By Anna Crofts, a PhD student at l’Université de Sherbrooke

Five years ago, I wrote a blog reflecting on the struggles of taking vacations during graduate school. At the time, I was in the final few months of my master’s degree, and now I am in the home stretch of my doctorate degree. I can confidently say that I have strengthened many skills since then however, learning to be comfortable with taking personal time off is not one. It’s not to say that I am unable to put work aside when on vacation, but I struggle with the feeling that I don’t deserve time away. This feeling is accompanied by anxiety filled dreams about what I ‘need’ to accomplish before the vacation starts or the amount of work I ‘need’ to make up for once I return. Not to mention that I will postpone fully committing to a trip and avoid reserving tickets/accommodation/etc. until the last possible moment. So, yes, I think it is obvious that being okay with taking time off is something that I could approve upon. 

Graduate school is a highly demanding endeavor, our day-to-days are filled with requirements and tasks that compete with time dedicated to advancing our research projects. These other requirements and tasks (such as taking courses, conducting internships, engaging with professional societies, etc.) can result in a feeling of lost time – every minute we spend on another task is a minute that we are not advancing on our research project. However, these opportunities are important for developing a multitude of skills. I think many of us mark the progress we are making in our programs by what we have achieved in terms of advancing our research, devaluing the time we spend working on other tasks, and resulting in the feeling of lost time that we need to make up for. How many times have you been speaking to peers and have heard someone (but let’s be real, it’s likely multiple people) mention that working is part of their weekend plans? Devaluing certain types of work is harmful, it can result in feeling badly about what we accomplished in the past, lead us to feeling overwhelmed in the present, and cause anxiety about the future. (I highly recommend Aimee Morison’s blog titled “A la recherche de temps perdu” about the feeling of ‘missed’ work). Burnout in academia is real! And what is one way to help combat burnout? Taking time off to reset intellectually and emotionally!  However, what I struggle with is not letting vacation add to the feeling of lost time, increasing the stress of feeling perpetually behind. 

Despite my struggles to commit to time off, I have an upcoming vacation that I am really looking forward to. Soon, I will travel home to BC to attend the wedding of one of my longest friends, followed by a vacation with family at my parent’s cabin. I am trying to take advice that I would give to any of my peers – it is okay to take time off! Although, it is easier said than done! Not helped by the fact that this past week a friend asked me if I had plans to work this weekend because I have an upcoming vacation. Or perhaps from this point of view, a vacation is better described as a week of temps perdu. I think we are all tougher than we need to be on ourselves, graduate programs attract over-achievers and perfectionists, so let’s give each other support and not help perpetuate graduate school tropes that lead to unhealthy work-life balances. Let’s remind each other of our achievements and celebrate our successes, and not lead each other into the vortex of feeling like we always have lost time to make up for. 

I can’t say I have been or that I will be successful this vacation. Not going to lie, I felt overwhelmed when booking my plane tickets and considered shortening the duration of my trip. Although, I will try my hardest to avoid the mindset of needing to make up for lost time when I return because in the end, a vacation is not lost time! And hopefully in five years from now, that will be a more natural feeling.

Referenced Work:

Crofts, A.L. “It’s OK to take personal time off: a much needed Andean adventure.” My Master Plan, School of Graduate Studies, Memorial University. June 1^st, 2018. Available at: https://www.mun.ca/sgs/studentblog/ok-to-take-personal-time-off/. Shared by News Digest of the Canadian Association of Geographers (No. 500, June 7^th, 2018). 

Morrison, A. “A la recherche de temps perdu”, Hook and Eye: Fast Feminism, Slow Advance. April 14th, 2018. Available at: https://hookandeye.ca/2018/02/14/a-la-recherche-de-temps-perdu/.