Why I Didn't Use a Coach or Therapist During My Sabbatical.

March 2023 update: I still haven't hired a coach, but I've been following and learning from a number of coaches over the last year. I think there's a compelling case for using them if you seek structured feedback around a particular area in your life and can spend the time finding and evaluating potential coaches. As Ashley Jablow from Wayfinders Collective puts it: "Coaching is the right approach when you have a person who is thriving in many areas, but for any number of reasons, is seeking more fulfillment or success in a specific aspect of their life. Coaching works because it creates a space where a person can be truly free, honest, and curious about what they desire in this aspect of their life, and they're supported by a person who can help them imagine new possibilities and stay accountable to taking meaningful action. My best advice for people who are interested in working with a coach is to ask for referrals. Referrals are the best way to gather a short list of real, legitimate coaches who have a track record of supporting their clients to get results. Even then, you should always have a chance to meet the coach, learn about their approach and get your questions answered – and you should never feel pressured or bullied into a sale. Chemistry with your coach and trust in your coaching relationship is crucial, so it may take a few calls with different coaches before you find your match."

I decided to not use a coach or therapist when I started my sabbatical, for a few reasons:

1. I was trying to reduce costs to maximize my runway.
2. I was on new insurance with limited mental health coverage.
3. I didn't want to deal with the process of shopping around for someone I connected with.
4. I anticipated that most of the issues I was dealing with (feeling overscheduled, trouble finding enthusiasm for the work I was doing) would resolve themselves if I left my job. I had reviewed the literature (h/t Amy Hoy) and felt confident that I was experiencing burnout and not clinical depression; the treatment you would seek is very different depending on whether you are burned out or depressed.
5. I didn't feel confident navigating the career coaching industry; it seemed challenging to distinguish legit career coaches from grifters.

If my outlook had not improved after some time (maybe a month?) I probably would have brought in a professional.

The sabbatical has given me time to implement advice that I've picked up from various sources over the years, like a personal version of working in a business vs. working on a business, which can be hard to prioritize when you're neck deep in competing priorities. It has been a joy to have the time to do that work and make it happen instead of having good advice just floating around in my head. That advice includes (among many others):

• Make Time to work with purpose and observe how you spend your time.
• Getting Things Done to manage the flow of to-do items and free your brain from the burden of remembering them all.
• Stoic philosophy to remember that the only thing you can control is how you react to things.
• Building good habits including exercise, meditation, reading, journaling, chores, flossing, etc.