2390
Symposium
Academic burnout is an increasingly prevalent issue in academia, particularly among students, postdocs, and ECRs who form a large body of the academic workforce and often face high expectations, long working hours and limited work-life balance. In this symposium, we will highlight experiences of academic burnout, how it can manifest and how to break through it. Addressing this issue is critical to fostering a healthier academic environment. This symposium provides a timely platform to discuss academic burnout openly, offering the attention and space it demands. Our symposium will feature speakers from across the globe with lived experience of academic burnout that can offer a diverse perspective of its sources and practical strategies for recovery. The speakers will share their individual academic experiences and burnout journey, highlighting what the origin of their burnout is/was, their strategies for dealing with burnout effectively and advice for ECRs on how to combat, minimise, and/or avoid it all together. They will also discuss structural drivers of burnout and what action trainees and ECRs can take to mitigate them. Through these talks and discussions, trainees and ECRs will see that they are not alone in their struggles, learn strategies that could help them, and learn how to commune with others to overcome burnout together. This symposium provides an important opportunity for both learning and community building that are essential for trainees and ECRs to build a better academic environment and quality of life for themselves and others going forward.
1. Recognize the signs and sources of academic burnout throughout the careers of trainees and ECRs.
2. Explore and develop practical strategies for dealing with and recovering from academic burnout.
3. Explore the supporting community and peer networks that can foster a healthier academic culture.
Trainees (undergraduates, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows) and ECRs, although we welcome more senior investigators to attend as well.
Presentations
Burnout results from exhaustion due to the feeling of overwhelming responsibilities. Most academics will experience some type of burnout at some point along their careers. In this presentation, I will discuss some strategies that have worked for me when I’ve encountered situations that could potentially contribute to academic burnout. These strategies include prioritizing two things: health and time management. My overall philosophy can be summarized by two metaphors: “You can’t pour from an empty cup” and “Don’t bite off more than you can chew”.
Presenter
Lucina Uddin, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
United States
In my talk I will discuss the challenges associated with being an academic researcher at different stages of my career. I will discuss topics relevant to students and post-doctoral fellows such as the stress associated with navigating the uncertainty of the academic job market. I will also share my experiences with securing funding for a neuroimaging laboratory from Canadian, US, and European funding agencies. From the perspective of a mother with two school-aged children, I can offer my perspective on how to balance the demands of work and home life, and the importance of carving out time to enjoy activities that promote physical health and mental wellness.
Presenter
Rosanna Olsen, Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Devoting considerable time and effort into your work doesn’t have to lead to burnout. In this presentation, I will discuss my experience heading off burnout. I will cover heuristics I feel have been fundamental to helping me avoid burnout such as practicing gratitude, focusing on controllable factors, giving yourself room to fail, dissociating your goals from how others perceive you, and daily aerobic exercise.
Presenter
Peter Bandettini, National Institute of Mental Health Bethesda, MD
United States