Shows
Your Words UnleashedEp. 81 - How to Plan a Sabbatical That Revitalizes Your Life and Career (with Dr. Bethany Wilinski)Send us a textFeeling burned out before your sabbatical even begins? Dr. Bethany Wilinski shares how to design a sabbatical that actually heals, restores, and reignites your passion for work. From mindset shifts to practical planning, learn how to make your time off truly transformative.You’ll learn:Why burnout changes what your sabbatical should look likeHow to shift from a productivity mindset to a purpose-driven planPractical ways to balance recovery and research goalsWhat to do if you’re halfway through sabbatical and feel totally off trackWhether you're planning your...2025-05-2031 min
The Academic Imperfectionist#110: How to sabbatical like a pro, with Professor Bethany WilinskiAh, the sabbatical. Getting one is like hitting the jackpot, right? All your problems would melt away if you had one. You'd go into it a frazzled, anxious, burnt out mess, and emerge serene, rested, and with a few dazzling additions to your CV. In fact, you'd be so sorted if you got a sabbatical that it's probably never occurred to you that you might need some hand-holding through the process.Enter our guest for this episode, Bethany Wilinski, Associate Professor at Michigan State University, sabbatical coach, and host of the Sabbatical 101 podcast. Bethany's own sabbatical experience t...2025-05-161h 06
Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance EditorFrom Burnout to CEO: How I Left Academia and Built a 6-Figure Editing BusinessWhat if your sabbatical wasn’t just a break from academia — but your way out?I was recently a guest on Sabbatical 101 with Bethany Wilinski, PhD, and I’m re-airing that episode today.Bethany is an associate professor at Michigan State who also runs a business helping academics plan the sabbatical of their dreams. During the conversation, I share how I left academia, started working as a freelance academic editor, and built my editing and coaching business to six figures.If you're burnt out, wondering what’s next, or secretly thinking...2025-05-1540 min
Sabbatical 10134. What I've learned from a year of sabbatical coachingIn this final episode before I take a break for summer, I’m reflecting on a year of sabbatical coaching—what I’ve learned, what surprised me, and what I think every academic should know about planning a life-changing l sabbatical. Whether you’re dreaming about your first sabbatical or actively planning one, this episode is full of insights to help you make the most of your time away from the day-to-day grind.
Plus, I’m sharing a sneak peek at what’s coming this fall: a series of live coaching sessions with academics who are facing real-life sa...2025-04-2312 minThe Academic Imperfectionist#108: Your writing warm-upDo you know how writing is supposed to feel when it's going well? If you're anything like I was a few years ago, you have some pretty bizarre ideas here, involving things like hours on end of laser-sharp flow, iron-clad willpower to resist distractions, and a mind that is drawn towards lofty ideas instead of flighty nonsense. The fact that my actual experiences with writing didn't remotely resemble this fantasy was, in my mind, due to my many shameful shortcomings. I'm not like that now, and my writing goes a lot better as a result. In large part, that's...2025-04-1824 minSabbatical 10133. Breaking out of the cycle of perfectionism with The Academic ImperfectionistRebecca Roache is a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of London. She’s also a coach who helps academics ditch perfectionism. Rebecca’s coaching business is called The Academic Imperfectionist, and she also hosts a podcast under the same name.
Join us for this conversation about what perfectionism looks like in academia, what causes it, and how it holds us back as academics. We also talk about how to set reasonable expectations for doing a good enough job, how the culture of academia keeps us in pursuit of perfectionism and ways to recognize and interrupt that...2025-04-1640 minSabbatical 10132. Sabbatical rescue with Amy BelfiAmy Belfi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at Missouri University of Science and Technology. When her sabbatical began in January 2025, she had no idea how to make the most of it, and no solid plan in place. Fortunately, Amy and I connected, and she enrolled in my Sabbatical Rescue program. Two weeks later, Amy was ready to head into sabbatical feeling confident in her plan. Learn all about Amy’s sabbatical in this episode!
If you’re listening to think and thinking, “hmmm, maybe my sabbatical needs to be rescued,” please get in touch...2025-04-0919 minSabbatical 10131. The lasting impact of a life-changing sabbaticalIf you’ve been listening to this podcast or checking out my website, you know that I talk a lot about life-changing sabbaticals. And yes, I know, that sounds trite to many academics, who tend to be skeptical of such claims. That’s totally fair. And yet… I had a life-changing sabbatical, and I’m convinced that it’s possible.
