Why Women Need a Career Pause (aka Sabbatical or Mini-Retirement)

Alana D'Angelica
Sep 11, 2025
4 min read

Feeling stuck on the career treadmill? Here’s why every woman should plan a pause — and the financial steps to make your sabbatical possible. I am ALL about the career pause. Sabbatical. Mini-retirement. Whatever you want to call it, it’s an amazing reset - and honestly, I think every woman should plan for one.

Even if you never actually take it.

Even if it ends up being your maternity leave.

Even if it happens unexpectedly (layoff, termination, illness).

The point is: you’ll be glad you had the option.

WHY?

Most of us graduate, land our first job (whether we love it or not), and suddenly - at age 21 or younger - we’re on a treadmill that doesn’t EVER stop. If you’re lucky, you find work you enjoy. If not, you grind anyway, because hey, you’re “lucky” to get paid, right?

Over time, you rack up good bosses and bad ones, supportive work friends and toxic ones, fair pay and not-so-fair pay. And before you know it… you’re on a path that doesn’t end until retirement.

For me, that path started at age 14 - my first job was at KFC as a cashier (damn, I was so good at that job). By 21, I was working full time and basically never stopped. Sure, there’s PTO, but a week off here or there doesn’t cut it. Sometimes you need a vacation from your vacation.

40+ straight years of work with no real pause? That’s WILD.

THE CASE FOR A PAUSE

As we grow, our strengths, interests and desires change. But when you’re stuck in the grind, you rarely get the time or headspace to ask:

What do I actually want now? And what do I want for my future?

That’s why I love the Japanese concept of ikigai - the intersection of:

What you love
What you’re good at
What the world needs
What you can be paid for

If you never stop, you never reflect. A career pause forces that reflection.

A PAUSE CAN ALSO GIVE YOU THE TIME TO:

Declutter your damn life. The closets. The clutter. The files. The paper piles. All the stuff you “never have time for” while working 40+ hours.
Reset your finances. When the paycheck treadmill stops, you get way more intentional with your money. I promise you’ll notice patterns (like $20 lunches out) that you can shift into healthier, cheaper habits.
Build habits that stick. I always wanted to work out 5x a week but work got in the way. During one career break, I finally built the habit - and it finally stuck even when I went back. Same goes for nutrition, therapy, self-care, and hobbies.
Preview retirement. So many women aren’t planning (and their savings shows it) because the idea of not working feels so far away. A mini-retirement gives you a taste of what life could be like - and the motivation to save for it.

HOW TO MAKE IT HAPPEN:

This is the fun part (at least for me, as a financial coach). Here’s how I help women plan:

Know your numbers. Track your expenses. Use my Money Clarity Blueprint, or an app like Monarch or YNAB.
Find expense optimizations. Cooking at home instead of takeout. No commuting costs. Look for the savings you can commit to when you actually have time.
Decide the length. What do you need? Is this a 3-month reset or a full year?
Create a savings goal. Build a Sabbatical fund by allocating a set amount from each paycheck until you hit your number.
Plan your “paycheck” for the pause. How much will you pay yourself to cover expenses and emergencies? Set it up biweekly, just like when you’re at work.
Optional side income. Time to start that side hustle - but only if it makes you happy. (During my pauses, I did expert network consulting - it paid well, and kept me sharp and relevant without the stress.)
Level up your skills. Use the time to learn, train, or build something that could increase your income later.
Plan your re-entry. How will you explain the pause? How will you stay interview-ready and lightly network so you’re not scrambling at the end?
Worst case scenario planning. What if returning takes longer than expected? What if there’s a medical emergency? Map out backup savings you can tap into if needed. Having a Plan B lowers stress during your pause.
Design your pause intentionally. Don’t just “not work” - decide how you want this time to feel. Do you want rest? Adventure? Projects? Skill-building? Volunteering? Health & Fitness? Without some intention, it’s easy to waste the pause and feel frustrated later.