• Amazon hired 27-year-old Jenny Cho right out of college.
• Cho said she instantly became a high achiever and completely burned out after five years.
• After taking a mental health leave, she switched her focus to trade-offs instead of balance.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jenn Cho, a 27-year-old Amazon software developer in Seattle. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I got hired at Amazon directly out of college in 2019 and made work my life and identity.

I put so much pressure on myself to be a high achiever and to prove I was a valuable employee in my early career. By the end of 2024, I had completely burned out.

I took a 12-week leave to focus on my mental health and realized my job wasn't the issue, it was my mindset. Here's how I identified my burnout and how I'm trying to prevent it from happening again.

Everything was great for me until a stressful project in 2024

When I got hired as a support engineer, my job was really exciting. We moved quickly, and I felt like a sponge, absorbing everything, and craving to learn more.

Then, in 2024, Amazon entered a very stressful layoff season, which greatly affected my team. Our organization underwent a lot of restructuring and reprioritization of our projects.

I started working on a particularly difficult project and really put pressure on myself to be on point at all times. But in the pursuit of doubling down on work and working longer hours, I started lacking motivation, struggling with focus, and feeling emotionally exhausted. I was able to keep up with deadlines, but I felt like I was in survival mode.

When I stopped enjoying my hobbies, I realized I was burned out

The wake-up call that something needed to change didn't come until I realized I wasn't even enjoying the things I love to do — working out, spending time with friends, pursuing hobbies. I knew I was burned out.

A friend of mine who had recently burned out and taken a leave, encouraged me to take my own leave. After sitting on the idea for a while, I submitted a request with the support of my therapist, and I was approved for a 12-week leave at the end of 2024.

Taking a break from work and building something for myself was fulfilling

At the start of my leave, I broke out in full-body hives, which I suspect might've been stress-induced. After nearly six weeks of treating my health issues, I finally settled into my leave.

I explored Seattle more, got back into my workout routine, and even started working on some personal projects like a food blog site. It was so fulfilling to build something for myself. I considered taking a sabbatical or a more extended leave, but ultimately decided to stick with my 12-week plan.

I realized the biggest thing that needed to change when I was to return to Amazon was my mindset. Finding fulfillment through my hobbies made me realize that work shouldn't be my life; it should fuel my ability to live my life and pursue my passions.

When I got back from my leave, it felt like nothing had changed, and I needed to set boundaries

I was concerned about taking a leave, but I don't think it hindered my career at all.

After returning to work, I realized that I was just one of thousands of employees. The company doesn't stop just because one person leaves. As workers, we tend to prioritize work, but our employers prioritize profits, so it's up to us to create boundaries between work and life.

I'm trying to embody my new mindset by setting boundaries. For example, working out is crucial for my mental health, so I've set a boundary that I will not cancel a workout class to keep working. It's a hard stop.

I've also been writing down my to-do lists for the day, but not just making them centered on work. Sure, my work will be at the top of the list, but I've also been writing down the personal things I'm looking forward to doing after work, like getting dinner, seeing friends, or working on the food blog.

I'm focusing on trade-offs instead of a balance

On a day-to-day basis, it feels nearly impossible to find a balance between work and life. I have so many things I want to do, but not enough hours in the day. So, I'm looking at the bigger picture instead.

There will be periods when work is very busy and demanding, and I have no choice but to put my effort into it. But I have to remind myself that life shouldn't be like that 24/7.

Maybe I'm focusing on work in one moment, but later, I can take time off to prioritize something for myself. I'm still learning to strike the right balance, but it's up to me to make sure I nurture my identity outside of work.

If you burned out at work and want to share your story, please email the editor, Manseen Logan, at [email protected].

• When Shruti Mangawa tried applying for jobs after taking a career break, she was often ghosted.
• She felt guilt about being unemployed, particularly when people said she was "just a housewife."
• Returning to work after her break taught Mangawa how to view success differently.

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with 35-year-old Shruti Mangawa from New Mexico. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I grew up and studied in India. In 2018, I joined Hindustan Unilever, a subsidiary of Unilever, where I became an area sales and customer manager.

In 2021, I took a sabbatical due to a spinal injury. I came to the USA, where my husband worked, to spend some time with him and recover.

But after a few months in America, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so I couldn't go back to work. My company extended my sabbatical, but my health got worse.

I knew I couldn't go back to India or my job. I spent most of the following two to three years in treatment and recovery.

When I started looking for work again in the US in 2024, I had a hunch that the huge gap in my résumé was preventing me from finding a job.

