I have also experienced a high workload in recent months. The complex questions of social safety and Evelyn's temporary resignation as Dean, among others, meant that a lot had to be done. It took a lot of work to guard my boundaries, constantly prioritising and reacting to the day's issues, leaving little time to pause and look back. Finally, getting the flu in November forced me to reflect. I realised that I hold one of the best positions at the university and that much of the work gives me enormous energy. This reflection brought that energy back and made me realise that I cannot influence what happens around me, but I do have an influence on how I deal with it.
Workload is also on the agenda at the Faculty Board. Last week, we had an away day that we wanted to use to discuss this issue, divide portfolios and prioritise. While talking, we came to the question: what are we, as a Board, actually responsible for? This seemed like a simple question with a simple answer, but it was not. By taking a step back, we collectively came up with new insights to help us make the right decisions for the faculty and ourselves.
Both the moment of reflection and the away day were valuable, and I wish everyone in the faculty a similar moment of reflection. Ask yourself what energises you, what the goals are, what you are responsible for and what you can do to reduce the workload for yourself and others. Does that one email need to be sent in the evening? Don't wait until you get the flu, but let's make sure that we don't have to reaffirm the quote, "the workload is so high that there is no time to deal with it" anymore.