We are Teréz and Agnese, from Hungary and Latvia. We are both on our way. Sometimes we walk (travel, volunteer) together, sometimes we go on separate ways - because it also gives valuable experiences. When we get inspired we just create and enjoy it.
Here is our intro article to give you a taste of how //* all this *// started.
When we decided to leave, neither of us knew what would happen to us. I remember asking Agnese, what does she think, for how long it will take that we get somewhere? Moreover, how we define “somewhere”? When does the break end? Agnese was more trustful and reassuring, as usual, we will know it, she said when we are there.
Each story is different. During our travelling I saw many reasons for people decided to ‘take a break’: they broke up, they quit university or their sport career, they moved to Italy (for various reasons), they didn’t like their job, or admitted not being sure they are living the life they wanted to live. During our conversation I felt the power that lies in this decision, leaving everything – well what everything? the way of living how it used to be, the way of perceiving and understanding the world – behind, and to restart everything somewhere else. How demanding it is, how empowering it can be to take this decision.
I will write about our last year of travelling from this approach. Looking back from one year distance I can see the process as a whole and the stages built on each other. I would like to show that recovering from burnout can be a rich and empowering process, a not-so-easy, but a very worthy one. I would like to share my experience about what stages we needed to go through to feel yes, we are already ‘somewhere’.
We decided to change not only our career but our entire way of living. I knew that I finished with living in Budapest, I would like to experience living in a rural environment and to learn about it. For this, I also needed (still need) to build up a new profession that is meaningful, fulfilling, likeable, and it is sustaining me in the countryside. Same for Agnese, she wanted to get out of the small town where she lived for the past 2 years in Latvia. She wanted to walk on the Camino, she wanted to see Portugal. She also felt that she needs a change, from being a teacher, becoming someone else.
So we took the only decision that made sense, we decided to leave and not starting something new.
If I would start now, these pieces of advice I would give to myself:
Frame it. “Not starting something new” sounds a bit vague. It can be justified by our inner (very tired) self, but it is difficult to explain to outside. So giving a frame (like: ‘I am going on a pilgrimage for 3 months’ or ‘I am moving to a wooden cabin in the forest, I want to read all the Proust’, or in my case: ‘I am going volunteering and I will learn organic gardening’) makes it easier to say.
Go away. For me, there was no point to stay in Budapest. I couldn’t imagine taking a similar job, or taking a break and just staying there in the city (by doing what? walking on the same streets?). I needed to change it all. Now I can already see how a new environment will imply changes by itself. Since we are travelling, we have been sleeping in dormitories, mixed rooms, tent, double room without a door, private houses and a kitchen-living room, each place brought different habits to our life, let’s just imagine our morning rituals. By constantly adapting to the new environment, I can see my core needs clearer, like what are the things that I really would like to keep no matter where I sleep. With the new environment new inspirations, knowledge, new sensations will come that will lead you further.
Physical distance can also give a bit of protection from being questioned by others, “how are your plans going” when the plans are not really going anywhere. If you are away, it is more your choice when and with whom you start sharing it.
Prepare for it. Read about it, talk about it, organize it, so it is manageable and fair with everyone. I announced that I am leaving half a year before to my colleagues, friends, and my family. Even like this, the last two months were incredibly crazy with organizing everything.
Be flexible with your plans. We decided to leave in October 2019, and then with the growing pandemic, we had to replan and replan everything. There was a point when the whole idea of travelling seemed impossible, the borders started to get closed. Even in ‘normal’ times your plans would change many times, so better to be ready for it.
Secure it. We volunteer for accommodation and food. This is an excellent way to experience what are the essentials, and for what we are spending our resources if not for living. Sure there are other ways out there to secure a non-defined period of break. Maybe it is enough if you can cover your needs for a shorter period, the next step – as I see now – is always coming from the previous one anyway.
Be busy. Manual work is the best to occupy the mind. I choose gardening.
Take a rest. Truly believing that the time I spent by not being productive could be also valuable, well-spent and rich, took me a long time, it is worth practising this thought.
Trust it. Don’t press on having new ideas about your future. If (when) you do art, don’t press on the outcome. Generally, don’t press on outcome with anything you do.
Taking a break is not only about resting, or not doing anything (though these are also very valuable parts of it). Taking a break is about rebuilding yourself, restarting your life from a different, more conscious and therefore freer level, with more strength, clearer goal set, knowing better who you are, what is calling you and what is in your hands to go for it.
All starts by deciding to take a break.
More articles on the topic of burnout recovery are / will be coming soon on our blog.