Managing Burnout

Dear Chemistry Colleagues,

A PhD is a marathon. It’s not the fifty yard dash. But, in the time of COVID, a semester, or even a month, can seem like a marathon. The other day at executive meeting, Dean Langkilde talked to us about burnout in the College. This can happen to anyone at any time. I wanted to share my thoughts on this subject. I’ll keep this message short and suggest a solution.



What has helped me during this time has been the kindness of others who have reached out to me, in person. Faculty members, department heads, students, and postdocs have all done so. They paid it forward, and I’ve tried to return the favor by having lunch—socially distanced and outside—with others in the department, including students and faculty. I want to encourage you to pass this on. I’m especially concerned about our first year students. A PhD is hard at the best of times. Graduate school isn’t just an advanced undergraduate school; it’s something entirely new, with independence and responsibilities the likes of which most students have never experienced. PIs, graduate students, and postdocs: please reach out to your rotation students and involve them. It could be a socially distanced lunch, or it could be a phone call in which you put on your headphones and walk “together” and chat. (I have a love-hate relationship with Zoom, so I’m suggesting something screenless.) The weather is still nice, so let’s get outside and find ways to manage burnout, both our own and that of our students. In the words of Booker T. Washington, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

With Warm Wishes,

Phil