You don’t need to break to take a break

When I asked on LinkedIn about the best money people have ever spent, I expected answers like a first home, a dream holiday, or maybe a fancy watch.

This is a quick follow up to my post about laser eye surgery. | Ash Shah DipPFS

This is a quick follow up to my post about laser eye surgery. I’ve been weighing up the cost of it versus the emotional payoff. And it got me thinking about the other big purchases we make, not because they’re “good investments” on paper, but because they genuinely make life better. I’d love to know what it was for you. Vote below, or drop something else in the comments 👇 | 11 comments on LinkedIn

LinkedInAsh Shah DipPFS

But the most common response?

Time off.

Specifically, taking a proper break between jobs.

Not a long weekend or a quick holiday, but an intentional pause before starting something new.

What I find interesting, is how many people feel the need to explain why they do it.

“I was burnt out.”
“My old job was toxic.”
“I hadn’t taken a break in years.”

Almost as if the only way to justify rest is by proving you suffered enough to deserve it.

But even when people have been through a lot, intense hours, constant stress, never-ending pressure, the guilt still creeps in. Guilt for being unproductive. Fear of falling behind. Anxiety about how to explain the gap on your CV. That voice that whispers, “Everyone else is pushing on. Why am I the one stopping?”

We’ve been taught to earn rest. To see it as a luxury, not a necessity. But if you’ve built your emergency fund, made space in your finances, and you feel like you need time to reset, you don’t have to ask for permission.

You don’t need to call it a transformative journey. You don’t need to post a photo from a yoga retreat. It can just be a pause. A quiet stretch of time to feel like yourself again. To sleep well. To think clearly. To remember what it’s like to not constantly be on edge.

Of course, this isn’t possible for everyone. For many people, stepping away from work comes with real trade-offs and risks. But if you are in a position to take a break and you’ve been putting it off out of guilt or fear, maybe this is the sign you’ve been waiting for.

You don’t need to break to take a break.

Sometimes the smartest move isn’t to keep pushing through. It’s to stop for long enough to decide what comes next, and to choose it with intention.

And if you’re not sure whether you can afford to do that, drop me a message. I’ll help you work out the numbers.