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Lifestyle Voices

Why a gap year is good for your mental health

Dec 22, 2019
by Ascension
Comments: 0
Tags: gap year, mental health, self-care, time management

Self-care is about carving out ‘me time’



As a kid, I grew up with a lot of responsibilities. I always felt intimidated standing in line to do the family banking. At nine, I was booking up groceries at the corner store. Times were tough in a single-parent household. The eldest of three children I played the second parent on-and-off well into my teens. 

My father drummed into our heads, “Get a trade!” learn another language, keep abreast of world issues to read the market. Life skills to keep us educated and employed. I watched my mother and father work back-breaking jobs and long hours. Deeply affected by this I asked my father: “Is this it?”, I was only 22. What I meant was, “Is this all there is to life?” Get an education, work a job with people we can’t stand. Only to self-medicate and do it all over again. I never did get an answer to my question. At the time, I didn’t know this question represented my soul, rejecting the notion of ‘making a living.’ I eventually joined the status quo. A diligent worker I adopted my parents’ hardworking ethic and wore it proudly. That was all I knew.

Over 20 years, I built a fortress of financial freedom and security. I climbed the corporate ladder as far as I could until workplace bullying intervened. My name and reputation were tarnished overnight. All those years I played by the rules. First in the office, and the last to leave, going above what was required because this was the culture. 

After I mustered the courage to take my bullying case to the Equal Opportunity Commission with disappointing results, I dragged my feet for another four years in the same toxic environment. Perhaps, you could say I suffered from Stockholm Syndrome. I held onto the lie, which told me I didn’t have an option. Everything I had slaved for, like a carpet, was ripped from under me. 

I eventually left the Public Service. I had had enough. And this is where the magic began. I no longer had nothing to lose. 

I made one of the bravest decisions in my life. I took a gap year. Naively, I always viewed a gap year as a luxury only affluent kids indulged in ‘to find themselves’. A period of tomfoolery, while the rest of us had better things to do — like work. 

What I discovered was I grew up with ideologies that did not align with my purpose. My gap year was essential for my evolution — it saved me. It gave me time to listen to my inner desires, free from stress, work and other distractions — a moment to be me. On my sabbatical, I dared to daydream. I created a vision board, and I listed all the things that would facilitate my happiness: less work, more creativity, passion, travel and connection.

I swapped KPIs, a high-income salary and no time, for a chance to do things differently. Throwing out old doctrines passed down to me from childhood and establishing new ones. The status quo prides itself on colouring in between the lines. I think when we are prepared to be rebellious, we would surprise ourselves for the better.

I am now working part-time and have more opportunities to be impactful. My peers are on the same frequency. I am joyful. I consume less, being more mindful of the products and services I purchase. The way I manage my finances is intentional. Projects I considered a pipe dream, are achievable. 

I did ask myself why I didn’t do this sooner. I guess hitting rock bottom speeds up the process. But is that necessary? Isn’t self-care about checking in with ourselves before it reaches that point?

For so long, I beat to the sound of everybody else’s drum. Now I’m moving to the rhythm of my beat, and I never felt better.



Sasha Sarago is the Editor and Founder of Ascension — Australia’s first digital lifestyle platform for women of colour.

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Interview with Jannike Seiuli: Founder & Director of Pacific Runway

Oct 26, 2017
by Ascension
Comments: 0
The importance of Pacific Runway in Australia is more than the stunning fashion walking down that runway. It is a platform of acceptance and inclusion. It embraces a culture that Australia is not too familiar with and allows young creatives to tell their story through their work, designs, styling and the fierce walks down the runway. Interviewed by Carolina De La Piedra.
Culture Fashion Modelling

How To Make A Basket by Jazz Money

Oct 10, 2021
by Ascension
Comments: 0
‘Within the pages of this crackling debut collection, Jazz Money guides us through the steps on how to make a basket, a learning seeped in a deep respect for country; her heart and veins, her soil and spirit. Poetry sings and calls to us on every page, within each line, sometimes quietly, but also with roaring energy. I adore this book, and will cherish having learned from Jazz Money that it takes true love to make a great poem.’ Tony Birch.
Arts Culture Voices

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