It’s OK to overwork once. It may be fine to overwork twice.
But constantly overworking for years is catastrophic.
Even if your advisor doesn’t think so.
Several obvious points NO ONE seems to care about:
1. Overwork strongly inhibits your creativity.
It leaves no time to dream up new ideas. Exhaustion kills the out-of-the-box thinking that is so essential for research.
2. Active procrastination is a direct result of overwork.
In science, mental exhaustion turns overwork into underperformance.
3. When facing a problem, a creative solution can come to you in just a minute.
But when you're exhausted, it might take weeks just to get into the right mindset. I've been there myself, wasting MONTHS trying to break through a wall instead of simply looking for another way.
4. Health issues can become irreversible.
You can find a new job. But you can't find a new body.
I read a lot of papers, review manuscripts and grants, attend a lot of conferences and seminars.
One thing stands out: FEW people invest in truly creative ideas and deep research.
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced about the cause - overwork.
Creativity and brainstorming are cornerstones of academia.
By overworking, we deprive ourselves of these essential elements.
As a result, sticking to mainstream science starts to seem like the safest path.
But do we really need it?
_____
My podcast “How to Survive & Thrive in Academia: Finding Work-Life Balance”:
https://lnkd.in/dRs4Z936
But constantly overworking for years is catastrophic.
Even if your advisor doesn’t think so.
Several obvious points NO ONE seems to care about:
1. Overwork strongly inhibits your creativity.
It leaves no time to dream up new ideas. Exhaustion kills the out-of-the-box thinking that is so essential for research.
2. Active procrastination is a direct result of overwork.
In science, mental exhaustion turns overwork into underperformance.
3. When facing a problem, a creative solution can come to you in just a minute.
But when you're exhausted, it might take weeks just to get into the right mindset. I've been there myself, wasting MONTHS trying to break through a wall instead of simply looking for another way.
4. Health issues can become irreversible.
You can find a new job. But you can't find a new body.
I read a lot of papers, review manuscripts and grants, attend a lot of conferences and seminars.
One thing stands out: FEW people invest in truly creative ideas and deep research.
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced about the cause - overwork.
Creativity and brainstorming are cornerstones of academia.
By overworking, we deprive ourselves of these essential elements.
As a result, sticking to mainstream science starts to seem like the safest path.
But do we really need it?
_____
My podcast “How to Survive & Thrive in Academia: Finding Work-Life Balance”:
https://lnkd.in/dRs4Z936
Andrew AkbashevAuthor
Scientist (PI) | Creator & Speaker for Academia | ex-Stanford(edited)
My podcast “How to Survive & Thrive in Academia: Finding Work-Life Balance”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zfGcRGqN_c
In this episode, I address common misconceptions about work-life balance and why academics often struggle with it, including competitive funding, positions, and inadequate leadership. I also discuss the science behind work-life balance, covering concepts like depletion, enrichment, the spillover effect, peak-end theory, delayed gratification, and the impact of daily fluctuations. Then, I separately discuss the general work anxiety and the anxiety caused by supervisors, offering possible practical solutions for students and postdocs. Finally, I share actionable tips on how to improve work-life balance in your own lab.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zfGcRGqN_c
In this episode, I address common misconceptions about work-life balance and why academics often struggle with it, including competitive funding, positions, and inadequate leadership. I also discuss the science behind work-life balance, covering concepts like depletion, enrichment, the spillover effect, peak-end theory, delayed gratification, and the impact of daily fluctuations. Then, I separately discuss the general work anxiety and the anxiety caused by supervisors, offering possible practical solutions for students and postdocs. Finally, I share actionable tips on how to improve work-life balance in your own lab.
Dr. Rahman M. • 2nd
PhD, MSc, EngrIn my first year—just months in—I saw my project was going wrong. I raised concerns repeatedly, but they were ignored. What took experts five years to realize, I had figured out early on.
After months of being unheard, I finally wrote my concerns in a monthly report at the 11-month mark. It wasn’t a complaint—just the truth. But somehow, that became my crime. From then on, my life became a nightmare. Maybe I didn’t fully grasp it then, or maybe I did but was powerless. After all, who would trust a first-year over experts?
I wish someone had stepped in—someone who saw what I saw and stopped the years of injustice that followed. Instead of being forced down the wrong path, I could have worked on something meaningful. Maybe I’d still be in academia.
