areas. They need to graduate from old cycles and thought patterns that left them feeling dry and depleted while making space for new dreams they received during sabbatical.
Here are some reminders I commonly give leaders returning to work.
Your team has been holding down the fort and going the extra mile for you.
They are ready to share more information with you than your brain can handle.
Your mind and body will try to convince you that you’re ready to return at 100%, but you’re not.
You don’t want to go back to everything you were doing before sabbatical.
Your team has increased their capacity when you were away, and they are likely ready to take on some of the tasks that wear you down.
You probably have some new dreams and ideas you’d like to implement.
Returning back to work after sabbatical requires a leader to reorient to four key areas of their life; rest, family, work and schedule.
Reorient to rest; make space for it each week
What you’ve learned about rest in macro you can apply in micro. Creating a rhythm of rest (I call this a replenishment cycle) is vital to staying healthy for the long haul. Leaders often discover and prioritize the beauty and necessity of a weekly sabbath and put hard borders on their work day.
Reorient to family; prioritize them
Many leaders tell me how they “fell back in love” with their family during sabbatical. The tasks of parenting can take over and allow us to forget how amazing our spouse and kids are. They often feel a conviction that they don’t need to have a block of time off work to love their family well and prioritize time with them. This is the moment to build family time into your schedule BEFORE it fills back up.
Reorient to work; reevaluate it
Sabbatical causes leaders to reevaluate what they are doing. During Sabbatical Coaching we ask questions like, “What do you miss about work? What do you NOT miss about work? What drains you each week? What fills you each week?” These questions are a pathway to clarity about what your schedule could look like. Some leaders realize during sabbatical they are entering a new season of life and must approach work very differently than they did in the last season. Some leaders even redesign their role and title after sabbatical.
Reorient to your schedule; enter back slowly
Many leaders redesign their schedule when they return from sabbatical. After evaluating drains, fills and limitations in their schedule they begin to craft a different schedule that produces greater energy, fulfillment and sustainability. I work with leaders to create a weekly rhythm that fits their unique design and the needs of the organization. I’ve seen this lead to incredible freedom when leaders implement this!
How a leader enters back from sabbatical is vital. If a leader reenters too quickly fatigue and hopelessness can set it. It’s tempting to go full tilt back into work, but don’t take the bait! Here is how I recommend leaders reenter their work.
First week back at 40% I recommend the first week back is at 40% capacity. The leader should NOT answer all emails and meet with every staff member. It’s far more helpful to get a few answers to a few key questions from a few key staff members and save the rest for later. Leaders experience more fatigue than they expect upon returning, similar to the exhaustion and grumpiness kids feel during their first week of the school year.
Second week back at 60% After the leader has gotten the initial report on how things went they are ready to hear a few more details and join a few more meetings. It’s still not time to go full tilt but they are ready for more details and are hopefully experiencing less fear about the return on week two.
Third week back at 80% Ideally the leader holds here and does not return to their full pre-sabbatical load. Many leaders realize they were doing too many things and are ready to cut back. Also, most leaders get vision about new things they would like to add, and this leaves space to infuse those new areas into their routine without being crowded out.
Returning from sabbatical is an art, not a science. This grid has helped many leaders return well from sabbatical without experiencing a steep cliff on week one. When a leader returns gently it limits anxiety while leaving space to reorient to a new pace and new responsibilities. Sabbatical is a great time to eliminate outdated things from the schedule and make space for new dreams and ideas.
Alan Briggs is the founder of Sabbatical Coaching Group, where he guides leaders through the transformative power of sabbaticals. With deep experience in culture coaching and anti-burnout strategies, Alan is passionate about helping leaders find clarity, balance, and renewed energy in both their personal and professional lives. He’s the author of five books, including AntiBurnout, and when he’s not writing or coaching, you’ll find him exploring the Rockies with his wife and four kids. Alan also hosts the Stay Forth Leadership Podcast, where he shares insights on sustainable leadership.
