7 ways to reignite joy in your academic workplace
Table of Contents
7 WAYS TO REIGNITE JOY IN YOUR ACADEMIC WORKPLACE.
Practical strategies for reigniting joy
3. Foster connection and collaboration
5. Engage in reflective practices
6. Advocate for institutional change
7. Find fun and unusual ways to build joy
Joy is a process, not a destination
The good news is that joy, collected over time, fuels resilience ensuring we’ll have reservoirs of emotional strength when hard
things do happen. ~ Brené Brown
The beginning of a new year is a good time for you to find whatever reignites joy in the workplace. We do not use the winter season of darkness to rest as nature intended. Instead, we have created all manner of obligations, including traditions associated with holidays that generate even more work at home for already busy people. Gift shopping, decorating, food preparation, holiday letters, hosting relatives and friends, entertaining children out of school, or maybe traveling yourself. The time for restoration is usurped by planning and organizing.
Some of the holiday havoc may be fun (I certainly hope so!), but it can also be so exhausting we are tired when we return to a regular work schedule. Over the years, I’ve heard many of my clients say how happy they are to be back at work because it is more relaxing than dealing with the demands of a holiday break. We need to reenergize and reclaim our joy in the workplace. You need to know what drains you and what revitalizes you.
Defining joy in the workplace
Joy in the workplace refers to experiencing a positive and fulfilling work environment where people feel a sense of happiness, satisfaction, and enthusiasm about their jobs. This may come from positive relationships with colleagues, meaningful work, recognition for achievements, and a supportive work culture that values well-being.
Given the state of chaos now facing workers and particularly educators, it can be hard to feel joyful. Sometimes, we resist feeling joy because we are afraid of losing whatever brings us joy. Joy feels ephemeral, and sorrow feels everlasting. Joy can sit next to grief or anger. You can experience two different emotions at the same time. Yet, letting joy in can help us tackle the things we fear with more resilience.
For most people, energy comes from:
- Understanding and committing to living your “why”;
- Having the ability and autonomy to create change you value;
- Knowing you can handle the challenges of your work.
Please note that “challenge” means something that may be difficult to resolve, demanding in an interesting way that tests your abilities and skills but is not so far out of reach that you simply shut down. You want to be operating from your strengths, whether what lights you up is strategic thinking, building relationships, handling the details of a large project, meeting meaningful goals, or learning new things.
For academics, the pursuit of joy in the workplace is often about rediscovering a profound sense of purpose that brought you to your field of study: a love of learning, the thrill of discovery, and the desire to contribute to the growth of knowledge or practical solutions to problems facing society today, anything from new solutions to overcome addiction to creating the technology for exploring the universe beyond our own planet.
Why joy matters
Psychological research on happiness and well-being provides a compelling argument for the importance of joy in the workplace. Positive emotions, including joy, enhance cognitive functioning, increase creativity, and improve problem-solving abilities. Joy also has a direct impact on motivation, confidence, and resilience. When autonomy, competence, and a sense of connection are present in academic work, it leads to more innovative research, more dynamic teaching, and a deeper sense of satisfaction in work and helps maintain high levels of enthusiasm and commitment, even in the face of impediments.
Practical strategies to reignite joy
How can educators recover joy in a system that sometimes feels as if it is designed to grind them down? Start by smiling. It’s simple. Anyone can do it. And it’s contagious. Smiles are generally recognized as a sign of friendliness across cultures, while frowns indicate disapproval or sadness. As the old song says, “Smile, and the world smiles with you.”
Here are some additional practical strategies to help rediscover fulfillment and motivation in the academic workplace:
1. Reconnect with your “Why”
Many academics entered their field because they were passionate about their subject and the intellectual challenges it offered. Over time, however, the pressure of class preparation and teaching, trying to finish research projects and get them published, and feeling excessively burdened by administrative or service obligations can overshadow your initial enthusiasm. Reconnecting with your “why”—the intrinsic motivations that drove you to your field in the first place—can reignite that sense of purpose.
Ask yourself:
- What excites me about my research?
- What impact do I hope to make in my field?
- How do I want my students to feel when they leave my classroom?
- What have I done that makes me feel like it’s been a good day?
- Does my work lend itself to creating a growing edge for learning?
Dedicate some quiet time to revisiting your core values and identifying what is most important to you in life. Your why is a full battery driving you forward. It helps keep the excitement and momentum going. As you remind yourself of your deeper values and goals, you can shift focus away from external pressures and toward your own intrinsic motives and foster joy in your daily work.
2. Cultivate autonomy
Autonomy is a cornerstone of joy in the workplace. Finding small ways to exert control over your work can make a significant difference in how you feel. You might want to set boundaries around how many committee meetings you attend; yes, there will always be meetings you must attend, but most faculty members have more discretion over their own schedule than many other employees at other organizations.
You can look at your service requirements and find a committee that truly interests you, from library acquisitions to organizing a conference at your school, serving on the faculty senate, or participating on a search committee. Once you have found your niche, say no to invitations to additional work. You can also look for service obligations that require less of your dedicated time, such as advisor to a student group or time limited program review work.
