How are you feeling right now? Relaxed? Burned out? Haven’t even had time to stop and ask yourself that question?
We live in a fast-paced world. And we work in a high intensity sector. I doubt very much whether any of us have not felt overwhelmed at some point or another during 2024, even if some of us are better at handling pressure than others. I feel lucky in my team to have supportive colleagues – both professionally and personally. That really helps with motivation, managing workload and, ultimately, mental wellbeing. But are there practical steps that can help us maintain a sense of perspective and ride the highs and lows of succeeding in the world of academia? Here are the top tips from the BILT team.
Be active
Yes, we know you’ve heard it all before. But that’s because it is true! Taking part in physical activity – especially if it’s outside – will do all sorts of scientific things that help you feel better. Just ask the experts!
Talk to someone
Letting somebody else know what you’re going through more often than not provides a huge sense of relief. It doesn’t have to be a work-related relationship (although peer learning communities can be invaluable). Just the act of sharing can make the overwhelm feel less ominous, help you clarify how you want to approach it and realise you are not alone.
Learn when (and how) to say no
This is a tricky one. You care about your students and want to support them. You are looking for job security or a pay rise so you want to impress your boss. You are a conscientious person and want to do a good job for your own sense of satisfaction. Your friends and family would like you to have a life outside of work. How on earth do you balance all that? Read the Workload survival guide for academics and the more recent How to say no – and do it successfully. Both from Times Higher Education.
Get some sleep!
Fact – we can’t function well without adequate sleep. Another fact – about a third of us have experienced problems with sleeping well. You’ve probably heard it all before – but here are some tips on improving sleep quality.
Remind yourself of the good bits
Making time for your own learning and talking to inspirational colleagues will help you remember why you even wanted to work in higher education in the first place. Have you heard about the BILT conference?!…
We hope you find something here that resonates but please let us know in the replies if you have your own useful tips for managing wellbeing. You may also be interested in some of our other wellbeing blogposts focusing on the power of kindness, wellbeing and social media, and a wellbeing toolbox for students.
Thank you for sharing these resources and discussing this theme. I think staff mental health and wellbeing is always an important issue and I think for many over the past few years, there has been an increase in workload even if that is just preparing or implementing change to structures, processes or curricula or supporting staff and students navigating these things. This article is relevant to all staff, not just those on an academic pathway and I shall be sharing it with all my colleagues!
Thank you so much Gemma! We completely agree 🙂 have a great week.