In this episode I talk about some of the lasting effects of my sabbatical and how, exactly, it changed my life and the way I approach my work.
If you’d like to talk more about how yo...2025-04-0216 minSabbatical 10130. Balancing rest and productivity during an academic sabbaticalThis episode is inspired by a topic that comes up time and again when I talk to my clients and prospective clients: How to create a balance between rest and work during sabbatical. If you’ve ever wondered about this, then you’re going to find this episode helpful.
While no two sabbaticals are going to look the same, and the balance between rest and productivity depends so much on the person and what they need from their sabbatical, in this episode I share 3 tips that will help you think about how to strike the right balance for...2025-03-2619 minSabbatical 10129. How to write more during sabbaticalThis week my guest is Professor Leslie Wang, an award-winning author, writing coach, and publishing strategist. She designed Your Words Unleashed to help women scholars develop the practical strategies and unshakable self-confidence to become a published author – one who thrives every step of the way.
In this episode, Leslie shares tips for getting more writing done during sabbatical and provides insight into how working with a coach can help support your sabbatical writing goals.
You can find Leslie and learn more about her programs at https://yourwordsunleashed.com/. Leslie offers private coaching for scholarly authors an...2025-03-1242 minSabbatical 10128. A peek into my sabbatical coaching businessI wasn’t going to record this week, but I couldn’t resist. I launched my business about 10 months ago, and I’m so proud of what it’s become. Every day I’m inspired by the academics I work with, who are planning transformative sabbaticals that will help them continue to do work that matters. This episode is a really quick recap of what I’ve been up to over the past 10 months and where I’m headed. I hope you’ll listen in to hear how many clients I’ve worked with, what disciplines they’re in, and which colleges a...2025-03-1206 minSabbatical 10127. What should I actually do on my sabbatical?Have you ever wondered how much work is enough for an academic sabbatical or what types of projects academics typically work on during sabbatical?
In this episode, I talk about how to rethink what counts as a productive sabbatical and walk you through a list of the possibilities you might consider as you think about the professional projects you’d like to focus on for your sabbatical.
If you want to see that list, check out this blog post.
If you need help determining your sabbatical purpose, check out this worksheet.
An...2025-03-0511 min
Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance EditorFrom Sabbatical to CEO: How One Scholar Created a Thriving Coaching Side HustleHow do you start an academic coaching business–while you’re STILL in academia?On this episode of Leaving Academia: Becoming a Freelance Editor, my guest, Bethany Wilinski, PhD, explains how she started her business, Sabbatical Coaching for Academics.We discuss:🌎 how a spark of an idea during her sabbatical led to a fully booked coaching business,🌎 what Bethany did to define her niche and identify the problem she solves for clients,🌎 when and why you should create a website, and🌎 how Bethany has...2025-02-2740 minSabbatical 10126. What to do when your sabbatical goes sidewaysIf you're a few months (or maybe even a semester+) into your sabbatical and you're realizing that things are not going as planned, then you need to listen up. In this episode I share the 5 steps you can take right now to start getting your sabbatical back on track.
I hope you'll find these strategies helpful. If you'd like even more support, check out my program, Sabbatical Rescue! Through a combination of activities you complete on your own and one-on-one coaching sessions, this intensive program will help you get your sabbatical back on track in two weeks...2025-02-2615 minSabbatical 10125. How to publish more during your sabbaticalMy guest on this episode is Paulina Cossette, owner of Acadia Editing. Throughout her 12 years in academia as a graduate student and tenure-track political science professor, Paulina struggled to find joy while working 7 days a week. She finally found the courage to leave the academy in 2019 and became an academic copy editor. Since then, she has built a thriving six-figure editing and coaching business that allows her to live and work wherever and whenever she wants, take real vacations without any guilt, and collaborate with kind, brilliant clients all over the world.
Paulina now shares what she's...2025-02-1937 minSabbatical 10124. How to set boundaries for your sabbaticalSetting clear boundaries for your sabbatical is critical to ensuring you’ll have time to achieve what you set out to accomplish during your time away.
In the episode, I discuss the importance of sabbatical boundaries and outline four steps you can take to set boundaries, whether you’re planning your sabbatical or already on sabbatical.
