This article brought back lots of memories of how I was brought up.

Even before I started working for money, I was imprinted with the utmost sense of duty. This meant that I never did what I actually felt like, but always what I thought I was supposed to do. Everything was work: school, sports, music, reading, etc. Everything had to be done thoroughly and produce the best result possible before I could even consider having some light fun. This approach of course carried on when I started working: I had to fulfil all expectations first, complete the to do list, accomplish all the work. As Seth explains: “taking care of myself was not work […] taking care of myself was synonymous with avoiding “work” or being lazy or somehow ditching out on the sacred activity of capitalism: working for money or prestige or some related benefit”, which in my case was also my parents’ expectations.

Although it is taking me a very long time, and I am still not great at it, I have come to the understanding that taking care of myself, not only is an absolute bare necessity, but it is part of work and without it work itself would suffer. Without taking care of ourselves, without healing, resting and taking time to understand our needs, our strengths and weaknesses, we cannot operate to our full potential.

Berg and Seeber argue against this constant rush, this pressure to do more and faster. They explain (2016, 26) how: “periods of escape from time are actually essential to deep thought, creativity and problem solving”. They also encourage us (2016, 28) to fulfil the need “to protect time and a place for timeless time and to remind ourselves continuously that this is not self-indulgent, but rather crucial to intellectual work”.

In my practice it is difficult to find the time to heal. Especially when working as Production Manager, I often find myself sucked into the vortex of work: I feel the responsibility to support students’ events, ensuring students are safe, feeling supported and that can go on stage and perform in front of their friends, family, industry professionals being as successful as they can. So I end up working constantly.

This approach is of course not sustainable and brings on burnout, which in turn could potentially lead me not to be able to support students as well as I could.

I am learning to draw the line (admittedly I often regress…) and stop when due to and go rest, fulfil my hobbies, physical and social activities and generally re-charge my batteries.

This is also what I try to show the students. I try to treat them with empathy and kindness and encourage they do the same with themselves, to take good self-care, because no one else can do it for them.

References

Berg, M. and Seener, B.K. (2016) The Slow Professor. Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy Toronto: University of Toronto Press