Faculty insights: Balancing work and well-being at SFU

How can instructors support their health and well-being in the face of the many demands on their time and energy? Though it isn’t always easy, faculty members from across SFU report that the key to thriving over the long term is challenging both how they see themselves and their roles.

For senior lecturer Kevin Lam (biology), letting go of perfectionism helped him build a more sustainable relationship with teaching.

"For my first ten years of teaching, I would immediately do whatever it took to make my courses perfect. There were times when I’d be stressed to the point where my mouth would taste like copper, I was sacrificing sleep and being present with my family. But, at a certain point, I realized that having flawless slides isn’t as important for student growth as my ability to be present, whole, and genuinely warm in my interactions with my students… which I can’t do when I’m burnt out. I still strive to improve my courses, but I accept that it’s okay if I don’t have the time and energy to fix something right away. In fact, admitting to those imperfections, and sharing my committed plans for improvements in the future, can support student well-being because it signals to each student that it’s okay for them to be an imperfect work in progress, too."

According to university lecturer Rochelle Tucker (health sciences), effectively streamlining communication with students while maintaining a strong connection with them is essential.

"I’ve learned to do things that might seem like they take more time, but actually reduce the pressures on me. For example, I do online review sessions before my midterms and final exams to respond to content-related questions and I offer optional talks on Friday afternoons where students can ask more general questions—for example, anything related to succeeding at university. These sessions mean I’m still connecting with my students, but it has reduced the seemingly endless demands for communication via email and allowed me to get through the line during office hours."

Tucker adds that communicating with members of her faculty and the institution is also important, "I think the university can be doing more at the structural level to support faculty, but for that to happen we need to speak out when we come across processes that we feel aren’t efficient or equitable. If we don’t, nothing will change."

For university lecturer Suzanna Crage (sociology and anthropology), taking the time to question what matters most has made a big difference.

"There is an implicit message when we start on this career that being a faculty member should be our only priority. I love my job but I don’t think it’s healthy for it to be the only thing I do anymore. One way I try to honor this is to be very thoughtful about what my priorities are and to make daily decisions that reflect those priorities. This means giving myself permission to not do everything. A new research grant program might come up that looks interesting, but does it really serve my goals? I will also schedule in time to think more generally about where my life is right now, how I’m spending my time and if there is anything I want to change. I put a lot of intention behind what I do now which has allowed me to feel more centered."

According to professor David Zandvliet (education), reducing stress is about shifting perspective.

"Most of the time the things that we conceive of as being stressful actually aren't. You can’t influence what happens to you, but you can influence your response to those things. It can be hard to remember this in the moment, so what I do is try to make a game of the things that frustrate me, like finding parking or submitting an expense claim. When I think of those challenges as a game, they stop bothering me. I just think, oh well I lost that round. When you stop taking those small things so seriously, you get your control back."

For senior lecturer Danielle Murdoch (criminology), setting boundaries has helped her establish a healthier work-life balance.

"When I first started as a faculty member I would work ten hours a day, every day of the week. I did that for years before I finally came to realize my value is not dictated by how many things I do and it's okay to set boundaries. For example, recently I realized I don’t need to answer every email around the clock. Instead, I communicate my availability to my students and colleagues by telling them I don’t read or respond to emails in the evenings or on weekends ... I know it’s challenging, especially for new faculty, to find time for themselves, but even if they can carve out five minutes a day to do something that gives them joy it will make a difference."

Professor El Chenier (history) echoes Murdoch’s sentiment about the importance of finding space for something other than work, adding that doing so has enhanced their learning and teaching practice.

"There was a point at the beginning of my career at SFU where I was working constantly and eventually was just exhausted. Since then, I have been on a journey to make space in my life for things that I enjoy, like spending time with friends. The surprising part is that shifting my focus away from teaching has actually strengthened my teaching practice. I used to think student learning was all about content, but I realize now that there is an affective dimension that is crucial to their learning, and that when I take the time to ask them how they’re doing I can support this process."