Here’s a non-groundbreaking claim: time off from work is really great. I’ll even go out on a (very short) limb and say that most people would agree with me. A few days of paid vacation here and there is nice, restorative even, but now imagine taking off an entire year. An employment hiatus, if you will. Well, that possibility is becoming a reality for some working professionals, because “adult gap years” are on the rise.
As the name quite literally implies, an adult gap year is effectively when people take an entire year off work. The concept originated in Europe, but has quickly made its way stateside, especially since the start of the pandemic, with more and more burned-out millennials, and even some zoomers, taking sabbaticals and so-called “mini retirements.”
Now, what you do with your year off is entirely up to you — there are no rules, regulations, or restrictions.
Logan is a 34-year-old marketing professional who took an adult gap year from October 2022 until September 2023 to focus on his mental health. “I visited a friend who lives in England for a few months, then another friend who finished up medical school in Italy, then we took a trip to France for a couple days since it’s so close by, then I visited my parents in North Carolina,” he says. “I also picked up some new hobbies and things I’ve always wanted to do but never really had the time.”
Ashley, on the other hand, is in the midst of her adult gap year. She decided to take the time off to heal from a series of losses. “I never actually thought of it as an adult gap year, because it wasn’t something I had started 2024 with the idea of, but it just naturally unfolded for me,” the 34-year-old says.
After the passing of a close friend and both of her grandparents, and experiencing a pregnancy loss, the small business owner needed to focus on her physical and mental health. “I decided to close my business for a period of time and just allow myself to intentionally get through the grief process.”
Another driving factor for both Logan and Ashley’s time away? Burnout. “One or two weeks off wasn’t enough for me to actually feel relaxed, because I felt exhausted for years,” Logan says. The same tracks for Ashley who noticed that her burnout continued to manifest through grief.
But Logan and Ashley aren’t the only ones with this experience, because burnout and stress are at an all-time high, according to the American Psychological Association. Of course, the root cause varies, but nearly three in five employees reported negative impacts of work-related stress, including a lack of interest, motivation, and/or energy while on the clock — telltale signs of burnout.
In theory, an entire year off work sounds like an idyllic solution, but is it always the answer? Not necessarily. “When you’re burned out, a trip to the beach or another country alone isn’t going to fix it,” says human resource executive Merary Simeon, PhD.
Whether it’s planned way in advance or unplanned due to unforeseeable circumstances, Simeon says the gap year typically involves aggressively saving to have enough money to fund the break from work, which can lead to a serious (and stressful) financial burden.
As a result, it’s crucial to have realistic expectations of what you can and cannot afford during your time away. Otherwise, without a plan, Simeon says it’s not uncommon for the financial implications to exacerbate your burnout. In a way, it can sort of defeat the purpose.
“A lot of people are attracted to this gap year as a sort of remedy for their burnout, but that pressure to aggressively save all your money for the time away can actually compound the stress,” says licensed counselor Joelle Moray. In fact, the lead up period to the time off often replicates the very patterns of hustle culture most are trying to counter, especially when it’s at the mercy of your social life, she explains. “There’s this notion that a year away will fix the things that are imbalanced in our lives.”
To add fuel to the fire, Simeon also notes that burnout can heighten if you’re hiding a looming departure from your boss. This rings especially true if there’s fear of repercussion or retaliation, which can build resentment, only further worsening the issue, she explains.
But here’s the deal: if your desire to take a gap year is solely based on work burnout alone, an extended break isn’t going to always fix the issue. “Unless we fundamentally shift the way we approach work and rest on a regular basis, we’re actually solving the wrong problem,” Moray says. “We have to challenge the idea that rest is a luxury or reward and emphasize that it’s a necessity.”
All that said, everything is circumstantial, and an adult gap year can certainly be healing in more ways than one. Logan found that the year away was key for self-reflection and self-growth on both a personal and professional level. “I realized that I need to work at places that respect me, and respect that I’m a human being who needs time off,” he says. “From my experience, it was definitely worth it.”
Ashley has also found her time away to be worthwhile. “Taking this time off has allowed me to heal at a faster rate than if I was going to try and still live out dual identities of being a full-on business owner while also having to grieve,” she says. And regarding her return to work, Ashley says, “There’s moments when it’s more stressful than others, but at the end of the day, I’m a very intuitive person, so I’ll know when the time is right.”
So, are adult gap years all they’re cracked up to be? It depends, and to be honest, it’s not that simple, Simeon says. “They exist on a spectrum.”
For many, Moray says the idea of extended time away is merely a band-aid for a greater problem that feeds into workplace hustle culture and a lack of work-life balance. For some, like Logan, a formative year away can be an excellent way to regroup and nail down priorities.
And for others, like Ashley, deliberate time off can be healing after a year of hurt. “People need to hear that it’s OK to take time for ourselves to rest, relax, and get back to the place we want to be,” she says, “so we can be ourselves and share ourselves from a full cup.”
