Taking time off (e.g. while being on vacation) in academia poses several challenges, often due to the pressures of maintaining productivity in a highly competitive environment. Academic work is typically characterized by flexible but demanding schedules, making it difficult to fully disconnect during time off. Researchers often face the expectation of continuous output, leading to guilt or anxiety when taking breaks. Additionally, academic timelines are shaped by grant deadlines, publication schedules, and teaching commitments, limiting the optimal timing for vacations. These factors can result in burnout and reduced well-being, highlighting the need for a healthier life-work balance in academia.
In this short course, geoscientists from different career stages will talk about their experiences in taking time off. We will also focus on how the academic system can improve to allow scientists to take time off, considering that the academic world involves collaborating with scientists from different cultures, each with varying vacation times and public holidays. There will be room for questions and an open part for exchange and discussion.