Sabbatical 101

In this episode, I talk with historian and Denison University assistant professor Julie Mujic about her pre-tenure sabbatical—and how she designed it during a moment of deep burnout and family transition. Julie shares how she balanced the pressure of moving her scholarship forward on a tight tenure timeline while staying present for her high-school–aged daughters. We discuss the boundaries she set, the opportunities she learned to say no to, and how she reconnected with her identity as a writer. Julie also reflects on what it looked like to recover from burnout while still making meaningful, decisive progress on her work. This conversation is especially for scholars who are pre-tenure, caregiving, or simply exhausted by the grind of academic life—and looking for a more sustainable way forward. Looking for sabbatical planning support? Whether you have a pre- or post-tenure sabbatical, I can help you figure out your sabbatical priorities and build a plan that combines restoration and productivity. Learn more and book a free consultation here: https://bethanywilinski.com/services/reignite/

Wondering why I became a sabbatical coach and how I started my business? I was a guest on the podcast Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor with Paulina Cossette, PhD, and today I'm re-airing that episode. If you're curious about working with me, this episode will give a behind-the-scenes glimpse at why I do what I do. If you're thinking about starting your own academia-adjacent side-business, you'll get insight into how I started my business, including: -how I defined my niche and identified the problem I solve for clients, -how I found my first clients, -when and how I created my website, -and how I've continued to attract clients (over 30 as of this broadcast!) while balancing my business with my academic job and life as a mom-without getting burned out. To learn more about my signature coaching program, Reignite, check out my website: www.bethanywilinski.com.

Paul Fleming is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Behavior & Health Equity at the University of Michigan School of Public Health. He partners with community based organizations to work on projects that help identify the root causes of racial health inequities and how to address pressing health issues. He is a father of three and his new book is titled Imagine Doing Better: Why policies backfire and how prevention thinking can change everything. In this live coaching session, we discuss: -Balancing multiple priorities during sabbatical -Creating a structure for sabbatical that allows time for writing and creating as well as more focused connection with family -How identifying a vibe you want for your sabbatical can help support the planning process -Being intentional about our habits and the ways they do (and do not) support our personal and professional priorities I think you’ll find a lot in here that will help you think about your own sabbatical. I hope you enjoy the episode! If you'd like to talk more about your sabbatical and learn about how I can help, you can schedule a Free Consultation here.

My guest for this episode is Tom Mullett, a former UK record label manager turned passionate foreign language teacher. Tom took a sabbatical in South America in 2018 and never left. He developed a love for teaching English during sabbatical, so much so that in 2023 he designed his own accredited TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, and now trains budding TEFL teachers from around the world. In this episode we talk about what drove Tom to his sabbatical, how he found purpose during his sabbatical teaching English, and why he ended up staying in Colombia instead of going back to his previous life in the UK. Even though Tom isn't an academic, there's a lot in this conversation that will resonate with academics. Tom's sabbatical gives us a firsthand view of the importance of knowing the purpose of your sabbatical and underscores the importance of developing the elements of your identity that are not connected to your work or career. You can learn more about Tom's TEFL course here: https://precisiontefl.com/ If you’re wondering how to figure out what to prioritize during your sabbatical, click here to download my free Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit! If you're planning a family sabbatical away from home, check out my Family Sabbatical Program. It's a step-by-step guide that will take you through all the steps you need to plan and prepare for your time away!

Jamie Lawler is a clinical and developmental psychologist with expertise in early life stress, self-regulation, and mental health interventions for children. She is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Eastern Michigan University. Jamie's research program is grounded in developmental psychopathology and focuses on the impact of early life stress on the socio-emotional development of children and on interventions to promote resilience. Jamie was awarded her first post-tenure sabbatical and decided to apply for a Fulbright to go to Greece, where she had made connections with a psychology department that was interested in her expertise. However, changes in her personal life and the ever-changing political climate in early 2025 made her increasingly less confident that she would be able to spend her sabbatical in Greece. In this episode we discuss why she needs to pivot her plan and how she can make the most of a sabbatical at home that she wasn't planning to take. For more about having a transformative stay-battical, check out this blog post: https://bethanywilinski.com/cultivating-new-rhythms-during-a-stay-battical/ If you need to re-think your sabbatical plan, I'd love to support you. Click here to schedule a free consultation.

Monika Gulia-Nuss is an Associate Professor in the department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology at the University of Nevada – Reno. In the spring of 2025, she had a Fulbright and spent 3 months in Urugay. Monika used her time to collaborate with colleagues around the study of ticks that affect the cattle population in Uruguay. In this episode, we talk about the impetus for applying for a Fulbright, how Monika managed her lab of 16 people while she was away, and how being away from home and her lab helped her reflect on her career and realign her work with her personal and professional priorities. If you’re someone who runs a lab and you’re wondering how you might be able to leave your lab during sabbatical, I think this episode will give you hope and some good ideas for how to make it happen. Learn more about the Fulbright Scholar Program: https://fulbrightscholars.org/ Learn more about my sabbatical planning programs: https://bethanywilinski.com/services

This episode is all about writing, something I know many of us have goals of doing more of during our sabbatical. My guest is Dr. Anna Clemens, an academic writing coach who runs the Researchers' Writing Academy. In this conversation, Anna talks about how she helps academics in the natural sciences write better articles through the use of storytelling techniques. Dr Anna Clemens is an academic writing coach who runs the Researchers’ Writing Academy, an online program for researchers who want to develop a structured writing process to get published in top-tier journals. It’s her company’s mission to make academia a more diverse and joyful place for researchers from all backgrounds. Here are all the ways you can get in touch with Anna and learn more about her programs: Free 1h writing training: https://www.annaclemens.com/training  Website: https://www.annaclemens.com/  YouTube: The Researchers’ Writing Academy Researchers’ Writing Podcast: on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts  BlueSky: @annaclemens.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaclemens/  Threads: @researcherswrite

