Sabbatical Coaching for Academics

Sabbatical Coaching for Academics One-on-one coaching to help you plan a life-changing sabbatical

What do you do for fun?If you're like my sabbatical coaching clients, you may have a hard time answering that question.I...
09/17/2026

What do you do for fun?

If you're like my sabbatical coaching clients, you may have a hard time answering that question.

I spend a lot of time helping my clients figure out how they can make time during their sabbatical for the things they enjoy outside of work.

Some people can readily name hobbies they enjoy that have taken a backseat to their professional responsibilities. They enjoy reading for pleasure, cooking, making music, hiking, spending time with friends, etc.

For others, and this was true for me pre-sabbatical, it's hard to name activities they enjoy or even to feel comfortable using free time to do something that is not related to work or supporting their family.

If you have a sabbatical coming up, I encourage you to think about how you want to spend your free time during sabbatical.

One question you can ask yourself is how you like to play.

If you think play is only for kids, is not something you'd enjoy, or isn't something you'd have time for, then I encourage you to listen to this LifeKit episode titled How to Bring More Play Into Your Life.

If you need ideas (and a rationale) for how to unwind, I think you'll find this really helpful!

Listen here: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1190234742

Ever found yourself wondering what, exactly, you should do during sabbatical? We often default to thinking that we need ...
09/16/2026

Ever found yourself wondering what, exactly, you should do during sabbatical?

We often default to thinking that we need to work on a big, ambitious project during sabbatical or that the only work that counts on sabbatical is traditional scholarly outputs like publications or grants.

In this episode I discuss the importance of making time for personal needs and goals during sabbatical and give you ideas for how to do that.

I also walk you through some other ideas for what scholarly productivity can look like during a sabbatical.

Listen here: https://bethanywilinski.com/podcast/57-sabbatical-soundbytes-what-should-i-do-during-my-sabbatical/

Time for an update!Wondering if my sabbatical planning program is right for you? Over the past 2+ years I've worked with...
09/14/2026

Time for an update!

Wondering if my sabbatical planning program is right for you?

Over the past 2+ years I've worked with 40 academics who represent 24 fields of study and 35 different institutions.

My clients are across all ranks--assistant, associate, full--and one was even retired!

What do they all have in common?

Before we started working together, they were overwhelmed by creating a plan for their sabbatical and unsure how to make the most of their time away.

They all quickly went from overwhelm and uncertainty to clarity and confidence.

They came away from our sessions together with a clear roadmap to help them achieve their unique sabbatical goals.

Read their stories here: https://bethanywilinski.com/testimonials/

Here's something I've learned about sabbatical planning:Planning a sabbatical is not just about the sabbatical. It's abo...
09/12/2026

Here's something I've learned about sabbatical planning:

Planning a sabbatical is not just about the sabbatical.

It's about stepping back and crafting the career you want moving forward.

A sabbatical is an amazing opportunity to try out incremental change.

When you step away from the daily grind, it's easier to identify what really matters.

My program helps you create alignment between what matters and what you do on a daily basis.

Once you identify what matters and start making decisions aligned with your priorities, the transformation begins.

It's slow and incremental, but gradually you start to see that you've created a new relationship with work.

Are you in need of a transformation? Do you need to redefine you relationship with work? Do you want help crafting your post-tenure career with confidence?

I'd love to help.

Learn more about my sabbatical planning program, Reignite: Your Life-Changing Sabbatical, and schedule your free consultation today.

https://bethanywilinski.com/services/reignite/

The other day I met with a client who is currently on sabbatical. She told me that although she's not following the sabb...
09/10/2026

The other day I met with a client who is currently on sabbatical.

She told me that although she's not following the sabbatical calendar we created together to a "T," the planning work we did has given her an organizational structure for her sabbatical and, perhaps more importantly, the confidence that she's taking her sabbatical on her own terms.

This may not seem like an interesting revelation if you've never taken a sabbatical, but for me, it was huge.

This faculty member sought me out because she was worried she would feel so overwhelmed and disorganized during sabbatical that her sabbatical would just happen to her, and she wouldn't be able to make the time or create the structure she needed to achieve her sabbatical goals.

I think the phenomenon of a sabbatical happening to you (as opposed to you setting the terms) is a common one.

I hear from so many faculty who go into a sabbatical with high hopes, but end up mired in the mundane or swept along in the current of ongoing work in a way that feels dissatisfying and, often, like a waste of a sabbatical.

This is where making an intentional plan makes all the difference.

For my client, the work we did to plan her sabbatical gave her clarity about her main sabbatical goals. Even though the day-to-day looks slightly different than she imagined, she has been able to focus her energy consistently on those goals, and she's enjoying it!

Wondering what it would feel like to have a clear plan for sabbatical, and what it would look like to have the support you need to create that plan?

Check out this blog post, "What does a sabbatical coach do?," to learn more!

https://bethanywilinski.com/what-does-a-sabbatical-coach-do/

I love the "remember this day 3 years ago..." messages that pop into my feed this time of year, because 3 years ago is w...
09/08/2026

I love the "remember this day 3 years ago..." messages that pop into my feed this time of year, because 3 years ago is when we were on sabbatical in Bordeaux.

It was such a transformative time for our family, but it required a TON of work!

I spent hours going down google rabbit holes trying to figure out where we should go and how to make all the logistics fall into place.

I truly believe all the work was worth it, and if you have the opportunity to move your family abroad for sabbatical, I'm your biggest cheerleader!

I created the Family Sabbatical Program to make the process of planning a family sabbatical abroad easier, so you can stress less and enjoy your sabbatical more.

It's a self-paced online program that you can start and complete anytime.

In it, I walk you through the process of:
-Identifying your sabbatical goals as a family
-Deciding where to go
-Putting all the logistics in place at home and abroad

Take the overwhelm out of planning your family sabbatical abroad.

Just $149 for lifetime access.

Learn more and get started today: https://bethanywilinski.com/services/family-sabbatical/

It's here! The first episode in the Sabbatical Soundbytes series, a 15-week series with short episodes that answer your ...
09/02/2026

It's here! The first episode in the Sabbatical Soundbytes series, a 15-week series with short episodes that answer your most pressing sabbatical questions.

This week's question is:

"When should I take my sabbatical and how do I apply for one?"

Wondering when you’ll be eligible for sabbatical and how to navigate the application process? This episode provides insight and guidance into sabbatical eligibility and things to consider as you prepare to apply for sabbatical.

Listen here: https://bethanywilinski.com/podcast/55-sabbatical-soundbytes-when-should-i-take-my-sabbatical-and-how-do-i-apply-for-one/

Sabbatical 101 is back tomorrow with a new series: Sabbatical Soundbytes. Each week I answer one question about academic...
09/01/2026

Sabbatical 101 is back tomorrow with a new series: Sabbatical Soundbytes.

Each week I answer one question about academic sabbaticals that I hear all the time.

15 weeks, 15 bite-sized episodes designed to address your most pressing sabbatical questions so you can move forward and start getting excited.

This week's question: "When should I take my sabbatical and how do I apply for one?"

Catch up on previous episodes and subscribe so you don't miss anything! https://bethanywilinski.com/sabbatical101/

How do you plan to protect your time during sabbatical?If you're unsure, or your plan is to set up an email away message...
08/31/2026

How do you plan to protect your time during sabbatical?

If you're unsure, or your plan is to set up an email away message and hope for the best, you need to do some boundaries work!

Read this blog post to learn more about why you should set boundaries proactively and have different boundaries for different types of commitments: https://bethanywilinski.com/how-to-set-boundaries-for-your-sabbatical/

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