#EveryLittleActionCounts Week 52: Advocate for Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance is essential for maintaining both personal well-being and professional productivity in academia.
Advocating for this balance ensures that academics can thrive in their roles without compromising their health, relationships or personal fulfilment. By supporting policies and practices that prioritize balance, we can create a more sustainable and inclusive academic environment where individuals can flourish in both their personal and professional lives.
“You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life.” – Heather Schuck
Academics can advocate for work-life balance by:
Setting clear boundaries
Encourage colleagues and students to set clear boundaries between work and persona life, respecting their time outside of academic responsibilities.
Advocating for flexibility of our academic profession
Embrace the flexibility of our academic profession and advocate for family-friendly policies and accommodation of the diverse needs of academic staff.
Modelling healthy work-life balance
Prioritize self-care and time away from work, leading by example and normalize these practices within academic settings.
We would be very happy to hear about your strategies for advocating work-life balance in academia.
Anne-Wil Harzing & Christa Sathish