In this live coaching session I’m talking to Elizabeth Canning. Elizabeth is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at Washington State University. This fall she will begin her first year-long sabbatical in Berlin, Germany with her family. Elizabeth is fortunate that a lot of the logistics associated with moving abroad for sabbatical are being coordinated by the fellowship. Even so, she’s been busy working on all the arrangements for sabbatical and hasn’t had a lot of time to think about what she’s actually going to do while she’s in Berlin. What Elizabeth was most concerned about is how to create structure in her days to ensure she uses her sabbatical time well. Her goals are to rest and recover from burnout, finish a few writing projects, and spend some time reading and generating a list of possible new projects. If you’re wondering how to create structure in your days or how to balance personal and professional goals during your sabbatical, then I think you’re going to find this episode really helpful! Are you planning a family sabbatical away from home? My Family Sabbatical Program is a step-by-step guide that will take you through all the steps you need to plan and prepare for your time away! If you’re wondering how to figure out what to prioritize during your sabbatical, click here to download my free Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit!

This is a special episode today because it’s one I recorded with my husband, Daniel, about his experience as the trailing spouse on our sabbatical away in France. These episodes with my family are, I hope, helpful to you, but honestly one of the reasons I love them is because I’m creating this record of my sabbatical and getting to hear more about the sabbatical from the perspective of my family members, whose experiences were in some ways very similar to mine but in other ways quite different. The purpose of this episode is to help sabbatical-goers and sabbatical spouses or partners think about what a sabbatical looks like from the other side. We talk about what it was like for Daniel as I was planning our sabbatical, how he deliberately chose to follow my lead and not get too attached to any one outcome, what Daniel’s day to day experience was like on sabbatical – living in a new place and working remotely, and how Daniel thinks it’s changed him and our family. I think this conversation is really rich and insightful, but I’m also biased, so I’ll let you be the judge of that. I hope you take some insight away from it that will help you think in new and different ways about your sabbatical. Are you planning a family sabbatical away from home? My Family Sabbatical Program is a step-by-step guide that will take you through all the steps you need to plan and prepare for your time away!

Welcome back to Sabbatical 101! I’m so excited for the new academic year and looking forward to sharing new episodes with you! As you’re easing out of summer and getting into new school year routines, you may be thinking about your sabbatical. In this episode I share a few prompts for reflection that can help you start to identify what you need from your sabbatical. If you’re looking for more like this, check out my Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit, which you can find on my homepage, and here: https://bethanywilinski.com/freebies/ This season I’ll be dropping new episodes every other Wednesday, so be sure to subscribe! I’m really excited to share the 7 live coaching sessions I recorded this spring with faculty who are at different stages of sabbatical planning. I hope you enjoy them! If you like what you hear on the podcast and you’re looking for more support, please reach out to me using the contact form on my website (https://bethanywilinski.com/contact/) or grab a spot on my calendar for a free, no pressure, consultation (https://bethanywilinski.com/discovery-call).

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. Sabbatical is a time to Reconnect 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. 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: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical, click here. You can also schedule a Free Consultation 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 Free Consultation 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 Free Consultation with me: https://bethanywilinski.com/discovery-call/ If you’re wondering how to figure out what to prioritize during your sabbatical, click here to download my free Sabbatical Clarity Toolkit!

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.

If you're a few months (or maybe even a semester+) into your sabbatical and you're realizing that things are not going as planned, then you need to listen up. In this episode I share the 5 steps you can take right now to start getting your sabbatical back on track. I hope you'll find these strategies helpful. If you'd like even more support, check out my program, Sabbatical Rescue! Through a combination of activities you complete on your own and one-on-one coaching sessions, this intensive program will help you get your sabbatical back on track in two weeks or less! If you'd like to talk more about your sabbatical and learn about how I can help, you can schedule a Free Consultation here. www.bethanywilinski.com

My guest on this episode is Paulina Cossette, owner of Acadia Editing. Throughout her 12 years in academia as a graduate student and tenure-track political science professor, Paulina struggled to find joy while working 7 days a week. She finally found the courage to leave the academy in 2019 and became an academic copy editor. Since then, she has built a thriving six-figure editing and coaching business that allows her to live and work wherever and whenever she wants, take real vacations without any guilt, and collaborate with kind, brilliant clients all over the world. Paulina now shares what she's learned through her digital course and group coaching program, Becoming an Academic Editor. The program teaches burned-out academics how to build a profitable and rewarding academic editing or coaching business so they can have true time freedom and a stable income--without the stress of a toxic work environment. In this episode, Paulina shares more about what it’s like to work with an academic editor and provides insight into the process of becoming an academic editor if you’re looking to start a side-business or thinking about creating a full-time business. If you’re planning a sabbatical (or already on sabbatical), I think you’ll want to seriously consider working with an academic editor after you listen to this episode! To learn more about becoming an academic editor, you can sign up for Paulina’s free video series here: https://acadiaediting.com/becomeaneditor You can also find Paulina on social media: IG: https://instagram.com/acadiaediting FB: https://facebook.com/acadiaeditingservices LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/paulinacossette 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.