Early in Leah’s career, she said yes to absolutely everything. Review this paper?
Yes, sounds interesting! Give this presentation?
Ooh, yes please! Serve on this time-intensive committee? Happy to help! Take part in an uninteresting activity in another country at a highly inconvenient date and time?
Sure, why not? Whether caused by a combination of excitement about being a part of the field or an aversion to letting people down, she simply did not know how to say a simple word: “No.”
In hindsight, Leah should have said no more often. Saying yes to one thing inevitably took time away from something or someone else. Her commitments ballooned and put a crunch on the time she needed for core academic activities, such as writing and mentoring. Being overcommitted also induced a chronic state of stress. It’s a common problem in academia: Over time, a propensity to say yes to everything can lead to burnout, mental and physical health problems, and an ironic lack of bandwidt
Dec 21, 2020
The holidays are always stressful, but this year it s even more so. We talk with Dr. June Gruber, Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado, about tips for handling mental health during this time.