College/University faculty?

1Foot2Foot

I'm an Assistant Professor at a small liberal arts college, wondering if anyone has tips for including self-care with the seemingly endless pre-tenure to-do and should-do lists? Sometimes I feel like I'm managing okay, and then other times it just feels impossible.

weesalouisa25

Hey I'm not a faculty but an honours student right now and I hope I can help a little as it sounds like you too have a lot to do and stressing you.
First there must be a realization that self care and motivation is important, which it definitely sounds like you recognize!
Acting on that is the difficult part though isn't it? Well for me personally I know physically making a list of "needs done" and "should (but not NEEDS) to get done"... are very helpful. Prioritize your tasks and events first. Then take your own self care needs into the picture, although you're looking at them second you must prioritize them first.
Meaning... take however much self care per day you need usually and plug an hour (or however long) into your to do list.. it then becomes a priority. If you force your self to take those breaks you'll find more productive work being done when it's not "self care time" because in tour mind you know it's been and will again be a priority.
May sound simple but it does take work, once you find the flow there it will be great though, promise.

Best of luck!!