Thread by @MichelleCardel

Academia is full of people “bragging” about working 100 hours/week and not sleeping. Hello, toxic culture! We should strive to improve our work/life balance, not brag about lack thereof. Here are my thoughts on how to improve and celebrate work/life balance.

👇🏽A thread (1/12):

Sleep (2/12): This is a key component to health and productivity that is often not prioritized. Our brains do intellectual jumping jacks all day, and we can't do that well if we are chronically tired. Remove electronics from the bedroom and get at least 7 hours or more per night.

Valued-Living (3/12): Think about what matters to you most. When you die, do you want people to talk about how many grants you got or how many papers you wrote? Or do you want them to talk about what kind of mom, husband, friend, philanthropist, son, sister, etc. that you were?

Valued-Living (4/12): Whatever it is, make sure you are prioritizing that role on a regular basis. There will always be more work that has to be done in this job. But carve out significant amounts of time for the people and roles that you value most.

Don’t look for love at work (5/12): No matter how wonderful your university is, at the end of the day they are going to look out for themselves. Don’t give up your whole life and being for a place that will give you a nice pen for your 30 years of service & send you on your way.

Work more efficiently at peak times (6/12): More hours does not mean more productivity. Identify your peak working times (e.g., I write best between 4-11am so I block off my calendar to write during that time). I schedule afternoon meetings when my brain power is limited.

Schedule off times that work with your lifestyle (7/12): I don’t work nights or weekends, because I need downtime. Nights and weekends are reserved for family, and doing things that I love. I come back to work on Monday feeling recharged and ready (well, most of the time anyway).

Healthy Lifestyle (8/12): You only get one body, so take care of it. Make time to eat well and exercise. Schedule it in your calendar, just like you do anything else that is important to you. Exercise helps you sleep better, reduces stress. I feel better when I eat healthy, too.

Find Joy (9/12): Life isn’t a dress rehearsal so make time for things that make you laugh, feel adventure, and give you a sense of joy. For me, this means hiking, reading, spending time with family and friends, book club, cooking, traveling, swimming, and kid snuggles.

For the mentors (10/12): Model healthy behaviors for your team. Expecting people to work 24/7 is not only unhealthy, but it does not lead to a more productive team or positive lab culture. Happy people are productive people and it’s hard to be happy when working 24/7.

For the mentees (11/12): If you have a PI who is providing a healthy model of balance, tell them you appreciate it. If you have a PI that works 24/7, don’t think you need to model that behavior to be successful. I encourage you to read the book, “Deep Work” by Dr. Cal Newport.

(12/12) Ultimately, I love academia, I'm grateful to be at an amazing institution @UF, & I love my job. But it is not the only thing that matters to me. I love my family, friends, book club, getting outdoors, mental health, & physical health. Those need to be a top priority too.