EMCR Agony Aunt

Q

Dear Agony Aunt,

There are soooooo many things I want to do with my career—right now I’m a researcher working at a dynamic research institute, but I am really interested in public engagement, and innovative undergraduate teaching, and advocating for equity and diversity and inclusion, and science writing… just to name a few!

I take my research really seriously, but I am passionate about so many things. Help me, Agony Aunt! How do I pursue my passions and still achieve greatness as a researcher?

From,

Over-committed

A

Dear Over-committed

For as much as we want to believe we can do many things simultaneously, our brain can only really manage one task at a time. This is why, for example, we cannot drive safely while sending a text message with our phone. The idea of being multitaskers is but an illusion: when we think we are doing two tasks simultaneously, it is indeed our brain that switches continuously between tasks rather than managing them simultaneously. This constant switching creates stress. In the long term, stress affects our job performance, our health, and our private life.

It is incredibly stimulating working in an environment that offers the opportunity to develop so many skills and contribute to making our world better. While there is nothing wrong with having a range of diverse interests and passions, it is important to be realistic and think strategically. Here are a few tips:

• Stop feeling like you are not doing enough. You are an EMCR and you are awesome.
• Examine your schedule. List your responsibilities and routine activities and think of your short- and long-term objectives. Include your research projects, teaching, service, and engagement and do not forget to add self-care, sleep, leisure, family and some time to do nothing.
  • Prioritise. Highlight your priorities and obligations in your schedule. When a new opportunity comes, revisit your schedule and check whether this fits with your priorities and obligations before saying yes.
  • Save some time for new opportunities and for the unexpected. Try to free up some time so that you can welcome new opportunities should they happen. Also, tasks sometimes can get derailed, and you want to have some free time during your week to compensate when you are behind schedule.
• Think carefully before committing. Before taking on another task, ask what will be expected of you and think about the time commitment associated to that task. Consider whether and how the new activity will contribute to your professional development and if it aligns with your goals.
• Avoid last-minute commitments. Only say yes to these when they support your professional development or if they are very easy tasks.
• When you say ‘no’, mean it. Learning to say no is difficult, especially for those aiming at big things. However, there is a good chance you will not succeed in your big things if you are over-committed and stressed. It is important to learn setting limits and boundaries.

Finally, a good tip to develop those skills that do not match your obligations and do not fit in your schedule is: try to practise that skill 5 minutes per day on most days, and by the end of the year, you will be an expert. Alternatively, find some tasks you are committed to where you can practise that skill.

I wish you all the best for your career, but most of all I wish you to be happy about it—wherever it takes you.

Yours,

Agony Aunt