Balanced Academic

Every May, I tell myself this will be the summer I finally get ahead. The summer where I tie up every loose end, submit five manuscripts, finish my reading list, solidify my dissertation plan, and get a head start on scholarship applications. I’ll be in the lab every day. All the data will get processed. Everything will get done.

And then I blink – and somehow, it’s already August. The list is still there, with nearly every item still on it. And every year, I feel the exact same way: like I didn’t do enough. Like time is running out. Like I need to push even harder to make it all count.

It’s exactly how I felt yesterday. And this morning. And, honestly, probably still a little bit tomorrow too.

But I’m sick of it – because the truth is, not only did I have a pretty productive summer, I also had a pretty fun summer. A pretty relaxing summer. I got to do things I don’t usually allow myself to do. And because of that, I feel like I still have the energy to work toward balance in these final few weeks.

The Myth of the “Productive Summer”

In academia, there’s this unspoken (or sometimes very loudly spoken) expectation that summer is an opportunity for increased productivity. It’s a chance to catch up and get ahead. And it should make sense – there are no classes, fewer meetings, more “free” time. It sounds like the perfect window to finish all the projects and tasks that piled up over the year.

But here’s the catch: we tend to fill that space with impossible goals and set unrealistic expectations. We imagine that the reduced formal structure will magically result in endless energy and motivation. We forget that rest is necessary – especially after a jam-packed academic year. We forget that life doesn’t stop in the summer, and that being human doesn’t go on pause just because the semester ends.

The result? A lot of guilt when we don’t meet these far-fetched plans and goals. Even if we do make progress – even more progress than we might during a busy semester – it still doesn’t feel like enough. It doesn’t feel like we were “productive” in the way we had hoped.

What My Summer Actually Looked Like

When I take a step back and look at my summer with a little more compassion, I can see it wasn’t “unproductive” at all.

I made progress on my research – not all of it, but meaningful chunks. I chipped away at writing and helped submit two articles for publication. They weren’t first-author papers, and they weren’t the ones I had expected, but they still got done. I kept up with lab work. I stayed engaged in my summer practicum placements. I said yes to a few exciting opportunities. And I made space for the things that matter outside of academics, too.

I enjoyed slower mornings. Afternoons outside. Sunsets on the water. Time with people I care about. I let myself rest – even when my inner critic told me I should be doing more. I even took a leap of faith and started Balanced Academic – something that definitely wasn’t on my summer to-do list.

Rest as Resistance (and Recharging)

The biggest difference I noticed this summer? I didn’t completely burn out. And I count that as my biggest win.

By letting go of the pressure to do everything, I’ve been able to actually do enough. My to-do list is still a bottomless pit, and I didn’t accomplish everything I had hoped to – but I’m learning that that’s okay. More than okay. Probably even a good thing.

That voice in the back of my head still pipes up, telling me I should be doing more. But I’m learning to ignore it. I’m telling it that I’m doing my best – and that I deserve a break.

I’m heading into the fall semester a little tired, sure, but not completely depleted. I still have room for motivation, curiosity, and care. I don’t think I would be able to say that if I hadn’t pushed back against academic hustle culture. If I hadn’t chosen to use rest not as a reward, but as a necessary part of the work. Not as weakness or time wasted, but as recharging.

Rethinking “Productivity”

I’m not here to say I have it all figured out – because I certainly don’t. But I am learning that productivity can’t always be measured in manuscripts submitted or hours worked.

Sometimes, being productive means taking care of yourself so you can keep showing up. It means being okay with doing less than everything, and recognizing the value in what you did do. It means being proud of taking time away from work to spend on the things you love, with the people you love, in the places you love.

If your summer didn’t go the way you planned it back in May – I’m right there with you. But I hope you can take a step back and see the value in what did get done. And the value that in the moments you were able to take for yourself.

Every May, I tell myself this will be the summer I finally get ahead.

But maybe “getting ahead” doesn’t need to mean doing more. Maybe it means learning how to rest without guilt – and building the energy and motivation to work at a healthier pace.

This wasn’t the perfectly productive summer I envisioned back in May. But it was real. It was meaningful. And it was enough.

~ Balanced Academic

Reflection Questions for Your Own “Productive” Summer

What expectations did I set for myself this summer – and where did those expectations come from?

What did I accomplish, even if it wasn’t what I originally planned?

In what ways did I make space for rest, joy, or connection?

What do I believe counts as “productive”?

What is one thing I can let go of – and one thing I want to protect – as I move into the fall semester?

If this resonated with you – and you think it might help others too – please consider sharing it with the academics in your life.

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