I need some help to be brave

[Anxiousteacher1]

I have been a teacher for well over a decade and I just can’t do it anymore. I have been off sick for the past few weeks and I can’t manage going back to the classroom.

I have the option to take an 18 month sabbatical which might give me the break I need and navigate life whilst it’s hard ( lots of personal things going on) and maybe I could go back when things are better.

As I won’t be getting paid, I need to find an income. I’m thinking a couple of income streams including tutoring and maybe some others things I can find. I only work 0.4 so it’s not a huge amount to replace.

We have back up savings we can use.

I am just terrified though. I am super anxious at the moment anyway and I just feel so frightened to take the leap.

Can anyone help me be brave and make this decision? Has anyone been in this position and had it work out okay? My children deserve a happy mum which they aren’t getting at the moment.

I'm sorry you're going through a rough time, OP. I would take the 18 month sabbatical, but if I were in your shoes, I would think carefully about how long you can comfortably live without your income and sort out an income stream (if necessary) first. Think about what you actually want to get from your sabbatical. Will just being at home be enough to recover, or would you like to go on a holiday, take a course, learn to do something random like surfing etc. If you're in a situation where you HAVE to make up your lost salary, and you plan to do that through tutoring, I'm not sure the break is going to give you the head space (away from other people's children!) that you need.