Years later, my last advisor told me even an expert in simulations couldn’t solve my project’s problem—it was too complex. Yet that impossibility had been placed on my shoulders. Not just to waste years of my life, but to leave lasting scars of frustration and trauma.
I wish someone would step in..I wish someone had helped before it was too late..I wrote everything within 11 months sometimes I stuck at that 11 months, wanting the justice or whatever I lost to get back
After months of being unheard, I finally wrote my concerns in a monthly report at the 11-month mark. It wasn’t a complaint—just the truth. But somehow, that became my crime. From then on, my life became a nightmare. Maybe I didn’t fully grasp it then, or maybe I did but was powerless. After all, who would trust a first-year over experts?
I wish someone had stepped in—someone who saw what I saw and stopped the years of injustice that followed. Instead of being forced down the wrong path, I could have worked on something meaningful. Maybe I’d still be in academia.
Years later, my last advisor told me even an expert in simulations couldn’t solve my project’s problem—it was too complex. Yet that impossibility had been placed on my shoulders. Not just to waste years of my life, but to leave lasting scars of frustration and trauma.
I wish someone would step in..I wish someone had helped before it was too late..I wrote everything within 11 months sometimes I stuck at that 11 months, wanting the justice or whatever I lost to get back
9 Replies on Dr. Rahman M.’s comment
Dr. Rahman M. • 2nd
PhD, MSc, Engr(edited)
Leonela Martes Absolutely, confidence is crucial. It took me years to rebuild—my confidence, weight- after returning from my family. We thank them so much to start the journey of our dreams, in different country away from home- but when that trust is met with manipulation, it get shocked. May we all be treated with kindness, morality, ethics, and respect.
Akhil Tripathi • 2nd
Co-founder & COO at SciAstra | Empowering future Scientists | Mentor | Entrepreneur | NISER' 23If overwork kills creativity, then why do we glorify 16-hour lab days and all-nighters as a ‘badge of honor’ in academia? Maybe the real issue isn’t overwork, but a system that rewards quantity over quality.
What if the next breakthrough isn’t buried in another rushed paper, but in the mind of a well-rested researcher who dared to take a break?
What if the next breakthrough isn’t buried in another rushed paper, but in the mind of a well-rested researcher who dared to take a break?
3 Replies on Akhil Tripathi’s comment
Barbara Souza • 3rd+
Coordenadora de Pesquisa Clínica | Bióloga (CRBio ativo) | Mestre em Medicina Translacional
Dmitrii Rakov • 3rd+
Electrochemist | Battery scientist | Electrolyte, Interphase, InterfacesIs it a Gendalf’s wand?
5 Replies on Dmitrii Rakov’s comment
Tim Sargeant • 2nd
Head of Lysosomal Health in Ageing | Cell and Molecular Biology of Ageing, Autophagy, Lysosomal FunctionDmitrii Rakov that is 100% the most interesting thing about this post
J. R. • 2nd
PhD | Fluid Mechanics, ML, Geophysics, ITI think both the body and mind can tolerate overwork / bad balance for a given period of time, the duration of which depends a lot from person to person and how strong one's health (physical and psychological) is to start with. Some people can hardly tolerate a week of overwork without developing physical or psychological health issues. Some young and healthy and strong people can overwork for a few years without too much damage, and even be happy while overworking if they find meaning in it. It is a hard balance to find and depends a lot from individual to individual.
4 Replies on J. R.’s comment
J. R. • 2nd
PhD | Fluid Mechanics, ML, Geophysics, ITI only partly agree :) . To get 10x more field data, the solution may be to hammer in hours in the lab and build stuff rather than do something smart and creative. To get a 10x on compute, the solution may be to hammer in hours writing project proposals to line up loads of money, even though each proposal is not so creative. This is "sad" (see the bitter truth), I agree on this, but in my experience this is a very valid and effective direction. Sometimes, brute force beats smart force - I think this is especially the case when fields mature, and there are less "smart breakthroughs" and more "bruteforce improvements" to be gained.
J. R. • 2nd
PhD | Fluid Mechanics, ML, Geophysics, ITAbout your podcast: I would like to listen to it: is it available through a RSS with sound only, so I can listen to it on open source and tracking free AntennaPod while taking a walk, rather than on youtube (selling myself and my data to Google) in front of a tablet screen? :)
2 Replies on J. R.’s comment
J. R. • 2nd
PhD | Fluid Mechanics, ML, Geophysics, ITNo worries - this is like open source, one should never "expect" anything, you produce what you produce as you want :) . Still, that sounds very good, thank you! Looking forward to subscribe to your RSS and listen to it on AntennaPod!
