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When you’re feeling like burning the candle at both ends hasn’t been working and it’s time to take the foot off the gas, then deciding on some me-time is very healthy. Make sure that you’re doing it for the right reasons though.

During your sabbatical, your time is your own again. You can decide how you wish to invest it. Certainly, there are some interesting educational possibilities. Also, there are other things that you can do to rejuvenate your body or broaden your outlook to life. Taking time for yourself is meaningful because it affords you the opportunity to recharge before embarking on the next phase or stage of what life has to offer.

So, let’s look at a few ways that you can spend your me-time, productively or not.

Go on Vacation for a Month or Longer

Depending on how much time you expect to take off, the first thing on most people’s list is to go on vacation. With Americans, we’re usually restricted to just two weeks a year compared to four or more weeks of vacation in Europe or the UK. This restricts how far we can usually go and for how long too.

Instead, you’re now able to choose an inspiring destination based on desire and not a restrictive amount of time off. A country-hopping trip through Asia is now a distinct possibility. Also, a visit to South or Central America, rather than just down to Cancun for a rushed, expensive long weekend, would allow you to sample different cuisine along the way and soak up plenty of local culture.

If the kids don’t have to be in school, why not take them with you to make some cool memories?

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Combine a Trip with New Experiences Too

Going away is your chance to unwind and then broaden your mind by trying new experiences you wouldn’t normally do in your everyday life.

Learning a few words and phrases of a new language to make your travel more enjoyable and easier is certainly a possibility. It doesn’t even need to be done in a constructive manner – picking it up intentionally from local people is effective too.

There’s the chance to volunteer in third-world countries if you feel up to it. However, don’t do it because you feel obligated; the point of the trip is to unwind in new surroundings, not to give yourself another job!

Make a List of Things to Do When Back Home

While away, when your mind returns to thoughts of home, use To-Do list app like Any.DO or another one to note ideas down before you forget them.

You might find yourself interested in local history and want to visit a museum. Alternatively, there are plenty of activities just a drive or train ride away that will make life interesting on the home front.

The list shouldn’t be just chores or the equivalent of tasks you never seem to get to that still must be done someday.

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Advancing Your Career

When you feel ready for it, studying for an online lean manufacturing degree can really boost your career potential in the manufacturing field.

Not only will you learn about just-in-time production and learn manufacturing to bring new efficiencies to a role but using Six Sigma in manufacturing with defined problem-solving methodologies will improve your ability to plan and troubleshoot too.

The course is also strong on using analytics and critical thinking to develop greater reliability and maintain quality standards within manufacturing. Having an analytical mind doesn’t hurt at all with this kind of study and subsequent work.

This type of degree course will be of particular interest to employers with differing manufacturing plants that keep having quality control issues that threaten long-term supplier contracts.

Addressing Major Projects at Home

Projects at home that will take longer than a weekend to pursue and complete typically get shoved to one-side or semi-permanently put on the back burner due to having a full-time job. When taking time away from work for an extended period and once reenergized, it’s the perfect time to reconsider some of these deferred home projects:

Kitchen Remodeling

A kitchen remodeling project usually puts most of the kitchen out of action for at least a week or more. Whether you choose to have the experts come in to strip out the old kitchen and install a completely new one or you prefer to do the work yourself, it’s certainly going to be highly disruptive.

Backyard Reimagining

The backyard area may be one that you’ve never liked since moving in. However, limited available time has stymied your ability to do anything about it (or even to consider what you wish to change).

A reimagining can include putting in a patio, a deck or landscaping the garden to break it into manageable spaces with some detailed work gone into the garden to bring it back to life. It’s really up to you to decide what you feel can be done with the space. If you’re unsure, see if you can get the interest of a landscape gardener to create some interesting plans. You can pay them for the planning even if you don’t end up going forward with their team.

Installing Hardwood Flooring Throughout the Home

Taking up the existing carpets and other floors to completely replace it is difficult to do when you’re holding down a full-time job. It’s much easier when you have time on your hands either to do the work yourself or let people in and out of the property who are completing the project on your behalf.

Not having to rush out to work means you can supervise from a distance to make sure everything is up to your expected standards too.

Other Projects

It’s important to not mix a complex or time-consuming project with a series of minor ones that can be completed on a weekend in between two workweeks. Focus your energies on what is really going to move the needle, so when you get back to work, they’re not still waiting to be completed.

By taking a balanced approach to time off work, it’s possible to pace yourself. Spreading out what you wish to change and making new advancements based on career goals is all possible when giving yourself time to recover from possible burnout first.