Being an academic - a summary of some of the stressors that can impact #mentalhealth.
This is a topic we need to talk about more. Something affected you that isn't listed? Please let's get the conversation started ⬇️
@AcademicChatter #phdchat @OpenAcademics #academictwitter
This is a topic we need to talk about more. Something affected you that isn't listed? Please let's get the conversation started ⬇️
@AcademicChatter #phdchat @OpenAcademics #academictwitter
This poster explores some of the stressors that academics, including professors, experience that affect their mental health. Alt text for screen readers! 1/
1 - Yesterday's News - given the competitive environment of research, keeping concurrent is vital to sustain your career. Pressure can affect your mental health. 2/
2 -Managing rejection - Unfortunately most activities lead to repeated rejection. It is hard to get used to rejection, particularly when your success hangs in the balance 3/
3 - Top-down pressure - Often as an academic it can feel impossible to say no to requests from senior management, increasing workloads and strain. 4/
4 - Under the microscope - With regular academic performance reviews to evaluate what impact you bring to the university, there is little space to breathe. Metrics feel unrelenting. 5/
5 -Competitive Landscape - Often feeling pitting against others, be it members of your own department, other departments, or universities, it can be hard to find allies and peers to talk to. Competition over collaboration is fostered. 6/
6 - Equality and Diversity - Academia is not a meritocracy even though it often pretends to be. People are often discriminated against due to sexuality, gender, race, disability, and/or faith. 7/
7 - Create a façade or fail - Admitting that you are not coping due to pressures can be perceived as weakness. This also makes it hard to disclose pre-existing mental health conditions or disabilities. 8/
8 - Work/life balance - Trying to be the best in your field and balancing caring responsibilities, or simply wanting life outside of work can lead to guilt and burnout. With workloads so high it results in no time to do anything fun. 9/
9 - Plate Juggling - Balancing research, teaching, mentoring, marking, outreach and admin work can lead to feelings of guilt and anxiety due to being stretched too thin. 10/
10 - Impostor syndrome - Being surrounded by people brilliant at what they do can make you question if you deserve to be where you are and lose confidence. 11/
11 - Emotional fatigue - Often part of the job is to support and mentor PhD and undergraduate students, having to listen and help sort their problems, but very little support exists for professors themselves. 12/
12 - Race to the bottom - Saying no to opportunities can be very difficult even if it means overstretching. There always seems to be someone else willing to go further to be successful, like working extremely long hours. 13/
