Quote:
Originally posted by lawyer_princess
Is it realistic to take off a year and work on my mental health?
|
I've read your posts. I'd think more in terms of five years.
(Yuk yuk yuk . . .)
I do know people who have done this. My wife did it, and her year has now lasted for seven years. She's happier, I'm happier, the kids are happier - pretty much a win-win. Except for the fact that we're poorer, but, looking back, that was a small price to pay. Unhappy rich people suck to be around.
Of the people I know who did it for the year, the ones who made the best use of it were the ones who were pretty sure of finding a spot to come back to in the profession, or didn't care. The ones who didn't really plan that part out, even though it was important to them, spent a good part of their sabattical worrying about getting back in, which is not good for mental health.
I would say, based on my experience, that the best route, if you can afford it, would be to simply stop working in your field, and plan on re-examining that decision in a year. That way, you're not pressuring yourself all year to stay current, or keep in contact, or . . . whatever ways we can come up with that can transform a mental health year into a year of worry.
