Time Out, New York

Concrete jungle where dreams are made...if you have the stamina and chutzpah.

One day in 2008 I lay in bed thinking, "What if I never had to work? What if I didn't have to get up everyday to be somewhere?" It was around fall, I was working as a proofreader and copy editor at J.Crew, and the prospect of another cold, bone-piercing winter had long lost its appeal. And, I was simply...tired. From the time I was 20 until I moved to New York at 27 to pursue my publishing dreams, I never stopped working. I never had that year off college co-eds usually take after graduation to "explore and look around," only because I was lucky to have found the perfect job match off the bat, working at Seventeen Magazine when it launched in Manila in 2000. (I did get to go on yearly US vacations though.)

Yet, it's true that we gravitate toward the things that we want and have a hand at making them happen. By December of that year, I'd lost my job and had to quickly pack up my apartment; stashed meaningful and useful items in storage, donated the rest of my belongings to the Salvation Army, and off I was to Denver to recuperate from the whirlwind that was New York Round One.

Fast forward to 2010: I've made three trips back and forth between Manila and Denver; vacationed in beautiful beaches; had a lovely destination wedding (with a beach-side reception); cooked and baked my heart out; blogged and wrote about food and musings on life, love, and career (and got paid for it at times!); spent quality time with family, flying/boating to far-flung places; took on lucrative freelance projects (to help finance the above), and more.

I couldn't have asked for a better sabbatical.

While I agree that a certain amount of stress can be beneficial (studies show that a little of it actually helps you perform better), too much can be detrimental not only to your health, but also to your productivity and morale.

So, if you're feeling the onset of a burnout, I highly recommend taking some time off. True, you may have to cut back on certain things (I've had to give up living in NY full-time to ease the pressure of rent and other expenses) but, in the bigger scheme of life, it's absolutely worth it.

That said, I'm now back in New York, recharged and ready for Round Two. With my freelance plate full, I no longer dread having to work at a new job requiring me to be somewhere everyday—no matter the weather, whatever the season.