Why You Should Consider Taking A Gap Year
It is just about that time of the year when you sit down with your notepad and pen to ponder on the coming year, 2021. Setting goals, making resolutions and plans to put your dreams into action.
Well I do anyway. I map out my vision for the year which includes travels (always at the top of my list), my self care, my priorities, my health goals, relationship desires, passions and career. I set targets and dates. I make plans and add it to my calendar.
It is around this time I look back at how balanced my life was between work and home life. I reflect on my past goals and what achievements I made. I consider my health; my physical and mental wellbeing.
As a result, in the last eight years I have taken four years off from work to concentrate on myself.
I am not afraid to say I am in my thirties and I take gap years.
I went from High School, straight to study at University then straight into teaching and I only had one sick day in my first seven years of teaching. I burn out easily. I am sensitive. I easily take on others energy around me. Being an empath is hard work.
Why Take A Gap Year?
I have mostly used gap years as time to get over burn out as a teacher and to have time to reset and work on my mental health. But there are many reasons to take a gap year.
Gives you time to work on your hobbies and passions – for me it is photography, cooking, reading, exercising, writing
Time to rest and recover from illnesses - I needed time to a break from chronic anxiety and fatigue
Stuck in a career? Great opportunity to get out and try new things
Have a less demanding year
Reduce stress
Remove toxic people from your every day life - especially those nasty co-workers
Sell excess belongings - things sitting around, unused, taking up space
Have time to see a psychologist or a counsellor – work through past and present issues, childhood issues, trauma and wounds
Enjoy white space in your life – something I had no concept of
Perform some self-love
Enjoy an uncomplicated life
Make appointments during the day. Go to the shops when there are less people
Concentrate on friendships and new relationships
Catch up with family and friends
Travel for longer periods of time - as a teacher leaving a class during term is difficult, stressful and takes a lot of effort to leave everything organised for the casual teacher so it’s better to not be on class. I think its not fair on the kids to take time off
Reset your life and reset your mental health
Create healthy boundaries
Put your own needs first yet have time to help others like my parents, grandparents, elderly
Rest and nurture yourself
Volunteer
Accomplish a lot without work distractions
Considerations Before
There are things to consider though before taking a gap year. It is something to consider carefully before pulling the strings on everything you have worked so hard towards.
Set yourself up financially. Do you have savings? Do you have at least $30,000 to get you through the year or ways to have an income during the year? You may have to make sacrifices to save for the year off. Less dinners out….
Sketch out a rough idea of what the year will look like. What your focus is? What are your priorities?
Don’t leave things to last minute to book as it is likely it will be booked out
If you are going away, consider who will look after your pets, your garden, your home. Can you organise a house swap or house sitter? I moved everything home to my parents and stayed with them for the time that I was home during the year
You are not your work - my doctor once said something to me that really hit home ‘dedicated teacher will not be on your gravestone’
Be Prepared For
Don’t think you will get away with taking time off for year without judgement from others.
Be prepared for criticism
Be prepared for jealously
Be prepared for people to not be interested or have time for you
People assume you have won the lottery and question how you can afford it or you must be getting payments from the government
They question your motives - what will you do for the year?
Be prepared to be questioned and justify how you can take a year off – I don’t have excess, family, material possessions, house. I live with a minimalist attitude so my expenses are honestly phone, food and fuel which really does not amount to that much. I save a significant amount each year
Be prepared to lose some of your knowledge from your work. You may have to be upskilled when you return
Be prepared for boredom – with so much time on your hands it is easy to feel lost at times with no purpose – so find a new purpose
Remember it is up to you how much you tell people, what you reveal about yourself. There is never pressure to reply and always consider responding with ‘why would you ask me that question?’.
I have signed a contract for next year so no time off, no gap year for me at this point but you never know what 2022 has in store.
If you are someone who listens to your intuition try asking yourself some of these questions to get a clearer answer…
Should I take time off to enjoy life?
Will I be happier after this?
What will I gain from this time?
Will I loose anything?
Why do I want to do this?
Why am I scared of making this decision?
How can I make the right choice?
Would you take a gap year? Could you do it? Is it something you have considered? We would love it if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.