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r/academia • … • u/MojoJojo-Cat

Does anyone ever manage work/life balance in academia?

Is everyone in academia always working constantly or is this just my imagination?

I feel like every successful scholar I know is working constantly, and I just can't live up to these models of productivity. I'm a neurodivergent person who needs recovery time after high-masking events (which is basically constant with teaching, even if I enjoy it. And it's infinitely worse for conferences and interviews).

I've started my first position (a Visiting Prof job) after a rough PhD. I feel so burnt out, and the teaching load isn't even bad ---I suspect the workload will get even worse in a TT job (assuming I can even land one).

Can anyone offer some hope at the end of the tunnel? I'm trying to figure out if my perception is wrong and I just need to push through, or this is the real situation and I need to rethink my life choices.

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