Last Updated on July 10, 2026 by Bethany Wilinski
Sabbatical’s over. Now what?
When it comes to sabbaticals, most of us are aware of the need for some planning. Most, if not all, universities have a sabbatical policy that involves applying for and getting approval for sabbatical, and faculty often have to report on their accomplishments after sabbatical ends. If you’re on sabbatical or planning one, what you may not have thought about is the need to plan for your return to campus.
Why you need to plan for re-entry
If all goes well, your sabbatical will be an amazing time when you’re able to step away from the regular demands of academic life and immerse yourself in new rhythms and routines that enable you to spend time on the personal and professional priorities you identified for your sabbatical.
All sabbaticals eventually come to an end, however, and the transition back to campus can be jarring. To avoid falling back into the patterns that may have left you burned out and overwhelmed before your sabbatical, it’s essential to plan your return with intention. Creating a re-entry plan is also a great way to ensure you carry forward new habits and routines that you began during sabbatical.
How to plan for a smooth return to campus after sabbatical
Tip #1: Identify Your Priorities. Think about your first semester back and how you will ease back in. What do you want to prioritize? How will you ensure you don’t take on too much, too soon? Consider what you prioritized during your sabbatical and whether you want to carry those priorities forward post-sabbatical. Maybe it’s a new workout routine, reading fiction, or pursuing a hobby. Write it down and then make a plan for how you’ll continue to prioritize it!
Tip #2: Set (Realistic) Personal and Professional Goals. What goals do you have for your first semester back? List your personal and professional goals and remember, these can be modest! Professional goals could be things like resuming regular meetings with advisees or getting back into the swing of teaching.
Tip #3: Create and Communicate Boundaries. Coming back from sabbatical successfully will require clarity about boundaries. Hopefully, you set boundaries before you went on sabbatical. Now, you’ll want to think through the boundaries you’ll need during your first semester back so that you don’t get overwhelmed upon re-entry.
Setting boundaries entails thinking ahead about what you may be asked to do and what opportunities may come up in your first semester back, and making a plan for how you’ll respond. You may also decide to set boundaries around how much time you spend prepping for class or meeting with students. It’s not about avoiding responsibility, but about being more mindful about where you put your energy.
How will your daily work life look different post-sabbatical?
The best sabbaticals are ones that change our relationship with work, where we carry forward the things we learned about ourselves and our career into our post-sabbatical lives. What habits and routines will you commit to carrying forward from your sabbatical as you head back to work? How will you ensure that happens?