In this episode, I talk to Raya Dvakos, an academic librarian at the University of Toronto, about how to intentionally craft a sabbatical that supports personal growth, research breakthroughs, and even retirement planning. Raya’s experience is firsthand evidence that a sabbatical can be more than just a break, but only if you plan it with intention. She shares how her sabbaticals were opportunities to reimagine routines, explore new behaviors, and make space for what truly matters.

Raya describes the strategies that have worked for her over three sabbaticals including how to set meaningful personal goals, craft daily routines that match your energy levels, and use sabbaticals as testing grounds for new behaviors or career directions. You'll learn how to reframe setbacks, stay flexible in your plans, and build habits that carry forward long after your time away.

If you've ever felt overwhelmed planning your time away or worried about losing momentum, this episode offers practical insights from someone who’s been there multiple times.

Feeling overwhelmed or stuck planning your own sabbatical? Learn more about my sabbatical planning program and schedule your free consultation.

Listen to these episodes for more about sabbatical planning:

When it comes to planning a sabbatical there are a lot of logistics to be aware of. This information is often not clearly laid out on institutional websites or faculty handbooks.

In this episode, I go over six things you should know about before you start to plan your sabbatical. I discuss: eligibility, sabbatical timing, the application process and deadlines, understanding how to fund your sabbatical, and when to start applying for fellowships.

I hope this episode will help you understand when you'll be eligible for sabbatical and will help you understand the requirements at your institution.

You can learn more about the Summer Reset Workbook here. And purchase your copy here.

Learn more about funding your sabbatical here.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Kaitlin Clinnin, Associate Professor of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. We discuss Kaitlin's ambitious sabbatical goals, in the process, reframe her expectations for what productivity will look like during her yearlong sabbatical.

Listen in to learn how we approach structuring sabbatical time, balancing productivity with rest, and reframing sabbatical “success” from high-stakes output to foundational learning, fieldwork, and engagement with a new disciplinary area.

If you're wondering what counts as "productivity" during a sabbatical or worried that the work you plan to do to read and learn about a new research area or think deeply about your current projects will "count" as a sabbatical output, then I encourage you to listen. I think you'll find Kaitlin's reframing about what "counts" as work during sabbatical very insightful.

If you’re wondering how to figure out what to prioritize during your sabbatical, click here to download my free Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit!

To learn more about my signature coaching program, Reignite, check out my website: www.bethanywilinski.com.

If you'd like to talk more about your sabbatical and learn about how I can help, you can schedule a Free Consultation here.