In this final episode before I take a break for summer, I’m reflecting on a year of sabbatical coaching—what I’ve learned, what surprised me, and what I think every academic should know about planning a life-changing l sabbatical. Whether you’re dreaming about your first sabbatical or actively planning one, this episode is full of insights to help you make the most of your time away from the day-to-day grind.

Plus, I’m sharing a sneak peek at what’s coming this fall: a series of live coaching sessions with academics who are facing real-life sabbatical planning challenges. You won’t want to miss it!

Here are the key takeaways from my first year as a sabbatical coach:

There’s No “Right” Way to Sabbatical Forget the one-size-fits-all model. Sabbaticals don’t have to mean moving abroad or doing research in a specific location. Your sabbatical should reflect your goals and circumstances.

Your Sabbatical Application Is Not Your Sabbatical Plan Submitting your application is just the beginning. A truly restorative and productive sabbatical starts with identifying your purpose—and letting that purpose guide your decisions.

Reconnecting with Your Whole Self Sabbaticals are a powerful opportunity to rediscover non-academic interests and parts of your identity that often get sidelined.

A Sabbatical Can Be a Turning Point The boundaries, habits, and insights you develop during sabbatical can shape your work and life long after it’s over—if you let them.

To learn more about my signature coaching program, Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical, click here. You can also schedule a call with me here. I hope to hear from you soon!

Rebecca Roache is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of London. She’s also a coach who helps academics ditch perfectionism. Rebecca’s coaching business is called The Academic Imperfectionist, and she also hosts a podcast under the same name.

Join us for this conversation about what perfectionism looks like in academia, what causes it, and how it holds us back as academics. We also talk about how to set reasonable expectations for doing a good enough job, how the culture of academia keeps us in pursuit of perfectionism and ways to recognize and interrupt that trap, including helpful mindset tips.

You can learn more about Rebecca’s coaching work and find her podcast at: http://www.academicimperfectionist.com

Just a quick reminder that this is the second to last episode of the podcast before I take a break for the summer. Next week I’ll talk about how to come back from sabbatical, and I hope over the summer you’ll revisit past episodes or read my blog for even more sabbatical ideas and insight.

As always, you can find me at http://www.bethanywilinski.com.

Amy Belfi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology. When her sabbatical began in January 2025, she had no idea how to make the most of it, and no solid plan in place. Fortunately, Amy and I connected, and she enrolled in my Sabbatical Rescue program. Two weeks later, Amy was ready to head into sabbatical feeling confident in her plan. Learn all about Amy’s sabbatical in this episode!

If you’re listening to think and thinking, “hmmm, maybe my sabbatical needs to be rescued,” please get in touch! I’d love to hear what’s going on and share more about how I can support you in making the most of your sabbatical, whether you’re just getting started or halfway through.

As Amy mentions in the episode, she also has a side business! Amy is a travel planner specializing in Disney destinations. Learn more at https://www.amydoesdisney.com/ or follow Amy on Instagram @thetravelingdisnerd!

If you’ve been listening to this podcast or checking out my website, you know that I talk a lot about life-changing sabbaticals. And yes, I know, that sounds trite to many academics, who tend to be skeptical of such claims. That’s totally fair. And yet… I had a life-changing sabbatical, and I’m convinced that it’s possible.

In this episode I talk about some of the lasting effects of my sabbatical and how, exactly, it changed my life and the way I approach my work.

If you’d like to talk more about how your sabbatical can be life-changing, book a Sabbatical Strategy Session to learn more about my signature program, Reignite: Your-Life Changing Sabbatical! You can also read more the Reignite program here.

This episode is inspired by a topic that comes up time and again when I talk to my clients and prospective clients: How to create a balance between rest and work during sabbatical. If you’ve ever wondered about this, then you’re going to find this episode helpful.

While no two sabbaticals are going to look the same, and the balance between rest and productivity depends so much on the person and what they need from their sabbatical, in this episode I share 3 tips that will help you think about how to strike the right balance for your sabbatical.

Here are the resources I mention in the episode:

Episode 27: What should I actually do on my sabbatical?

Blog post: How to rest during sabbatical

Information about my sabbatical program: Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical

Link to book a Sabbatical Strategy Session with me: https://bethanywilinski.com/discovery-call/

This week my guest is Professor Leslie Wang, an award-winning author, writing coach, and publishing strategist. She designed Your Words Unleashed to help women scholars develop the practical strategies and unshakable self-confidence to become a published author – one who thrives every step of the way.

In this episode, Leslie shares tips for getting more writing done during sabbatical and provides insight into how working with a coach can help support your sabbatical writing goals.

You can find Leslie and learn more about her programs at https://yourwordsunleashed.com/. Leslie offers private coaching for scholarly authors and career coaching for overwhelmed academics. She is also host of the Your Words Unleashed Podcast, which has great tips for creating a sustainable writing practice, identifying ideal readers, finding your authentic voice, and getting published by an academic press.

I wasn’t going to record this week, but I couldn’t resist. I launched my business about 10 months ago, and I’m so proud of what it’s become. Every day I’m inspired by the academics I work with, who are planning transformative sabbaticals that will help them continue to do work that matters. This episode is a really quick recap of what I’ve been up to over the past 10 months and where I’m headed. I hope you’ll listen in to hear how many clients I’ve worked with, what disciplines they’re in, and which colleges and universities they represent.

To learn more about my signature coaching program, Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical, click here.

You can also schedule a call with me here. If you have any questions, feel free to send me an email: bethany@bethanywilinski.com. I hope to hear from you soon!

Have you ever wondered how much work is enough for an academic sabbatical or what types of projects academics typically work on during sabbatical?

In this episode, I talk about how to rethink what counts as a productive sabbatical and walk you through a list of the possibilities you might consider as you think about the professional projects you’d like to focus on for your sabbatical.

If you want to see that list, check out this blog post.

If you need help determining your sabbatical purpose, check out this worksheet.

And finally, if you’d like to chat about what it’s like to work with me to plan your sabbatical, I’d love for you to book a discovery call.