I've struggled with guilt about being unemployed because I tied my identity to my job. It's taken me a while to embrace my career break and adopt a different view of success.

I struggled to find employment in the US after my recovery

My role at Unilever was my dream job. I was in a leadership role managing a team.

I was used to being financially independent and I tied my identity to my job. I saw the shine of pride in my parents' eyes about what I had achieved. In our family circle, people younger than me looked up to me as an inspiration.

Then it all went away.

My diagnosis turned my entire world upside down. The cancer was pretty aggressive and had a big toll on my body. Thankfully, I had financial support from my husband and family.

I was more worried about my professional life than my recovery. I was conscious that any time spent in recovery was increasing the gap in my work experience.

When my doctor said I was cancer-free, I thought I'd be able to pick up my career from where I left off. It didn't happen that way. My energy levels weren't the same, and I didn't feel as motivated as I was in my 20s.

I felt guilty and like I was worthless because I wasn't working

When I was cancer-free but still dealing with long-term side effects, people would ask me what I did for a living, and it made me feel empty inside. Some acquaintances said: "Oh, so you're just a housewife, then?" I don't know if their intentions were bad, but I felt guilty. My parents spent so much on my education, but now I was sitting at home.

Being a housewife isn't a bad thing. My mom was a homemaker. But in my generation, everyone's used to working. I felt like if I wasn't, I was worthless.

When I tried to re-enter the workforce in 2024, people advised me to figure out a way to cover my gap by doing some freelancing or not putting it on my LinkedIn. We may preach that it's OK to take a break and not attach our image to job titles, but people do.

I applied for marketing roles and any jobs where I thought I had transferable skills, but I'd get ghosted or rejected even before the interview stage. I felt like I didn't even get a chance to explain my story.

Once, a recruiter told me that because I had a big career gap and all my prior work experience was based in India, I might need to lower my expectations for the roles I was going for.

I'm focusing on building a personal brand and have changed the way I think about success

Since I was so drained physically and mentally, I forgot what I used to be able to handle professionally. I started to feel that nobody would hire me, and this was my future.

Thankfully, my husband snapped me out of my negative thought patterns.

Around October 2024, I decided that instead of waiting for opportunities, I'd create my own. I thought by developing a personal brand, I'd stand a better chance in the job market. With such a big career gap in a rough market, I needed to find a way to stand out.

I stopped applying for jobs and focused on my writing — posting essays on Medium and producing a newsletter. Getting positive feedback from readers gave me more confidence.

I've decided to focus on brand-building for at least a year and a half while I figure out how I want to transition my career.

Though people have advised me to hide my career gap, I've decided to be more open about it, disclosing it on my LinkedIn.

Embrace detours in working life

In life, you'll have to take detours. I know people who've been laid off or who've had their life disrupted for other reasons. I'm in my 30s and have had to restart my career. Things aren't always linear.

I no longer think success is just about your career and money but also about other parts of life. If my husband says, "I'm lucky to have a wife like you" — even that is success to me now.

Now, when challenges come, I don't just panic. I ask: "What is this here to teach me?" That mindset shift is what I consider my biggest success.

Do you have a story to share about your career break or sabbatical? Contact this reporter at [email protected]

• Tobi Adekeye quit her six-figure tech job to rest and explore different interests.
• Adekeye said she plans to accomplish a different personal goal each quarter during her career break.
• She credits her decision to take a gap year during a tough job market to being a Gen Z worker.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Tobi Adekeye, a 27-year-old content creator and project manager based in Toronto. It's been edited for length and clarity.

In mid-2024, I started playing around with the idea of quitting my job, but I hesitated.

I felt it would be shameful to already be taking a career break at 27 years old. At the same time, I realized the longer I waited to take a break, the harder it would be to do it without consequences.

So, I officially quit my six-figure tech job in December 2024.

I have moments of doubt about my decision, but my time away has made me realize how much time work steals from my life. It has also changed the way I'm approaching my career moving forward.

I had a great job, but I wanted to leave

I find project management intellectually stimulating and rewarding, but I started to question whether I wanted to continue on the same career path without exploring other possibilities.

I had just been promoted to project manager at a tech company and worked with amazing colleagues. My six-figure salary not only allowed me to live comfortably but also allowed me to buy my first investment property by the age of 26.

Here I was with all of my boxes ticked off, and I still felt myself asking, "What's next?"

I used my investment property savings to fund my career gap

I had been saving up to make a down payment on a second investment property, but I decided to pivot and use the money to fund my career break instead. It was a tough decision because I'd be potentially sacrificing investment gains and income, but I knew it was the right thing to do.

