Academic Regeneration...

This post is dedicated to my colleagues and friends in Academia who have (almost) survived (maybe thrived) another year in academia! I would normally make a video, but I am sitting in an airport and I do not have the tools or the quiet space to do it, so here come my thoughts…If you suffer from insomnia, keep reading…

I see you! You worked hard! A Relentless schedule, you over there in the back, you escaped redundancy … and you, my friend, you lost a dear, special person in your life As we get older, it gets harder with each academic year! Every fibre of our resilience gets tested. The deadlines are never-ending. The expectations, both from others and myself, often felt insurmountable. And somewhere between in-class, Teams or Zoom lectures, academic regulations or policy shifts, stretched resources, and the emotional weight of supporting others, you lost sight of your own well-being. But here I am to remind you that you deserve it! Pausing, breathing, and finally, regenerating. Higher education is a space of remarkable transformation. Others may think it’s an easy ride, but we have a Greek saying… whoever is outside of the circle of dance…knows how to sing a lot of songs… We academics have to think of our students, our industries, our teams and our communities. We guide others through intellectual and personal growth, yet rarely give ourselves permission to do the same. Resilience is no longer enough; we need to think of regeneration, which is not about bouncing back, it's about growing back differently, with deeper roots and greater clarity. Burnout isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes, it creeps in quietly, disguising itself as fatigue, detachment, or a loss of joy in the work we once loved. I felt it in the late-night marking, the never-ending inbox, and the creeping sense that I was surviving, not thriving. I hate it when I see colleagues losing their passion and releasing themselves into that quiet resignation…It’s a real shame to lose the will to want to achieve the best of our potential, and I never want to get even remotely close. So I began to ask: How do I even begin to create a regenerative healing practice intentionally? Regeneration, for me, began with honesty. Naming the exhaustion. Admitting I was tired not just from work, but from the pressure to always perform, always say yes, always be available. I learned to say no, not out of defiance, but out of self-respect. Then came space. I carved out moments for stillness. Tiny ones but still useful. One of the reasons I may have gone a bit quieter than normal. Walking and cycling… thinking philosophically again. Early mornings without email, late nights with a Ukulele. Tiny moments spent reading and writing not for research, but for joy. Slowly, the creative spark I thought I had lost returned; not in a blaze, but in small embers. I reconnected with what first drew me to higher education: curiosity, human connection, and the transformative power of ideas. I listened more deeply to students and colleagues. I reimagined what balance could look like, not as perfection, but as intentional alignment. And most importantly, I stopped tying my worth to the quantity of my productivity but rather the quality of my productivity. If you’re in academia and feeling depleted, I want you to know this: it’s okay to rest. It’s okay to not be okay. It’s okay to grow through what you’re going through. You are not alone, and you are not failing; you are human. I do not know if my words will help you, but I recognise that I am in such a good place that I am often afraid to celebrate on social media our various successes in fear that I may upset you, who has suffered such a terrible year! I know I am tired just like you, but I also know I am super blessed in so many ways that I have no right to even think of complaining. This summer, I’m not making a to-do list of achievements. I’m making a to-feel list: · Feel Authentic · Feel Grounded. · Feel Curious again. · Feel Proud. · Feel Excited & Hopeful about the eternal now. To everyone in higher education who kept showing up during a difficult year: I see you. I honour your labour, both visible and invisible. Let regeneration be your quiet revolution. You don’t have to return as the person you were. You can return as someone wiser, softer, and more aligned. Here’s to healing. Here’s to joy. Here’s to coming back stronger, not harder. And remember this difficult period in Higher academia in the UK…. This, too, shall pass! #HigherEducation #AcademicLife #Regeneration #BurnoutRecovery #WellbeingInAcademia