2. Give yourself permission to take a break, no matter the length.

Pauses, rather than just a ramp down, have been heralded for increasing creativity and productivity, yet how many of us take that break?

Breaks are viewed as indulgences and romantic, suggesting that life’s realities don’t allow for it. Most everyone is jealous of those who take them, but rarely will take a pause themselves. There’s much research of late that shows that taking breaks and pauses, such as a walk in nature, letting your mind wander and daydream, stepping away from a problem for a time, or practicing mindfulness can increase productivity and creativity. At this point in one’s career, it could be important to simply find time to slow down and pause to allow insights to come to you and to gain clarity.

Here are a few steps to help you get comfortable with taking a break.

  1. Give yourself permission.

    The first step is to make it okay. In an interview on Katie Couric’s podcast, Ina Garten spoke to how it took a break for her to realize she was open to working on cookbooks as a next chapter. She said a friend of hers advised, “You have to stop. Type A people think they can figure out what they are going to do next while they are doing something, and they can’t.” While it seems counter to our desire to achieve, sometimes breaks are what’s necessary to make a breakthrough. So, make it okay for you to stop and find quiet. But the next point is important, as well, to make this possible.

  2. Don’t take a one-size view.

    What will help in giving yourself permission is not taking a one-size view of what pauses or breaks look like, as this is what often stops people from taking the leap. A break can take many forms from short to long. For example, take a true coffee break that allows you to free your mind and daydream, take a walk in nature during your lunch break, or take a long weekend away from your family. Practically, craft your weekly routine to fit in what you feel you need now, such as the amount of sleep you want or fitting in an exercise routine. Be sneaky and take time off between jobs. Or, go the full monty and take a career gap year to explore. Be sure to prepare for the year by learning how to take a sabbatical, making it work for you to build to what’s next, and paying attention to what shows up.

  3. Be thoughtful and responsible.

    One consideration—research by Ellevate Network showed that career breaks may have an impact on income earning potential, so one has to think about the type of break that is right for them given their career and life stage. If you take a break, make sure you have the financial runway to support it.

  4. Make a plan and execute.

    With the above in mind, craft a plan that works for you. Again, your plan might look like carving out one two-hour block a week for quiet time for yourself. It might be establishing a two time per year retreat without your family. It could be asking your current employer for a four-day work week to give yourself an extra day to explore other paths. Or, it might be taking a full year off. Whatever your plan ends up being, chart it out, be financially responsible, get alignment with a partner or family members if that’s needed, and then pause.

Finding clarity can often take pausing.

It feels counter-intuitive. We feel like we have to actively figure it out. Yet, taking breaks can help us slow down to hear our inner thoughts that can guide us to what’s next. Learn how to take breaks to tap into what your true self is seeking now.

Kathy Oneto