For many scholars, being able to carve out uninterrupted time to focus on research helps enhance a sense of autonomy. Autonomy might also involve integrating more creative aspects into your work—such as trying a new teaching method such as storytelling, gamification, simulations, or project-based learning or exploring an unconventional research angle such as how a discipline is portrayed in film.
3. Foster connection and collaboration
Isolation is a common experience in academia, especially for those working in research-intensive roles. Fostering social connections is the antidote to isolation. Engaging with colleagues, mentoring students, or participating in interdisciplinary collaborations can provide a sense of community and shared purpose. Working together on projects can spark new ideas and foster a sense of belonging that can reinvigorate your passion and joy.
While you are at it, have some fun. Share memes related to your research or academia with colleagues. Stick cartoons about something specific to your area of research on your door and notice its ability to start a conversation. Laughing with each other makes us feel good and enhances our ability to learn. Laughter reduces stress, too.
4. Prioritize well-being
The demands of academia can leave little time for self-care, but it is foundational to experiencing joy. Make time for activities that replenish your energy, such as exercise, creative hobbies, or spending time in nature. As I like to say, the EYESS have it:
- Eating what’s right for you
- Yoga or some other spiritual practice
- Exercising your way
- Sleeping the right amount
- Social time for relationships
The research on well-being emphasizes the importance of balancing work with activities that nourish the body and mind. This balance is essential for long-term satisfaction in any career.
5. Engage in reflective practices
Reflection is a powerful tool for discovering joy in your academic work. Stepping back and assessing what is working well—and what isn’t—can provide new insights into your academic research, teaching, or administrative responsibilities. Try keeping a journal without making this another onerous commitment. Sometimes, all you need is a few words to remind you of what you might like to change. Many of my clients keep spreadsheets for creating syllabi, and after each class (before they forget), simply note about a lecture or activity, “That went well” or “Takes too much time to explain the activity.”
Most of us deal with the unpleasant voice of the inner critic all the time, but the critic may have something valuable to tell you about where things went wrong. The trick is to stop the inner critic from getting in your way when you are ready to move on. In addition to self-assessments, you can also do some short in-class feedback evaluations to help you know how things are going. Often, it can be a simple set of three questions, such as “What has been helpful to you in this course?” “What activities have you most enjoyed?” What is one thing you would change about class structure?”
Notice what you did that resulted in positive feedback. Celebrate your win. Taking pleasure in the results of deliberative reflection can reignite joy in your work.
6. Advocate for institutional change
Universities can play a pivotal role in fostering a culture of joy by supporting work-life balance, providing resources for professional development, and promoting policies that reduce the burden of service and administrative tasks. That doesn’t mean the university will have or provide the necessary resources to accomplish these goals. If you become known as a problem-solver and not just a complainer, you will be better placed to advocate for such positive changes. Knowing what resources outside the university budget are available or who in the community might be willing to offer some resources for free can build your reputation as a problem-solver.
Participating in faculty governance, engaging with administrators, and supporting institutional initiatives you believe in can all help to create a more joyful work environment. If you are committed to a particular change, get some data on why the change you want is worth making. There are a variety of stakeholders that may also want to make the same changes. Talk to people at every level, including other faculty, staff, alumni, and current students, to see how a proposed change might affect them. Once you have a clear idea of the kinds of institutional changes you would like to see to nurture joy in the academic workplace, articulate and communicate the vision in a way that invites others to join you. Journeying together to a shared goal is another way to increase joy in the workplace.
7. Find fun and unusual ways to build joy
I’ve written before about how important play is to work. For the best results, these two things go hand-in-hand. I am also a very big believer in cross-fertilization, the idea that by stepping away from your work and doing something different from your day-to-day work, you may end up informing that work from a new perspective or, at the very least, reigniting a joyful passion for your work. Here are a few ideas to sow need seeds of joy:
- Take a spontaneous road trip, even if it’s just to a town 20 miles away
- Learn a quirky new skill (balloon animals, face painting, juggling)
- Throw a themed party for grown-up friends, complete with silly hats
- Volunteer for a food kitchen, a medical clinic, or any other cause you care deeply about
- Break out of your food comfort zone and try a new cuisine from a different culture
- Engage in playful activities like adult coloring or a costumed murder mystery game
- Imagine yourself as a tourist in your own town and visit a local treasure
- Joining a gaming community of like-minded people
- Practicing random acts of kindness, like paying it forward in a checkout line
- Try something new outside: stargazing, rock climbing, or yoga in the park.
Joy is a process, not a destination
When you reignite joy in your work, it is not a one-time fix. It’s an ongoing process. Reconnecting with your own reasons that brought you to your field of study, fostering collegiality, building collaboration, prioritizing well-being, and advocating for systemic change are all ways you can begin to reignite joy in your work. Joy in the academic workplace is ultimately about creating an environment where intellectual engagement can thrive, not just survive. Rekindling your sense of mission and the enthusiasm for your subject matter that brought you to an academic career in the first place will help you feel happier and more fulfilled now. Remember, joy is not just about what you do but also how you do it. Joy is a process, not a destination.
If you still need help to reignite joy in your academic workplace, schedule a FREE 20-minute session with Hillary.
Tags: academia, academic, attitude, happiness, happiness at work, strategies, the importance of play, transition
