A growing trend among Gen Z workers is taking “mini-retirements” throughout their careers to prioritize mental health and achieve a better work-life balance. Popularized on TikTok, this practice involves periodic breaks from work, despite being far from traditional retirement age.
Advocates say “micro-retiring” helps them focus on personal growth, enjoy their youth, and safeguard their mental well-being, according to Daily Mail.
“It’s basically where, throughout your career, you time off instead of waiting [or] deferring [till] you’re older to take all of your retirement,” one TikTok user explained.
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Gen Z’s “mini-retirements” range from a few weeks to a year, often used for travel or pursuing personal projects. However, some have been more sceptical of the trend – with one person writing: “The American mind cannot comprehend long term leave so they invent micro retirement.”
Another added: “Isn’t this just going on holiday?”
In the UK, where the State Pension age is currently 66 and set to rise from 2026, Gen Z workers are embracing “micro-retirements” as a practical response to evolving retirement norms.
First described by Tim Ferris in his 2007 book The 4-Hour Workweek, the concept encourages periodic career breaks — a trend gaining traction.
In one video, British creator Adama Lorna summarised the phenomenon by saying: “It’s this idea that instead of waiting until you we’re 60 or 70 to travel the world and try and indulge in this hobbies, you do them when you have your youth, energy and health – you dot them around your life.
“This retirement frees up your mind to think about so many other things,” she continued, insisting the “uninterpreted” time can give way to “fulfilment within.”
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In another video, an American creator who goes by the name Anaïs described her experience living in a “mini-retirement”.
“I am currently in a mini-retirement. I actually took off six months from my corporate job and I’ve just started interviewing again,” she told viewers.
“I planned on taking six months to a year off and I have never felt better. I’ve never felt healthier, I’ve never felt more rested, it’s been amazing and I highly recommend it.”
Despite concerns about potential career setbacks, Anaïs, a proponent of “micro-retirement,” claims her employers are unbothered by her extended breaks, pointing out that it’s a shifting attitude toward work-life balance.
“I will say I am interviewing with some of the top companies in tech right now and none of them seem to care,” she insisted.
In response to questions on TikTok about financing her “micro-retirement,” Anaïs explained she saved in advance.
Viewers also expressed curiosity about the challenges of returning to work after an extended break, with one user asking, “How do you possibly go back to work after the break?”
Founder of Practice Aptitude Tests, Guy Thornton, remarked on the trend. “As the younger generations have begun to normalise a heavier focus on well-being and a good work-life balance, comes a new career trend. Instead of waiting until retirement to travel the world, Gen Z is taking time between jobs to have time out.
“Whether it’s time off to travel, to have a well-deserved break from working, or to take up other passions, the micro-retirement trend is the latest buzz in the world of corporate work.
“Younger people prioritise mental health, personal fulfilment, and meaningful experiences over a singular focus on career longevity and progression,” he added.
He noted that social media has influenced young people to embrace the “micro-retirement” trend.
Meanwhile, as he pointed out: “Data from a recent survey has revealed that 45 per cent of Britons expect to work past the average retirement age, with three in four saying they have done little to no financial planning.
“Looking into these statistics, it’s evident that people are starting to acknowledge they may work well into their 70s, which is why they are planning periodic rest rather than deferring all leisure to later years.
American creator Leona Marlene shared her positive experience with “mini-retirement” after being laid off from a job she disliked two years ago. Her partner also chose to remain out of work for five years.
“This has been the best decision we ever could have made for ourselves,” she enthused. “We just feel like we are living so much more.”
She continued: “You can do whatever with your time. Things are changing for millennials and Gen Z. You don’t need to sit in office for 40-hours a week.”
“I really think owning your own time is the biggest gift of wealth that you can have and that you can ever give yourself.”
While the concept of “mini-retirement” appeals to some, many highlight its impracticality. One commenter noted that financial constraints make extended breaks unrealistic, stating, “My parents can’t retire at 65, and 70 is unlikely for most millennials.
“Most of us are just getting by—quitting and taking that much time off is unrealistic.”
A third ‘micro-retiree’ took to TikTok to detail her experience after taking an ‘adult gap-year’ following a brief career in strategy consulting.
Creator Brit Foley said: “When you’re in corporate American, there’s so much pressure to never take time off and chase promotion cycles and there’s so much burnout and if you have a gap on your resume, does that make you less attractive to employers and getting out that mind-set was such a nice break.”
“There’s things outside the corporate bubble. You should make the most of your youth and take time off when you can,” she asserted.
The rise of “micro-retiring” comes after a study revealed that Gen Z – born between 1996 and 2012 – do not want to work a 9-5 job for the rest of their lives.
