After more than two decades in corporate America, one woman decided to step away from her career in 2023 and take an unexpected break. What began as time away from work soon became an opportunity to slow down, reassess her priorities and try things she had never made time for before.
She initially struggled with the idea of not having a job or a packed schedule, but the experience eventually changed how she viewed money, work, family and her own happiness.
The term, she felt, was more commonly associated with young people travelling or taking time off before starting their careers. It was only after a friend described her experience as a gap year that she began to see it differently. Having spent her 20s and 30s trying to balance a successful career, family life and everything in between, she realised just how exhausting that routine had been. But after about a month, she decided to stop filling every moment with plans and gave herself time to rest. That change made room for spontaneity. She started chatting with strangers at coffee shops, joined a tap-dancing class and travelled alone to a book retreat and Disneyland. Taking a break also forced her to reconsider her relationship with money. She had grown up surrounded by working women and had always believed financial independence was essential. For the first time in her adult life, she did not have a regular salary. She and her husband went through their finances and discovered they could comfortably cut back on unnecessary expenses, including unused subscriptions, food deliveries and frequent meals out. She also realised that some of her spending had been emotional. Clothes, in particular, had become a way of coping with stress and dissatisfaction at work. During her gap year, she challenged herself to try at least one new activity every week. She went on an Alaska cruise with her mother, tried a cold plunge and floating sound bath, went roller skating and even performed on stage in a tap-dancing show. She also made new friends outside the workplace, volunteered at a food bank and spent more time with her children. Her kids noticed the difference too, saying she seemed more relaxed, open and present. The biggest change, however, was in how she viewed her priorities. She realised that despite believing she had work-life balance, she had often arranged her life around her job. She eventually changed careers and became a travel writer, giving herself more autonomy and opportunities to explore new places. (Also Read: ‘I schedule my arguments’: Bryan Johnson shares his unusual rules ) Her gap year also prepared her for several major changes that followed. Her husband retired, her youngest child left for college and she began working as a substitute teacher.
She created a list of 100 things she wanted to do and checked it almost every day.
She initially did not even consider her time away from work a gap year, according to Business Insider . “Life had felt like sprinting a marathon for as long as I could remember,” she recalled. (Also Read: Founder says ‘Seth’ mentality is holding back Indian firms, compares them to Chinese companies ) At first, she struggled to slow down. Stepping away helped her understand that family, friendships and self-care deserved more space in her life, according to Business Insider . Looking back, she says the year away gave her the freedom to explore, meet new people, slow down and enjoy life without always feeling the need to be productive.