I love helping clients figure out their sabbatical boundaries; this is one of the most important things we do in my sabbatical planning programs. If you’d like to learn more and reserve your spot for Summer or Fall 2025, head o...2025-02-1212 minSabbatical 10123. Margaret's sabbatical with kids in the UKMargaret Sallee is a professor of higher education at the University at Buffalo. She's taken two sabbaticals—one at home and one away with her two children. In this episode we talk about Margaret’s sabbaticals and she shares insight and advice about taking a sabbatical away with kids.
You’ll find this episode helpful if you’re considering taking a sabbatical away with kids or if you’re in the midst of planning one. Margaret shares her experience arranging all the logistics – housing, schools, visas, insurance – and all about what she and her daughters loved about their sabbatic...2025-02-0534 minSabbatical 10122. How to plan your academic sabbaticalIn this episode I share three steps you can take to start planning your academic sabbatical. Following these three steps is going to help you get clarity about what you want to get out of your sabbatical and more confident in your sabbatical plan. So, pull up a comfy chair, get out a pencil and paper, and start making your sabbatical plan now!
If you’d like more support for planning your academic sabbatical, I'm now enrolling clients for Summer and Fall 2025 for my Reignite program! If you're ready to take the next step, schedule a call wi...2025-01-2919 minSabbatical 10121. Sabbatical away from a kid's perspective, Part 2Here's another take on going away for sabbatical, this time from my daughter, Clara. Clara was 5 when we went to Bordeaux and started kindergarten in France. In this episode, she shares her favorite things about living in France (spoiler alert: it's mostly food-related!).
If you want to hear more about kids' experiences on sabbatical, check out Episode 6. If you want to learn more about planning a sabbatical away with kids, I talk about this in Episode 5. You can also hear about Kristine's experience in Episode 10 and Courtenay's story in Episode 15.
I'm now enrolling clients for...2025-01-2212 minSabbatical 10120. Alison's stay-battical plan to rest and resetAlison is recently tenured associate professor who worked with me to plan her first sabbatical. In this episode, Alison talks about what she has planned for her Spring 2025 sabbatical, and about which aspects of the Reignite program were most beneficial to her as she created her sabbatical plan.
One of the things I love about this conversation is that Alison talks about the specific steps of the program she found most useful. These included creating a calendar for her sabbatical, which is something we do in Week 5 and setting boundaries, which we do in Week 6. Alison also...2025-01-1517 minSabbatical 10119. Starting the new year with a solid sabbatical planAnd we’re back! I’m kicking off 2025 with an episode about how you can gift yourself a solid sabbatical plan for the new year. If you’re someone who’s thinking about planning a sabbatical, or if you’re already on sabbatical and it’s not going well, then this episode is for you.
I mention a lot of different links and resources in the episode, and here they are:
My website: www.bethanywilinski.com
Download my Sabbatical Purpose guide
Book a call to learn more about my sabbatical planning program, Rei...2025-01-0809 minSabbatical 10118. What even is a sabbatical coach?Whether you’ve been listening for awhile or this is your first episode, you may be wondering what a sabbatical coach does, and why someone would want to work with one. In this episode, I tell you all about what it’s like to work with me and why my clients have found it beneficial. I give concrete examples from my clients’ experiences so you can see exactly what I’m talking about.
In the episode, I mention links and free guides, so here they are:
For more information about my sabbatical planning program, click here.2024-12-1114 minSabbatical 10117. Becoming a poet on sabbaticalMy colleague Janine Certo is one of the most graceful and put-together people I know. She has such a calming presence, and I think that sense of calm comes through in this episode. Janine is an associate professor in the department of Teacher Education at Michigan State University and an award-winning poet.
In this episode, Janine talks about her two year-long sabbaticals and her plans for her next one. She describes leaning into her work as a poet during sabbatical and how she has developed a writing and reading habit that supports her scholarly and personal pursuits...2024-12-0449 minSabbatical 10116. How to talk to your family about your sabbaticalThis episode is a pre-Thanksgiving/holiday season primer for talking to your family about your current or upcoming sabbatical. Before I went on sabbatical I thought a lot about setting boundaries at work, but I didn’t give much thought to setting boundaries with my family for my sabbatical.
