Dear Faculty Relations – May is here and I feel like a candle burned to the end. But I committed to writing two book chapters this summer. Help! – Burned Out
Dear Burned Out – I hear you. Many faculty reach the end of the spring semester with nothing left to give. Whether it’s prepping lectures, chairing dissertations, traveling to conferences, serving on thirteen different committees, or all of the above, it’s easy to cross the finish line and want nothing more than to melt into a puddle. What’s worse, many of us live for the summer and the chance to get back to the reading and writing that brought us into the profession to begin with. How are you supposed to do that on an empty tank?
It’s time for some self-compassion. Many people recoil from the very idea, but self-compassion isn’t self-indulgence. Self-compassion is the healthy and accurate recognition that working well and even helping others also involves valuing your own time and energy. What’s more, there’s plenty of research to back up its efficacy.
These three principles (adapted from psychologist Kristin Neff) are the building blocks of changing your relationship to your stress and worries:
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Be Kind to Yourself: Experiment with talking to yourself like a friend rather than the most judgmental member of your original dissertation committee. (Seriously.)
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You’re Not Alone: Remember, many if not most of your colleagues feel exactly as you do.
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Be Mindful: Take a step back from your situation or ask a friend to describe what they see. Ask yourself, is my stress and worry the reality or am I hearing the familiar voice of my exhaustion?
In short, Burned Out, go easy on yourself! Those book chapters aren’t going to write themselves, but they’re also not going to be written by someone who’s so tired she can barely tie her shoes — let alone spend the summer in a library cubicle. We’re rooting for you.
Written by Burke Hilsabeck, Assistant Director of Faculty Relations, Office of Faculty Affairs, May 2024