I didn't create a strict timeline for my career break, but I have a comfortable financial runway of about a year.

I'm following a loose plan for my gap year, but sometimes I feel I'm not doing enough

I decided Q1 of 2025 would be about resting and focusing on wellness, Q2 would be about exploring new career options, and Q3 would be about taking action on an idea. It's very vague right now because I honestly have no idea what's next for me.

When I first quit, I found myself trying to stay productive all the time and even planning my days in Google Calendar. But, I've been trying to remind myself that future me would regret not utilizing this time to rest. Still, I have moments where I feel like I'm not doing enough.

On days when I have too much downtime, I begin to worry if I made a huge mistake

Sometimes, I wonder if I made a mistake leaving my secure job, and I worry about how a career gap might look on my résumé. I also wonder if taking a break will make it harder to find a job in an already tough market.

On a more personal level, I worry that I'm slacking or falling behind my former timeline for how my life should look.

A few things that help silence those thoughts and are a priority for me are moving my body, leaning into my faith, spending time with loved ones, and pursuing creative hobbies like content creation.

I'm really trying not to limit myself

If I feel like watching a movie at 1 p.m. on a Monday, I go to the movies. But, surprisingly, I don't have as much free time as I thought I would.

Whether it's cooking, laundry, or grocery shopping, I feel like there's always some adult responsibility keeping me busy. It's crazy to think that I used to only have the weekends to do those tasks when I should've been spending that time resting and connecting with friends and family.

I've been very intentional about who I tell about my career break

I know that not everyone will understand my decision to take a career break, so I've been avoiding certain people. I don't need anyone else to seed fear in me, and I don't feel like explaining to them why I'm taking a break to explore different interests.

I feel like my generation, Gen Z, is breaking societal expectations and seeing that there's more to life than just work. I'm realizing that I can create my own path and work the way I want.

Up until this year, I believed I'd work until I made a certain amount of money and then retire. Now, I'm heading into Q2 of my career break — my exploration phase — and I'm looking forward to diving deep into new sectors that excite me.

If you made a decision that impacted the way you approach your career and would like to share your story, please email the editor, Manseen Logan, at [email protected].

• There's a new career trend on the rise among millennials: mini-retirement.
• A mini-retirement can provide a much-needed break from the 9-to-5 and help reorient your career.
• Three mini-retirees shared their experiences with putting a pause on their careers.

Florence Poirel spent over a decade climbing the corporate ladder at Google, working her way up to the position of senior program manager.

"I was promoted every two years," Poirel said.

Despite her corporate achievements, however, the 37-year-old Poirel didn't feel satisfied.

"I was seeing signs of work-related stress and just questioning what I was doing with my job and my life in general," she told Business Insider.

So instead of continuing to climb, Poirel decided to take a year-and-a-half mini-retirement last year.

Poirel's non-traditional career path is one that some millennials are opting to take. The goal for some is no longer to front-load their work in life and only relax in old age. Nor is it to speedrun their careers to achieve retirement as early as possible, as do participants in the FIRE movement — short for "financial independence, retire early." Poirel and other like-minded people are pressing "pause" on their careers with the goal of returning to work with a better sense of purpose and enjoyment.

Not your conventional retirement

What exactly is a mini-retirement? Jillian Johnsrud, a career coach who specializes in helping people achieve financial freedom, defines it as "any time someone takes a month or longer away from the 9-to-5 to focus on something that's important to them."

The definition of a mini-retirement is flexible and depends on individual preferences. But at the end of the day, it's meant to be a temporary departure from the path of working a 9-to-5 nonstop until official retirement.

Johnsrud is 41 and has taken 12 mini-retirements in her life so far. Most recently, she took a monthlong break last year to learn how to tango dance.

Since leaving Google, Poirel has prioritized resting, reconnecting with friends, and spending time with family. She's also still involved with professional pursuits in mini-retirement. With more free time, Poirel is providing career coaching services and helping a friend's startup.

Brian Li spent almost two decades building a successful career at various startups before mini-retiring at 42. Li is planning to return to work next month after a yearlong career break, but that doesn't mean he spent his time idling. He went into his mini-retirement with a plan to read books and take courses but soon decided to actively pursue more unconventional opportunities on top of that — such as working on an election campaign, learning cooking skills in Japan, and working on independent consulting projects.

The mini-retirement gave Li the flexibility to explore creative skills and learn in ways he couldn't at a traditional job.

"I made a concerted effort to go meet people and say, 'Hey, here are the things I want to learn, here's where I want to develop myself. Do you need help?'" Li said. "I was an apprentice, and so there were no boundaries for me to show up at work and say, 'I got to do the things that I'm getting paid to do.'"

