We have long been fed the idea that our 20s are the time to hit pause on life – to travel, take a risk, or simply make more room for the things that bring joy. But in our 40s or 50s? Especially for women, there are often children, dependants, established careers and considerably more to lose.
Yet a cultural shift may be underway, with more women embracing a ‘radical sabbatical’ – a career break to focus on wellbeing, seek clarity and, increasingly, find perspective – especially through the art of travel. Through the women interviewed for this story, there were strikingly different examples of what taking a step back can look like. One left a lucrative career in law to become a hike leader and professional off-roader; another spent time living in Buddhist monasteries and ashrams, learning about meditation and compassion from monks and nuns. And increasingly, more women in their 40s and 50s – and sometimes beyond – are stepping away from established careers and familiar routines to reassess their lives, travel, or simply pause.
Research from Career Returners, a consulting organisation, estimates roughly 96 million skilled women aged 30 to 54 are currently on some form of career break worldwide. “For many women in their 40s and 50s, a sabbatical can be the first real stretch of time they have had for themselves in decades,” confirms Sonica Aron, founder and CEO of Marching Sheep, an HR advisory firm. “Increasingly, these breaks are becoming less about stepping away and more about figuring out what they genuinely want next, rather than simply returning to what has always been expected of them.”