Balancing Your Work Life as an Academic

1. Balancing Your Work Life as an Academic Adapted from a presentation by Joan Francioni Winona State University 2/23/05

2. Work Tasks • Teaching • Research and scholarly work • Service • Department • University • Community • Career development • Advising and mentoring

3. Which Parts are Most Important? • Different focus at different universities • Different focus at different points in your career

4. Cause of Balancing Problems • Some of our balancing problems are because of the workloads put on us. • Need to address with others • Many of our balancing problems are because of the workloads we put on ourselves. • Need to address with ourselves!

5. Just because we see a solution to a problem doesn’t mean we have to be the one to carry it out. And it doesn’t mean now is the time to do it.

6. Which projects to say “yes” to? • Saying “yes” to one thing means saying “no” to something else. • Or, at least, it means having less time for the things you’ve already committed to. • Can say “let me think about it.” • Can even say “no” – just say it nicely. • Make a list of what you’re committed to and review it now and then! • Know your own stress triggers.

7. Finding time to write and do research • Block out your time for your research and writing priorities first, rather than letting these tasks revolve around other scheduling commitments. • Try writing in frequent bursts, rather than infrequent marathons. • If anxiety gets in the way of you addressing your biggest priorities, try doing a "tolerable ten," or a commitment to spend just 10 minutes on an anxiety-provoking task. • Make it easier to do the right thing - and harder to do the wrong thing. • from Mary McKinney, Ph.D, a clinical psychologist and professional coach who is the founder and director of Successful Academic Consulting

8. Making decisions • Give it time • Talk to others • Write issues down • Follow your goals/priorities

9. Balancing Exercise

10. Setting priorities Use a tool:

11. Setting priorities