Taking time away from work isn’t something that comes naturally to me. Like many in leadership roles, especially in the charity sector. I’ve spent years constantly moving forward, often juggling the next meeting, the next challenge, the next big goal, as well as raising a family, running a home and navigating life’s challenges. After more than twenty years leading the Child Brain Injury Trust, I realised that to continue leading with purpose, I first needed to pause.
The Strength in Slowing Down
This September and October, I took my first proper sabbatical. eight weeks to step back, slow down, and rediscover what really matters. I didn’t have a plan to travel the world or master a new skill; in fact, I didn’t do anything particularly remarkable at all. But what I did do was breathe. I spent time with family, I walked outdoors, and I embraced quiet. And in the stillness, I learnt a lot about myself.
One of the biggest lessons was about time and pace. Slowing down isn’t a sign of losing drive or focus; it’s an act of strength. It gives you the space to listen, to reflect, and to reconnect with your purpose. When life and work move at full speed, it’s easy to overlook the small but meaningful achievements or the lessons hidden in challenges. Taking time to reflect helps bring those things into focus again.
Reflection and Pause to Fuel Wellbeing
I learnt that being your true self requires space. Space to think about who you are beyond your job title, beyond the routine, beyond the expectations. For me, family has always been my anchor, but I also rediscovered how much I value my own company. Long walks, quiet mornings, a bit of mindfulness each day, these became small but powerful reminders that self-awareness and self-care aren’t luxuries; they’re essential to wellbeing and to leadership.
Coming back, I feel more centred, more energised, and more focused than I’ve been in a long time. I’m approaching work with renewed clarity, knowing that reflection and rest are not interruptions to progress; they are part of it. Slowing down helped me rediscover why I do what I do, and why it matters so deeply.
If there’s one thing I’ve taken from my sabbatical, it’s this: you don’t have to be constantly doing to be achieving. Sometimes, the most important growth happens in the quiet moments, when you give yourself permission to pause, to reflect, and to just be.
Lisa Turan – CEO, Child Brain Injury Trust.
