‘Micro-Retiring’ for Mental Health Is a Gen Z Trend — but Experts Say It Could 'Put You in a Backseat' in Your Career
Extended breaks from work may offer some mental health benefits but could bring financial woes down the road, experts say
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Stock image of a woman relaxing at the beach.Gen Z is praising the idea of "micro-retiring" — extended breaks from work that are longer than traditional vacations — as a restorative way to improve mental health
Experts say there can be benefits, but only if you spend your time wisely
Drawbacks include slowing down your career trajectory and lowering your lifetime earning potential
Gen Z is “micro-retiring” — taking lengthy breaks from work that extend beyond a simple vacation — claiming that it benefits their mental health.
“When you are away from that work…this time, this retirement frees up your mind,” says one creator, Adama Lorna, who describes herself as having "a renaissance approach to personal development." Lorna, who says she is "in her 20s" — and has 140,000 followers on YouTube and 36,000 on TikTok — advocates for "micro-retirement." As she explains, “Instead of waiting until you were 60 or 70 to travel the world … you do them [while] you have your youth, your energy, your health.”
Another TikToker, Anais Felt, said she's six months into her micro retirement from her corporate job and “I have never felt better. I’ve never felt healthier. I’ve never more rested. It’s been amazing.” However, Felt said before her micro-retirement she paid off her student debt and saved money.
Related: 1 in 4 Women Are Considering Career Shifts — Including Leaving Workforce — Over Burnout: Study
Are these breaks actually good for your mental health?
“It does empower individuals to take more control in their lives,” psychologist Dr. Christopher Fisher, director of the adult outpatient psychiatry department at Northwell, tells PEOPLE. “Being able to reduce burnout, take necessary breaks, return to other commitments that they have, and then, maybe eventually return back with great rejuvenation, renewed focus, renewed energy, can allow people to feel more productive and well-rounded and fulfilled personally.”
Altering the language from “extended vacation” to “micro-retiring” can also have an impact on how the break is perceived, Fisher tells PEOPLE. “Language and framing has a lot to do with how we interpret and how we feel about certain things. Thinking about it as a micro-retirement prioritizes this time throughout their life. It's not like traditional retirement: something we're working toward that maybe we'll never hit," he says.
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Stock image of a young woman working late.A drawback, Fisher says, is that these breaks “come at the expense of consistency and structure which I believe personally are foundational to both professional and personal growth. I think someone could lose motivation, they could miss out on opportunities if they don't have that sense of stability and structure that helps to keep people focused and on track.”
And if you are micro-retiring — spend your time wisely, he says.
“Taking time to party, drink, hang out, that might have immediate positive impact [but] in the long term you're really hurting yourself. That's not really truly prioritizing your mental health or well-being. If you're taking breaks, it's good for you to connect with the things that are most important to you and engage in value-based activities, commitments, things that truly connect to you at your core.”
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Stock image of a young person leaving for a trip.But finances should also be a considered, says Paul J. McCarthy III, president and founder of registered investment advisement firm Kisco Capital. “If there is a benefit” to micro-retirement, he tells PEOPLE, ”It's because they use that time to build some skill set that they didn't have before to offer to their next employment opportunity.”
“You can use time off to learn and bring a new skill set to your repertoire for your job, but it depends how you use your time," McCarthy tells PEOPLE. "Maybe it hurts you, maybe it doesn't.”
And while there’s not too much of a financial risk in terms of losing out on 401k contributions — “If they're in their twenties, it's not really a long-term impact,” McCarthy tells PEOPLE — the biggest financial risk comes from losing career-building momentum.
“When you're in your twenties, you're really trying to establish your place in whatever industry you're in, so taking a sabbatical could, relative to your peers, put you in a backseat,” he explains, adding that if you have "recurring" gaps in your resume, "it's not a guarantee that it'll be easy to come back into the workforce. Your peers will be surpassing you that are putting in their time and you could get looked over for better career options down the road."
“Freedom comes from financial freedom,” McCarthy tells PEOPLE. “I would say your mental health is probably affected most if you run out of money.”
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