A 2025 report from Mental Health UK found that one in five people need time off work due to burnout, highlighting a growing concern in the UK workforce.
The length of time can vary from a few weeks to a year, or even longer, with people using the time to travel, work on personal projects, or recover from burnout.
‘It’s basically where, throughout your career, you take time off instead of waiting and deferring until you’re older to take all of your retirement,’ TikTok user @anaisfelt explained.
With the retirement age set to rise from the current age of 66 and becoming further out of reach for Gen Z, many are opting for these short breaks to avoid delaying their personal fulfilment and well-being.
A holiday is typically a short escape, lasting a couple of weeks, and while it provides rest, it doesn’t allow for the deep reset needed to truly combat burnout or reassess career goals.