Ved Prakash, PhD • 2nd
My Vision is to Empower 10,000 People to be Healthy by 2030 | Looking for 500 Partners Who Have The Guts to Lead by Example | Co-founder, NutriDocs & GeniUs Universal | No sales pitches please ~He/His~This looks like my bedroom from my PhD days I agree, it's important that we don't overwork and we learn to diversify into various fields beyond our office so that we never end up putting all eggs in one basket. I made sure to work no more than 50 hours per week towards my boss and dedicate at least 20 hours per week working on ideas and projects that build my future. I also made sure to regularly go to gym, talk to my family and have a good night sleep.
2 Replies on Ved Prakash, PhD’s comment
Ved Prakash, PhD • 2nd
My Vision is to Empower 10,000 People to be Healthy by 2030 | Looking for 500 Partners Who Have The Guts to Lead by Example | Co-founder, NutriDocs & GeniUs Universal | No sales pitches please ~He/His~Andrew Akbashev absolutely right!
Lennart Nacke • 2nd
Professor for smart researchers & writersOof, right in the feels... and the facts, Andrew. I'd add that burnout really sneaks up on you like Solid Snake. Being tired is just one part of the equation, the worse part is losing your "why."
Academia's glorification of exhaustion is awful. We praise people for sleeping under their desks when their best work probably would happen during a relaxed walk. I've seen really smart people produce mediocre work simply because they had no mental capacity left for fresh thinking.
What strategies have you found to protect your creative time despite academic pressure?
Academia's glorification of exhaustion is awful. We praise people for sleeping under their desks when their best work probably would happen during a relaxed walk. I've seen really smart people produce mediocre work simply because they had no mental capacity left for fresh thinking.
What strategies have you found to protect your creative time despite academic pressure?
1 Comment on Lennart Nacke’s comment
Andrew AkbashevAuthor
Scientist (PI) | Creator & Speaker for Academia | ex-Stanford(edited)
Yes, the worst thing is that you don’t realize you have a burnout until you’re well into it.
I discuss strategies in my podcast episode. But generally, it all depends on your stage in the career and your short-vs-long term plans. On average, the best way to avoid it is to reduce the workload to an extent when you can stop thinking about work in the evening and before sleep.
I discuss strategies in my podcast episode. But generally, it all depends on your stage in the career and your short-vs-long term plans. On average, the best way to avoid it is to reduce the workload to an extent when you can stop thinking about work in the evening and before sleep.
Susanne Rohrer • 3rd+
Clinical development scientistPointless to acquire furniture if you’re going to move on anyway.
2 Replies on Susanne Rohrer’s comment
Susanne Rohrer • 3rd+
Clinical development scientistAndrew Akbashev Still a burden and a bad investment to get anything in the flatpack league. Had only a mattress for several years until it was clear we weren’t going to move far.
Andrew Churchill, PhD • 2nd
Amplifying the voice of researchers | Founder of PresentBetter | 10+ years & 10,000+ researchers trained | Currently booking with universities for '25-'26 academic yearWe tend to always think, when this project is done I'll be ok.
Newsflash: there's always another project.
Great reminder Andrew Akbashev
PS just shared a post with my winter mental health break. Nothing like getting in big mountains to reset the mind...
Newsflash: there's always another project.
Great reminder Andrew Akbashev
PS just shared a post with my winter mental health break. Nothing like getting in big mountains to reset the mind...
3 Replies on Andrew Churchill, PhD’s comment
Andrew AkbashevAuthor
Scientist (PI) | Creator & Speaker for Academia | ex-StanfordWhich mountains? I've yet to ski this (rather crazy) season...
Andrew Churchill, PhD • 2nd
Amplifying the voice of researchers | Founder of PresentBetter | 10+ years & 10,000+ researchers trained | Currently booking with universities for '25-'26 academic yearUtah, but you know that now...
Andrew Churchill, PhD • 2nd
Amplifying the voice of researchers | Founder of PresentBetter | 10+ years & 10,000+ researchers trained | Currently booking with universities for '25-'26 academic yearAndrew Akbashev gotta go ski while the skiing is still good!
