How Taking Six Months Off Full-Time Work Became the Best Decision for My Career
Have you ever felt like slowing down and prioritising your well-being might be selfish? In a world that constantly pushes us to move faster, I’ve come to realise that it’s okay (and even necessary) to take a step back, find peace, and reconnect with what truly matters. I recently had a podcast conversation with the amazing April Snow of Sensitive Stories about how taking six months off work to rest and embrace creativity ultimately led me to launch my own small business. It sounds counterintuitive, but taking that work sabbatical really propelled my design career forward.
A Shift in My Career and Life
After spending ten years working as a digital designer in the corporate and business sectors, I felt a significant shift in my creative energy. I realised that my heart wasn’t fully aligned with the work I was doing, and on top of that, I was completely burnt out. At the same time, I was still processing the emotional fallout from my divorce and dealing with an immense amount of grief and loss. But instead of facing those feelings, I buried them under a mountain of work (not recommended, but it’s what we often do!) Short term, work was a fantastic distraction, and it really helped me focus on something other than my feelings. But long term, the cracks started to appear and my work/life balance wasn’t serving me like it used to anymore. I was terrible at giving myself breaks, resting and listening to my body.
Eventually, my grief began to manifest physically - adult acne (thanks to high cortisol levels) and a swollen stomach lining that made it hard for me to eat a full meal (inflammation). That was all occurring in the middle of 2019 for me. Then 2020 hit, which brought a new level of tension to what I was already experiencing. It was then, things really cracked for me. Watching friends take time off during the COVID lockdowns and pursue hobbies made me so incredibly jealous! However, it also gave me an answer to what I needed to do right then in my life too. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew I needed time to switch off from work and explore creative projects - just like my friends were doing.
I began attending extensive grief counseling, and strangely, my emotional state seemed to worsen. As I worked through some deep trauma, my loved ones noticed I was stuck at rock bottom. However, over time, things began to improve. I made positive breakthroughs in people pleasing when I allowed myself to truly open up and express my feelings. I practiced giving myself permission to be seen, warts and all, regardless of what others thought anymore. I started taking drastic actions like gathering the courage to end toxic friendships, moving into a place of my own, and eventually, speaking up to my bosses to request six months off work. But every time I thought about it, I froze. Would they laugh at me for asking for time off? Would they see it as me letting the team down by taking a break?
Thankfully, I had an honest conversation with my bosses, and to my surprise, they were more than happy to grant me six months off. I honestly couldn’t believe they agreed, and I felt incredibly grateful for their understanding. So, in January 2021, I officially took my time off.
The Slow, Boring, Yet Healing Process
Some people asked me, “What on earth are you going to do for six months?” and I’ll admit, at first, it did feel a little boring. And guilt-ridden. I somehow felt unworthy of taking a sabbatical. The hustle culture was so ingrained in my consciousness, and every unproductive day that went past chipped away at that anxious thinking. My days were slow and uneventful, but in an unexpectedly refreshing way. I started picking up my iPad and drawing whatever came to mind. A lot of it was art therapy - processing the difficult emotions from the past few years. As I shared my work on social media, I was blown away by how many people resonated with what I was creating. It was incredibly healing to realise I wasn’t the only one struggling with these heavy emotions. This practice kept allowing me to ‘show up’ as I truly was, and man was it healing!
During this time, I also challenged myself to sign up for a mural project with my local city council, as a way of leaning into the new hobby thing and giving back to my community. Little did I know, this would open up an entirely new career pathway in my following year.
Enter April Snow
It was around this time that I discovered April Snow’s blog. I came across a post that said, “Being Sensitive is a Superpower,” and I reached out to ask if I could use those words in one of my new pieces of artwork. Thankfully, she agreed! Her Instagram, full of resources for highly sensitive people, made me wonder: Could I be one of those people?
As I started reading more of April’s blog and following her on Instagram, I realised that so much of what she was saying resonated with me. As a highly sensitive person herself and a licensed therapist, April’s resources made me feel truly seen in areas of my life where I had often struggled.
I had always felt that my traits - being overly emotional, hypersensitive to my surroundings, struggling to keep up with hustle culture, and feeling deeply attuned to others' emotions (which led to intense people pleasing), were qualities I needed to downplay to fit in. But through April’s insights, I began to see that these traits weren’t something to suppress. They were aspects of myself to embrace and celebrate - once I learned to set healthy boundaries.
It became even clearer why I needed that time off: I was running at a pace my heartbroken, overstimulated mind and body could no longer keep up with. Thankfully, after a month of rest, I started feeling the anxiety and stress melt away. In the second month, I finally began to unwind and embrace my new routine. By the third month, I was eager to return to work - something that was a huge relief. Even better, within twelve months, my acne completely cleared up, my stomach inflammation started to heal, and I could finally eat without discomfort.
From Corporate to Creative Freelancing
When my six months off were almost up, I knew I had to make a change to keep the peaceful and creative rhythms I had found during my sabbatical. I had to figure out a way to build a career around doing what brought me joy - drawing full-time and working on art projects that aligned with my true self. I prayed a lot for guidance, slowly building up an action plan and a financial plan to launch my small business, which included offering murals. Once I returned back to my old job, I instinctively knew I had to put in my resignation and launch in the beginning of 2022.
Making the leap from corporate work to freelancing was a huge change. I’m not naturally a risk-taker, but deep down I felt a strong pull to trust my gut. I also felt prompted by the Holy Spirit that I would be okay, that I just needed to take that leap and see where it would lead. Although there have been moments of doubt, this shift has been incredibly rewarding.
As a highly sensitive person (and proud of it now!), one of the best parts of freelancing has been the freedom to design my own schedule. In the corporate world, I felt stifled by rigid structures that didn’t allow me to work in a way that suited my natural rhythms. As a freelancer, I can work when I feel inspired and take breaks when I need them. This balance has been essential for my well-being, and it’s a huge factor in helping me stay grounded and creative.
I’m incredibly grateful to be able to share my journey and connect with others who might be on a similar path. If you’d like to hear more, you can listen to my conversation on April’s Sensitive Stories podcast on YouTube here. And if you’re reading this and something is resonating with you, don’t hesitate to reach out. I could talk for hours about how taking a break from work transformed my life and career. You’re not alone - ever :)
P.S. If you’re reading this and feeling inspired by my story, I’d love to hear from you. Taking that six month break was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, and I’m beyond thankful for how it allowed me to embrace a new, more creative way of living and working.
