• A micro-retirement is a way for some young workers to achieve work-life balance.
• This involves taking a longer professional break to alleviate burnout or pursue personal passions.
• Financial planning and clear goals are crucial to a successful micro-retirement experience.

“Quiet Vacation” had its moment. “Lazy girl jobs” came and went.

The latest workplace buzzword – “micro-retirement” – reflects a further shift towards work-life balance among young people.

Similar to a sabbatical, a micro-retirement (also called a mini-retirement) is a break from work for a few months or even years.

Jes Osrow, co-founder of executive search firm The Rise Journey, told Business Insider that micro-retirement is a “flexible concept that varies depending on who you ask.”

For some, Osrow said, it’s an opportunity to combat burnout and pursue “personal passions” outside of the office. For others, it might be the perfect time to start a new part-time job.

Anaïs Felt told BI in October that she took a short vacation from her tech job in Silicon Valley a year after her burnout.

“It felt like it would be good for me – but also good for my future employer – if I went into my next role energized and confident,” she said.

Felt’s experience is not unique. In a SHRM survey of 1,405 U.S. workers, 44% of respondents said they felt burned out at work.

And in a 2023 Pew Research Center survey, 44% of workers under 30 said they were very satisfied with their job, compared to 67% of workers 65 and older.

This is how you can successfully micro-retire

Michael Lopez, a career coach who works with companies and individuals, told BI that while micro-retirements appear to be “increasingly popular,” a person’s economic circumstances affect their ability to do so successfully.

Tim Toterhi, career coach and author, recommends that people whose companies don’t offer sabbaticals create a long-term plan to stay financially stable.

“Do you have the financial means to go without a paycheck for an extended period of time?” Toterhi said. “How do you ensure health care? And how do you handle financial emergencies if they happen?”

Osrow suggested setting “clear, concrete goals” to get the most benefit from microretirement.

Brittany Foley, a 26-year-old from Boston, told The Cut this summer that she didn’t enjoy her job as a consultant, so she opted for a micro-retirement.

Foley planned it all. She spent her free time writing her book while working part-time at a restaurant. She had saved a year’s worth of expenses by setting aside a third of her monthly income and premiums.

“For other people my age, there’s so much pressure to chase promotion cycles and raises, and everyone gets so burned out,” she said. “I thought to myself that this is actually the best time to take some time off from work when I don’t have children or other dependents.”

Foley’s comments reflect a cultural shift among Gen Zers who are prioritizing their personal lives over their careers.

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Are you preparing to return to work?

Toterhi and Osrow said people should also plan for their eventual return to work.

Osrow said the first thing to consider is what “coming back” means to you.

“Does it come back with new skills or when you have reached a certain financial benchmark?” she said. “Setting these goals ensures that your time off is meaningful and wanted, and gives you clear metrics to measure success.”

However, this advice may not apply to everyone – especially those micro-retiring before a career change.

Lopez said he often advises people to “have a plan, but not too big of a plan.”

“Too much structure can hinder the natural process of finding passion for the next life,” he said.

Foley told The Cut in August — a year and a half into her micro-retirement — that she was looking for a new corporate role because her savings were running low.

“Sometimes people I know from college come into the restaurant and when they see me working there, I can tell they’re like, ‘Oh my God, this girl’s life has fallen apart. What happened?'” she said.

“I wish it wasn’t frowned upon to become a waiter or have another job outside of the company,” she added. “Working part-time to support yourself and pursue other passions shouldn’t be a disadvantage for you.”