This post is a different format than usual. Typically I write something and then record an audio version. However, when I invited Myriam Houssay-Holzschuch to share something about her experience of burnout, she preferred an interview. The text is an edited transcript of the interview. The audio has also been edited. Myriam and I talked […]
Read More »Sometimes you need to say "No"
As an academic there are a lot of demands on your time. You can quickly get overwhelmed. I'm assuming you don't want to use passive-aggressive techniques like doing things badly so no one will ask you or being unfriendly to students so they won't come to office hours.
Knowing when and how to say "No" is an important skill. It leaves you time and energy for the things you want to say "Yes" to. It enables you to focus on your best contribution.
Resting when you can’t stop working completely
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Resting when you can’t stop working completely I seem to be having a lot of conversations about rest lately. It came up in Office Hours in the Academic Writing Studio. It’s come up in more than one Guide for the Journey session. If you are tired, you need to […]
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Moving your own goal posts
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · It’s okay to move your goal posts I don’t know about you, but my plans for January are already off the rails…. I did have a restful and enjoyable break. But I really struggled to come up with an idea for this month’s long post, or the time and […]
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Two questions to help you avoid burnout
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · 2 questions to help you avoid burnout During the early stages of the Covid pandemic, I recommended what I thought were probably temporary emergency measures. Not even a year into the pandemic I was asking “Are things getting worse? Or is dystopia the new normal?” In the face of […]
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Making Decisions about your writing
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Making decisions about writing This is a belated addition to the Making Decisions series that begins with Managing the energy you use to make decisions, published in August 2021. You might want to read the introductory post first. You can also find links to other posts in the series […]
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Spotlight On: Saying No
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Spotlight On: Saying No Have you ever been told “You need to get better at saying no?” Or maybe the ubiquity of that kind of advice means you’ve told yourself that before anyone else had to. It might be true. We could all get better at that. But […]
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Saying No: Do you suggest an alternate?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Saying no: Do you suggest an alternate? One issue that comes up reasonably frequently in relation to saying no, especially for research related things, is whether or not you should suggest someone else. There are 2 sides to this question. Would the person asking you welcome your suggestions? Would […]
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Burnout is real!
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Burnout is real! As the Covid19 pandemic and related adjustments extended over months and years, conversations about burnout seemed to increase. The additional pressure of the pandemic seems to have pushed several people over the edge. A client who was already working with me to move a book project […]
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Spotlight On: Meaningfulness Matters
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Meaningfulness Matters: A Spotlight I have been supporting academics with research and writing in some way since 2005. It took several years for my business to evolve into what it is today, but one thing that has remained consistent is my belief that focusing on what matters to you […]
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What if you need an extension?
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · What if *you* need an extension? I’ve been seeing a lot of conversation on Twitter about granting extensions to students. Much of it is framed in terms of compassion and kindness. There seems to be a prominent school of thought that you should just do this, almost automatically. That […]
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Planning as Practice
Jo VanEvery, Academic Career Guide · Planning as a practice The purpose of planning is to enable you to take action. Making a plan helps you prioritize the things you want and need to do, so that what you take action on includes the things that are important. Planning also helps you ensure that time […]
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Making Decisions: peer review
This post was originally written in February 2021 as a follow up to Planning Your Winter Semester and was shared in the Academic Writing Studio. It has been edited and divided into a series of shorter posts for ease of reading. The general principles—habits, routines, and default responses—are explained in the first post in the […]
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