Surviving Academia

At least one of you needs me to acknowledge this today: surviving and thriving in academia is a real challenge in this 2024-2025 year.

Even though I left academia in 2020, it's a topic I continue to coach clients on because it’s as relevant as ever. Tomorrow, I have two 1:1 coaching sessions with academics who are struggling with how to stay engaged without burning out, and today, I want to share a few insights I’ve learned since leaving.

First, it’s important to recognize the feelings that drive our questions.

If you’re Googling or searching YouTube for “how to survive academia,” chances are you're asking from a place of frustration, fear, or even desperation.

That’s normal, but it’s also a clue. When we’re stuck in those emotional spaces, especially anger, we tend to spiral. I used to get wrapped up in anger at the system too—complaining with colleagues, rallying against injustices in the academic world. And while the grievances are real, staying in that space doesn’t help us move forward.

The real shift comes when we look beneath the anger. Often, there's fear.

Fear of what might happen if the system collapses, fear of losing a job or the life we’ve built. Lots of fear that isn’t getting recognized and needs to be felt through our nervous system.

Beneath that fear? It’s usually grief.

Many of us trained for something that no longer resembles what we imagined. We sometimes have these beautiful moments where it feels like everything is right—those hours in the classroom where we connected with our students or felt truly aligned with our work. But for many, those moments are becoming fewer and farther between. And there’s grief in that.

The grief that things aren’t what we thought, that maybe academia is no longer a place of growth for us, is something we need to acknowledge.

That doesn’t mean we run from it or try to fix it right away.

But when we feel it in our bodies, when we allow ourselves to process the full spectrum of emotions—from anger to fear to grief—it opens up the possibility for clarity and growth.

If you're at this stage, you don’t have to go through it alone.

There are tools and support systems that can help you navigate these feelings.

I highly recommend Sustaining Your Well-Being in Higher Education by Jorden Cummings, Ph.D. Jorden is a full professor and clinical psychologist, offering step-by-step strategies to find wellness in academia. It’s evidence-based and packed with practical tools. The best part is that I’ve coached and cheered on Jorden’s development of this book for over five years now. They are amazing. Pick up a copy!

And if you want even more support, my own book, Unstuck, offers a three-step system for high achievers who want to move from stress to flow. A lot of it is about how I found peace in academia before I left.

These resources can help guide you to a place of sustainable well-being, even if you're unsure what that looks like right now.

We’re all in this together. Whether you're still deep in the academic world or considering stepping out, I’m here to support you.