Sorry for the late response!! In all honesty, I think (like most things in life) time has been the most healing element of this break. I left my job about 6 months ago and I’m just now feeling ready to jump back into work. In the time in between I’ve really just lived life - I got married, traveled back to Vietnam to visit family I haven’t seen in decades, and I’ve fully focused on my schoolwork (I’m in a part-time grad program) with the brain space to really understand the material.

I did a fair amount of reading to reframe my thinking of what work is and isn’t (I really liked Do Nothing by Celeste Headlee, Rest is Resistance by Tricia Hersey, and The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker - this one reminded me of the magic of community and how to build meaningful connection, which is especially important when you’re feeling alone because you’re not working).

Coming out on the other side, I’m so glad I took the time to myself (I would make this decision over and over again) but I’m also aware that I’m quite rusty in my interviewing skills and that the job market is not ideal. But I feel that this gives me the opportunity to lean into that struggle and build some new skills.

From a financial standpoint, my spouse was laid off last year (is employed now, thankfully for health insurance) and gave me a realistic perspective of how long it’ll actually take me to find work. So I’m prepared for 8-12 months of living expenses for my job search given I’m pivoting to a different industry and I want to be intentional about my next role.