Why a Life-Changing Sabbatical Might Be More Possible Than You Think | DJ DiDonnaWhy a Life-Changing Sabbatical Might Be More Possible Than You Think | DJ DiDonna
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Eric Zimmer and DJ DiDonna talk about what makes sabbaticals different from holidays, how they relate to burnout and workaholism, and why planning years ahead can make extended time off more realistic. DJ shares research findings and personal stories, including a walking pilgrimage in Japan, as examples of how stepping away from routine can help people feel human again.
59:59•18 Aug 2026
Taking Big Time Off: DJ DiDonna on Sabbaticals, Burnout and Feeling Human Again
Episode Overview
- A sabbatical is an extended, intentional break from your routine job, ideally counted in months, that creates space for healing and reflection.
- Burnout often affects people in meaningful roles, including "functional workaholics" who appear successful while their health and resources quietly decline.
- Planning five to ten years ahead (for example, asking "What are you doing in 2031?") can make a sabbatical financially and practically more realistic.
- Extended time away can become a peak life experience, offering dense memories, physical recovery, and clearer insight into what truly matters.
- Even those unable to take months off can apply sabbatical principles through concentrated, boundary‑protected breaks and intensive short‑term experiences.
“When you take away the excuse of work... all that's left and all that we remain with is who we are, who we dreamt of what we wanted to be, how that's going.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This conversation between host Eric Zimmer and guest DJ DiDonna offers a fresh angle: extended time off from work as a serious reset, much like stepping away from addiction patterns. DJ shares how he went from running a successful startup to feeling like a "functional workaholic", performing well on the surface while his health and inner life quietly eroded.
He links burnout—especially among people in meaningful roles—to a deep reluctance to put themselves anywhere near the top of the priority list. As he puts it, many of us are "addicted to a way of life" and can’t break it with a weekend away. The heart of the episode is DJ’s practical framing of a sabbatical: an extended, intentional break from your routine job, ideally measured in months, that creates an open container for healing, experimentation, and perspective.
He and Eric contrast this with regular holidays where work simply piles up in the background. DJ’s research found people often rank their sabbatical alongside their wedding day or the birth of a child as a peak life experience. You’ll hear about DJ’s six‑week walking pilgrimage across 88 Buddhist temples in Japan, where his only job was to walk, meditate, and mourn the work identity he was leaving behind.
The pair talk through planning years ahead—asking "What are you doing in 2031?"—so even those with tight finances or demanding jobs can start laying the groundwork for a future summer off or a shorter "modest sabbatical". Along the way, DJ offers ideas for smaller breaks that still feel different from everyday life, from intensive training courses to deeper time with family.
The message is simple but challenging: stepping away from work is a "radical act of self‑assertion" that can help you feel human again. What kind of pause might you be willing to plan for yourself, even if it’s a few years down the road?
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