“Fostering Self-Care on Campus” – HigherEdJobs

To help recognize the demanding nature of a college educator’s role, the Association of College and University Educators held a webinar, “Put Your Own Mask on First: Educators Providing Self-Care in Today’s Environment,” on April 25. The discussion, moderated by higher ed expert Adam Smith, centered around successful self-care strategies implemented by the speakers.

With faculty, staff, and administration often prioritizing the needs of others for extended periods, having sustainable self-care practices throughout the semester is important to prevent burnout. Walter Malone from the University of Kentucky, Anne Grey from Portland Community College, and Liz Johnson from Southern New Hampshire University each shared their unique approaches to self-care during the session.

Here are the top eight ways to address self-care highlighted in the webinar.

• Set boundaries. Establishing boundaries is essential for fostering a healthy work-life balance. Self-care is deeply individual. Smith said that he applies self-care while managing emails. Recognizing that email doesn’t follow a traditional 9 to 5 schedule, he responds when it’s convenient for him, such after his child falls asleep. Including a disclaimer in your email stating that recipients don’t have to reply until the next day can alleviate pressure and stress.
• Understand self-awareness. Grey discussed the importance of understanding how you feel about the space you are in and performing a stress check on yourself. Before we can do any self-care for ourselves, we need to understand if we are in a stressful situation or if we are in a mindset conducive to listening to others. Maintaining focus can be challenging in and of itself, and if we want to practice self-care, it’s critical to challenge our mindset and prioritize ourselves.
• Create a safe space. Establishing a space where all feel welcome is important to self-care because it opens avenues of conversation. Malone described how to create a safe area where staff can discuss their stressors comfortably, whether it be in a specific room or just in general conversation. Johnson suggested creating opportunities for staff and faculty to work together to better understand each other. Sometimes a safe space is a physical space. Malone discussed how the University of Kentucky created a relaxation room for faculty and staff to use. This safe space gives them a place to unwind and relax which can keep everyone from burning out. Taking some time to sit in a safe space, whether it’s physical or not, can reduce the stress from other environments and put everything into perspective.
• Understand your support services. All faculty and staff should know what services are available on campus. Johnson explained how smaller departments and individuals like academic advisors may know students more personally than faculty, while bigger support services for things like mental health and food insecurity can help the entire population on campus. Johnson discussed how accommodations can be put in place for students, but added that it’s important for faculty and staff to know where to send them when they can’t help. By staying in our role and letting others perform their roles, it can keep faculty and staff from burning out. Sometimes the only job is to ask if someone needs help and then sending them to an expert who is trained to help them.
• Support junior faculty. Helping junior faculty practice self-care is important so they don’t burn out before they reach tenure or move on to other roles. Maintaining transparency and open dialogue between faculty and administration is critical to identify existing gaps in support. Grey highlighted the importance of fostering care through a culture of language. When we utilize positive language, we can cultivate greater empathy towards our colleagues. Supporting junior faculty by advocating safe experimentation and the “okay” to fail is vital for success. The pursuit of tenure is filled with risks, but reassuring junior faculty in different ways is critical for the natural setbacks that occur during that journey.
• Demonstrate vulnerability through authentic relationships. Establishing authentic relationships between administration and staff that is characterized by vulnerability fosters an environment where everyone feels secure, even when they reach their limitations. Malone emphasized that when an administration models their vulnerability and limitations, it sets a precedent for authenticity amongst the rest of the campus. This authenticity ripples through the hierarchy and staff can feel safe and comfortable when they are vulnerable and do not have the answer. In this process, self-care is recognizing personal limitations and seeking answers, understanding it’s okay to not have all the solutions. Authentic relationships can provide support when navigating challenges.
• Be okay with saying: we don’t have all the solutions. Johnson said that everyone makes mistakes. Using the mantra “it’s okay” and not having all the solutions can create less burden on one person. Universities can feel like a place where we can’t make mistakes, but without those mistakes no one can grow. A part of self-care is understanding that mistakes are part of our nature and without them we won’t always succeed. Allowing yourself the ability to make mistakes is critical to not burning out. Johnson said everyone is doing the best they can with the information they have. For faculty, help students find the resource rather than always being the resource.
• Foster well-being on campus. Sometimes the small things on campus can help employees feel valuable. Sometimes it’s physical things like a free meal or a free cup of coffee. Other times it’s working to create an environment where faculty and staff can speak their mind without worry and can create a sense of community. Malone said you may not always be able to resolve the issue, but you can at least vent and have the space to normalize. This permission is self-care because it’s acceptance in our feelings and where we are right now.

Self-care is a deeply personal practice tailored to a person’s individual needs and preferences. In a community like a vibrant university, it’s important to recognize that self-care can be a variety of things. While self-care can encompass a range of physical places for relaxation, it can also be an atmosphere where people feel empowered and vulnerable.

Fostering a community with a culture of care and support will trickle down to the student body, creating a more positive and nurturing educational environment for everyone.