The Paradox of Needing Rest from Meaningful Work

Vijaya Switha
Sabbatical Dates: June 2025 - September 2025

I founded Chitrika at 24, and save for a one-year maternity break in 2011, the mantra since has been "Jame Raho"—keep at it, keep going. So when the first information about the Cocoon Initiative began circulating, friends and colleagues sent it my way with a mix of excitement and incredulity. I had never encountered anything quite like it: the radical notion that one could be supported—financially—to rest, to simply not work.

​When word spread that I would be taking this sabbatical, reactions ranged from frank disbelief to yearning: "Could I ever have such an opportunity?"

At the outset, I must thank Dasra and its partners for conceiving something genuinely unthinkable in our work culture. My gratitude extends also to the thoughtful mini-opportunities offered during the sabbatical itself, which deepened the nourishment. This is pioneering work in the truest sense, already catalyzing ideas I am eager to bring into my own organization.

The long and short of it
The three months unfolded in ways I had not anticipated. I nurtured a newfound love for physics, searching for books that could make complex concepts accessible to a curious mind. I explored cooking from fresh perspectives—relearning everything from the basics—which brought me unexpected joy. Most precious of all, I spent the entire three months with my 14-year-old son, present in every possible way.

I also spent considerable time reflecting on what I want to do after the next ten years and how I want to slow down from now. I contemplated stepping out of operations at work. Through this reflection, I zeroed in on a vision: volunteering for animals, volunteering in national parks, simply being with nature. These thoughts gave shape to a future I want to create.

My carefully crafted to-do list remained largely untouched. During my sabbatical, my mother fell ill. What could have been a source of stress became an unexpected gift—I was able to spend long, unhurried days with her, reliving our shared past. This was the first time since I began working at 24 that I had spent such extended, uninterrupted time with her. These moments, unplanned and unstructured, became among the most meaningful of the entire sabbatical.

What I Struggled With
Apart from the regular struggles of switching off and not thinking about work, I found myself wanting a longer period of rest. The question that emerged was: how do I take that in a disciplined way, and soon? Three months, which seemed generous at the outset, began to feel insufficient for true restoration.

The sabbatical provoked profound questions about work, motivation, and how we structure our professional lives. After so many years of dedicated work, I found myself wondering: why does one feel less motivated, experience diminishing energy? And perhaps more puzzling—why does even a complete break from work not fully restore us? I remembered that there was more joy in working when money and people mattered less, when the only precious resource was one's time.

Reflections
This period also led me to reflect deeply on how families working together in development work have become increasingly burdened. What should be meaningful collaboration has been weighed down by the constant need to prove one's honesty through endless documentation—bills, papers, numbers. The bureaucratic machinery demands justification at every turn: to income tax authorities, funders, regulatory bodies. A family dedicating itself to human development could contribute so much more if freed from this exhausting cycle of proving legitimacy. The energy spent navigating compliance drains the very spirit that drives development work. What was once driven by passion has become entangled in procedural complexities that distance us from actually serving communities.

I came to realize that our work lives are fundamentally misaligned with nature. There is no music in our current working styles, no rhythm that honors natural cycles. There is no space for nature itself—no pauses to breathe, to observe seasons changing, to move with rather than against the flow of life. This profound disconnect is not a minor issue; it is a major factor contributing to burnout. The soul-nourishing experiences of family time, reading, and simply being during the sabbatical threw this absence into sharp relief, making it impossible to ignore.

I ended my sabbatical with a visit to Mayurbhanj, Odisha. Its beauty was unparalleled and untouched—a very befitting way to transition back to work.

Learnings
This experience crystallized a concrete commitment: I will support at least a one-month sabbatical for staff who have completed a decade or more with the organization. I have identified Ch. Janardhan to receive a sabbatical in the next financial year. It is time to give forward—to gift sabbaticals to team members and establish this as organizational policy, not as an exception but as an expectation.

Yet a deeper, more challenging question emerged from this time away: how do we design work in such a way that sabbaticals become less necessary? How do we structure our work lives to be inherently sustainable, aligned with natural rhythms, nourishing rather than depleting? This is the question I carry forward.

When I returned to work, I had not changed, the work had not changed, the team had not changed. Yet something had shifted. A thought now constantly remains with me: how to make work joyful, how to create a life where work and living intermingle to give joy rather than exist as separate, competing domains.

How My Family and Colleagues Responded
My family was overjoyed about the sabbatical. My son, having experienced three months of unhurried time together, now asks me to stay home with him. My colleagues were initially apprehensive—perhaps wondering how things would function in my absence—but they soon realized it was not as difficult as they had feared. This realization itself is valuable.

Feedback on the Cocoon Initiative
I offer these suggestions for strengthening this already remarkable initiative:

Staggered sabbatical option: Consider offering a staggered model—perhaps one month initially, followed by three months later. This could help with the transition both into and out of the sabbatical period.

Support for short-term programs: During the sabbatical, providing support or information about short-term enrichment opportunities (such as given for Hearth Summit) can add meaningful texture to the experience.

Shared learning among sabbatical recipients: Organizing a brief experience-gathering session or facilitating notes-sharing among all those who have taken sabbaticals could create a valuable community of practice and deepen the learning for everyone involved.

Advice for Anyone Planning a Sabbatical

• Plan for longer duration: Three months feels very short. Consider a more extended period for true renewal.
• Consider a staggered approach: Gradual winding down and gentle re-entry can make transitions smoother in both directions.
• For the perpetually productive: Deliberately plan something that will slow you down. This is essential, not optional.
• Give it forward: Gift sabbaticals to team members as policy, not exception.
• Release the to-do list: The most meaningful moments often arise from what was never planned.