Kate Silverton backs rise of 'micro-retirement', citing travel as vital to resilience and recovery from burnout

TV personality turned therapist Kate Silverton has thrown her support behind the growing trend of 'micro-retirement', revealing how travel has profoundly shaped her outlook on life, and helped her navigate some of the biggest professional and personal challenges she has faced.

As research from small-group Adventure travel specialists Explore Worldwide, shows that nearly a third of UK workers (29%) are actively considering taking extended time out from work, Kate says the desire to step away mid-career reflects a deeper need for perspective, restoration and emotional reset.

In February 2025, Kate stepped away from her thriving television career to embark on an extended micro-retirement. Taking intentional time to travel, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters, she used the pause to reassess her purpose and envision her future. Today, her days are spent immersed in woodland surroundings, tending to her chickens and thoughtfully building a new career shaped by those reflections.

Kate Silverton said: “Mid-life burnout is real, and it rarely arrives all at once. It builds gradually when people are under sustained pressure, particularly when responsibilities tend to converge.”

“For me, travel has often provided the pause that allowed me to reflect, process and recalibrate, especially at moments when life or work felt particularly demanding.”

Kate, who has travelled extensively throughout Africa, including Namibia, Tanzania, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda, credits time spent immersed in different cultures and landscapes with shaping both her personal resilience and her therapeutic practice.

“Spending time in parts of the world where life is lived at a different pace can be deeply grounding. Travel has a way of reminding you what really matters, especially when you're carrying the weight of expectation or transition.”

She describes the Maldives as a “magical” destination for stillness and recovery, while Orkney remains one of her favourite places closer to home, citing its dramatic landscapes and powerful sense of community and music.

“Places like Orkney slow you down whether you want them to or not. There's something profoundly regulating about being in wide, open landscapes, it allows the nervous system to settle.”

Other memorable journeys include Egypt, which she cherishes for its warmth and hospitality, Bali for its sense of reflection and calm, and Muscat in Oman, where she recalls the Chedi hotel as offering a rare sense of “tasteful luxury” that encourages rest rather than excess.

Her comments come as the poll of 2,000 employed adults, commissioned by Worldwide, found that most people considering a micro-retirement would like to take one to three months away from work, with travel cited as the biggest motivator for almost half (48%).

Kate added: “Travel doesn't just give us memories; it gives us perspective. When you step outside your usual environment, you often gain clarity about who you are beyond your job title or responsibilities.”

“That space can be incredibly helpful when navigating life's bigger challenges, whether that's career change, personal loss or simply re-evaluating what you want the next chapter to look like.”

Looking ahead, Kate says she still dreams of future adventures, including a family tri to Sri Lanka, a  long cycling trip through Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, an extended campervan journey across Australia and New Zealand, and even exploring the polar regions of the Arctic or Antarctica.

“There's something deeply symbolic about travel like that, long, immersive journeys that encourage patience, presence and humility. Those are qualities many of us lose touch with when life becomes relentlessly busy.”

The research coincides with a helpful digital tool from Explore Worldwide, designed to help people plan their ideal micro-retirement by factoring in age, job situation and stress levels, and suggesting both timing and destination.

Michael Edwards, Managing Director at Explore Worldwide, said: “It is great to hear Kate's insights, people are increasingly recognising that waiting until retirement to rest or travel meaningfully is no longer realistic. Micro-retirement allows people to build restoration into life, rather than postponing it.”

The study also found that 84% of people who had taken a mid-life sabbatical felt positive about returning to work, while 96% reported a renewed sense of purpose, and half returned with fresh ideas.

Kate Silverton concluded: “Rest should be intentional, not something we collapse into once we're exhausted. A well-timed break, particularly one that involves travel, can be transformative. It's not about escaping life, but about returning to it better resourced.”

To take the micro-retirement quiz, visit the Explore Worldwide website.

ENDS

Issued by Tigerbond on behalf of Explore Worldwide. To find out more, and to request an interview, please contact: explore@tigerbond.com

About Explore Worldwide

Explore Worldwide has over 40 years' experience in creating expert-led small group tours all over the world. Tours that are all about getting under the skin of your destination: making friends, treading lightly, and being mindful of local communities. With more than 350 trips in 100 countries, the company offers everything from classic cultural holidays and wildlife safaris to walking and cycling trips, family adventures and even polar expeditions.  To find out more, visit: https://www.explore.co.uk/