If you’re planning a sabbatical right now or in the middle of one, I’m guessing you may not have given this much thought either, and I hope I can share some helpful ideas and insight. These come from my own experience and from what I’ve learned...2024-11-2509 minSabbatical 10115. Courtenay's Fulbright semester in IrelandThis episode is a conversation with Courtenay Barrett, who is an associate professor in the school psychology program at Michigan State University. In this episode, Courtenay shares about her semester in Ireland with her husband and two children, who were 6 and 8 at the time. Although it wasn't a sabbatical, Courtenay spent a semester away because she was awarded a Fulbright to collaborate on a research project at a university in Cork.
In this episode, you'll learn more about what Courtenay learned from the Fulbright application process, her perspective on spending time away from your university not just...2024-11-2035 minSabbatical 10114. Sabbatical planning starts with identifying your sabbatical purposeIf you're thinking about or have already started planning your upcoming sabbatical, it's like you started with your sabbatical application. That's what I did, too, when I first started planning. Soon after I hit "send" on my sabbatical application, I realized I was thinking about it all wrong. I had planned the sabbatical I thought I should take, and not the one I needed.
So how do you plan the sabbatical you need? Well, it starts with identifying your sabbatical purpose, and that's what this episode is all about. In it you'll hear about how I identified...2024-11-1318 minSabbatical 10113. How to reflect and course correct during sabbaticalAre you on sabbatical right now? How’s it going? If you have a Fall 2024 sabbatical, then you’re just past the midway point.
One of the things that is critical to a successful sabbatical is making time to reflect on how things are going. Checking in with yourself regularly allows you to take stock of what you’ve accomplished and adjust if needed.
In this episode I share tips for how you can do that. You can also download this worksheet to guide your reflection.
If you’re on sabbatical now and feel lik...2024-11-0616 minSabbatical 10112. Sabbaticals and productivityAlisa B. Lin is an assistant professor who also writes on the intersection of productivity and caregiving. In her Substack newsletter, at wewhotend.substack.com, she takes an inclusive and feminist approach to productivity advice. She is also writing a book on productivity that is explicitly inclusive of parents, caregivers, and people with disabilities.
In this episode Alisa shares applies her work on productivity to sabbaticals. She provides advice and strategies for: balancing personal and professional goals during sabbatical, managing unstructured time, feeling like you don’t have enough time to accomplish all your sabbatical goals, estimating ho...2024-10-3032 minSabbatical 10111. Learning something new on sabbaticalAmy Parks is a professor of elementary education at Michigan State University and the author of four middle grade and young adult books. She writes stories about smart girls falling for feminist boys in quirky midwestern settings and likes using One Direction lyrics as the inspiration for entire novels. You can find her latest book, Averil Offline, and others at https://amynoelleparks.com/.
In this episode, Amy talks about why she decided to pursue her MFA during her sabbatical, and how she creates space for both her scholarly and creative work. Amy’s year-long sabbatical took place du...2024-10-2327 minSabbatical 10110. How to plan a sabbatical awayKristine Bowman is a professor of law and education policy at Michigan State University. After taking a 6-month sabbatical in Australia with her family, she wrote the book that is a must-read for anyone planning a sabbatical away. The book is called Modern Sabbatical: A Step-by-Step Guide to Moving Temporarily to Another City or Country. The book is an incredibly helpful tool that lays out everything you need to think about and do to make your dream sabbatical away a reality. I relied on this book heavily as I planned the logistics of my sabbatical semester in France, and...2024-10-1639 minSabbatical 1019. Cultivating new rhythms for a sabbatical at homeIn this episode I talk about the importance of intentionally creating new rhythms during an at-home sabbatical. This idea applies to sabbaticals away, too, but I think it requires a bit more intentionality if you’re not going to change your physical location during sabbatical.
Listen in to learn how to mark the start of your sabbatical and how to think ahead to what you want your sabbatical to feel like and ensure it happens. If you’d like some support along the way, download this worksheet, which will guide you through the process.
If you...2024-10-0909 minSabbatical 1018. When sabbatical doesn't go as plannedEsther Alarcon Arana is an Associate Professor at Salve Regina University. She had a semester-long sabbatical in Fall 2023. A few weeks into her sabbatical, Esther learned that her father had been diagnosed with cancer that was quite advanced. In this episode, she talks about what she had initially planned for her sabbatical, and how she responded when everything changed.