An opportunity to reorient your career

People seek out mini-retirement for many reasons. Millennials are entering their second or third decade in the workforce. No longer new to the job market, perhaps they're evaluating what direction to take their career next. Or maybe they're trying to balance their career with young children. These big life changes make a mini-retirement especially appealing to Johnsrud's clients.

It doesn't have to be as serious as burnout, although Johnsrud certainly sees many cases of that. A mini-retirement can help people redefine their professional lives and shape their work into something more fulfilling.

At Google, Poirel was experiencing decreased motivation and energy and an increase in work-related stress. Poirel sees her mini-retirement as a way to steer her career away from corporate goalposts.

"Obviously there are ups and downs to that," Poirel said of workplace stress. But after finding herself experiencing heightened levels of dissatisfaction for many months, Poirel took it as a sign to take a break.

When her mini-retirement ends in September, Poirel plans to look for a job at a company focused on sustainability, a topic that aligns with her own values.

"I am not interested at all in climbing the ladder anymore. Higher job titles mean more responsibilities, more stress, more working hours, and that's really not something I want to do," she said.

For Li, his career priorities have changed over time. While Li has gotten a lot experience working in the startup space, but he's looking to expand his skill set for the next chapter of his career and work in a different environment.

"The boxes that I'm checking now are fundamentally different than the boxes that I was checking before my career break," Li said.

Some things can't wait until 65

Mini-retirees don't agree with the idea of waiting until your sixties to enjoy life.

This was especially true for Poirel, whose partner is 17 years older than her. "When I'm 60, he's going to be 77. That doesn't sound fun for me," she said.

Poirel also spent a month with her family earlier in her mini-retirement — something she hasn't done since she was a student.

Having young children can also be a catalyst for a mini-retirement. It definitely was for Johnsrud, who once took a 10-week mini-retirement to go on a road trip with her children.

"I was like, if we didn't do this now, I can't do this trip in 20 years," Johnsrud said. "There's no way 20 and 30-year-olds are going take 10 weeks out of their life to do 10 national parks in a pop-up camper with me."

For Li, a mini-retirement offered him time to focus on his newborn daughter and prioritize his family in a way that he couldn't have working a rigorous job at a startup.

"There are certain seasons in our life that if we don't do the thing now, it'll pass us by. It won't hold on the shelf until we're 65," Johnsrud said.

Do you have a mini-retirement story you want to share? You can reach Christine at [email protected]

• The "Bridget Jones" actor Renée Zellweger took a six-year career break from 2010.
• She said she was "sick" of her own voice.
• The Oscar-winner used the time to do various activities, from studying international law to adopting dogs.

Renée Zellweger took a break from her acting career because she was "sick" of her own voice, she said. She spent that time doing a variety of things, from studying to adopting rescue dogs.

The actor will return to her most famous role in the sequel "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy," which is out on Valentine's Day. The film follows the titular writer-turned-TV producer as she navigates life as a single parent to two children after the death of her husband, Mark Darcy (Colin Firth).

Hugh Grant, who plays Daniel Cleaver, Jones' previous love interest, will also reprise his role. To mark the occasion, Grant interviewed Zellweger for Vogue.

When he asked why she took a six-year break from acting in 2010, she replied: "Because I needed to. I was sick of the sound of my own voice. When I was working, I was like, 'Oh, my gosh, listen to you. Are you sad again, Renée? Oh, is this your mad voice?' It was a regurgitation of the same emotional experiences."

In the last decade, more people have started using career breaks to develop their personal lives away from work — some have used the time to travel, others focused on their families.

Gen Z, in particular, has been rewriting the rulebook on career gaps, and many have used the time to upskill in the hope of benefitting their careers in the future.

A LinkedIn survey in 2022 found that 69% of people who took a career break said it "helped them to gain perspective and figure out what they want in life."

For Zellweger, that included studying international law and starting a production company, Big Picture Co.

She also adopted a pair of dogs.

Zellweger said: "I wrote music and studied international law. I built a house, rescued a pair of older doggies, created a partnership that led to a production company, advocated for and fundraised with a sick friend, and spent a lot of time with family and godchildren and driving across the country with the dogs. I got healthy."

Her career break ended in 2016 when she returned to the big screen for "Bridget Jones's Baby," which sees Jones fall pregnant.

At the time, Zellweger told Vanity Fair that she returned to the role because it had been 15 years since the original movie, and the team "could take a different and interesting angle on it."