I’m so grateful to Esther for sharing her story, which reminds us that life continues to happen, despite our best plans and intentions. Esther’s story also reminds us about the importance of taking care of yourself and...2024-10-0240 minSabbatical 1017. The importance of identifying your sabbatical purposeIn this episode I talk to Beth Lefebvre, a client in my Reignite program, about how she got clear about her sabbatical purpose, which led her to decide to take a sabbatical at home rather than in Uganda. Beth describes herself as someone who categorically does not sign up for things, so I’m flattered that she stepped out of her comfort zone and signed up for my program.
Beth shares how she made the difficult decision to not spend her sabbatical away and the unexpected opportunities that decision has created for her and her family. She al...2024-09-2541 minSabbatical 1016. Sabbatical away from a kid's perspectiveIn this episode, I ask my 10 year-old son, Danny, all about his experience during our sabbatical time in Bordeaux. He shares his insight about how he felt when he found out we would be going away for sabbatical, what it was like to go to a new school and make new friends, his favorite travel spots in France and Europe, and so much more.
If you want to hear more about kids' experiences on sabbatical, check out Episode 21. If you want to learn more about planning a sabbatical away with kids, I talk about this in Episode 5...2024-09-1825 minSabbatical 1015. My hybrid sabbatical with kids: France and MichiganIn this episode I tell you about my sabbatical and how I planned it. I took a hybrid sabbatical--we spent the fall semester in France and came back home (Ann Arbor, MI) for the spring. I had really wanted to go away for the whole year, but it just wasn't feasible for my family. In this episode, I discuss:
If you want to learn about how to plan your own sabbatical, head over to my website, https://bethanywilinski.com, for more information about my sabbatical coaching program. You can also download my free guide to start planning...2024-09-1125 minSabbatical 1014. Jen's stay-battical planWhen Jen and I first started working together, she had no sabbatical plan and was disappointed that she was going to be staying home for sabbatical. By the time she completed the Reignite program, Jen was excited about her sabbatical and had a solid plan in place to make the most of it. In this episode, we discuss:
I'm so excited for Jen and her upcoming sabbatical, and there's a ton of great insight in this episode for planning an amazing sabbatical at home!
If you want to learn about how to plan your own...2024-09-0419 minSabbatical 1013. Different sabbaticals for different purposesMy guest on this episode, Anne-Lise Halvorsen, discusses her two sabbaticals in Michigan--one in which she relocated her family and the other in which they stayed home. Topics include:
-considerations for sabbatical with a spouse and kids
-relocating for sabbatical
-taking a sabbatical where you live
-funding a sabbatical
-setting goals for your sabbatical
-structuring your time on sabbatical
Anne-Lise has tons of great advice for sabbatical-goers, and I think you'll appreciate her insight into how different sabbaticals can serve different purposes.
If you want to learn about how to plan your own...2024-08-2834 minSabbatical 1012. David's sabbatical in FlorenceIn this episode I chat with my colleague, David, about his sabbatical in Florence. Topics include:
-choosing Italy as a sabbatical destination
-back-up plans
-personal goals for sabbatical
-finding work-life balance on sabbatical
-setting boundaries on sabbatical
-navigating Visa challenges and adapting to a new culture
Give it a listen and live vicariously through David's sabbatical and his afternoon strolls through Florence!
If you want to learn about how to plan your own sabbatical, head over to my website, https://bethanywilinski.com, for more information about my sabbatical coaching program. You can also...2024-08-2148 minSabbatical 1011. Sabbatical 101 TrailerMy name is Bethany Wilinski and I’m an associate professor at Michigan State University. I had a life-changing sabbatical and I’m on a mission to help fellow academics do the same. I’m so excited to launch this podcast, which will be a resource for all things academic sabbaticals.
This podcast will provide inspiration and insight into the sabbatical planning process, regardless of your institution, discipline, length of sabbatical, or where you plan to sabbatical.
If you want to learn more about me and about planning your own life-changing sabbatical, head over to my web...2024-08-1401 min
State of the State PodcastSupporting Pre-K Teachers. Predicting Recession Ahead?It's the back-to-school issue! Bethany Wilinski, MSU assistant professor of teacher education, joins State of the State Podcast hosts Arnold Weinfeld, associate IPPSR director, and economist Charles Ballard, State of the State Survey Director. She shares joint research into pre-K teaching and what teachers of our youngest learners need for on-the-job satisfaction. Weinfeld and Ballard review the economy. Recession signs ahead?2019-08-2135 min