Blog

This month, our spotlight shines on a pivotal piece of research that delves into the sexual and reproductive health experiences of international students in Western universities. Authored by a dedicated team from the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, the study presents a critical literature review spanning over two decades of research. It uncovers the challenges international students face, from language barriers to navigating healthcare systems and cultural differences, highlighting the gap in comprehensive sexual health knowledge and the reliance on informal sources for information.

"Here’s a quote I once heard from a priest: If you don’t want to burn out, stop living like you’re on fire.” -Brene Brown

The term “burnout” was first introduced in 1974 by American psychologist Herbert Freudenberger to describe the consequences of severe stress and high ideals in human professions (social workers, teachers, nurses, police officers, physicians, etc.). Freudenberger defined burnout as “the extinction of motivation or incentive, especially where one's devotion to a cause or relationship fails to produce the desired results” (1974). In 1989, Byrne and Hall explored the impacts of the three dimensions of burnout (exhaustion, depersonalization/cynicism, and reduced personal accomplishment) on teachers, including university instructors, as well as the work-related stress factors that contribute to burnout. Byrne and Hall found that a combination of personal traits and organizational factors directly contributed to feelings of burnout.  

Research dating back to 1989 (possibly further) identified concerns about increasing employee stress levels occurring in higher education. As a result of the pandemic, numerous new studies on faculty burn-out have been initiated. A recent qualitive study by Koster and McHenry (2023) analyzed narrative comments on a survey assessing burnout and well-being to identify factors that contributed to faculty feelings of disengagement and exhaustion.

 

This month we are featuring research on the impacts of sexism, discrimination, and exclusion on the experience of female learners. New research from Georgia State University explores the differences in gender-based discrimination between STEM and non-STEM programs. Co-author Leah Daigle, a professor in Georgia State’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, says, “If you see an equal number of women and men in your classes, you might think that, by definition, the women are being treated fairly. But that’s not what our study shows. It should be a wake-up call for people to realize that even when people are not in the minority in a group, they can still be at risk for discrimination and harm.”

The Introduction:

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

We all start the term running fast. We stay on top of classes, hang out with friends, go to the gym, and minimize our procrastination. We feel excited for a new period in our life; being able to get a fresh start at our goals can be very motivating to work hard towards them. The first 2, maybe 3 weeks of the term are often the best because we can stick with all the ambitious goals we’ve set out for ourselves. We sprint -- and moving fast never felt so good.

Returning to campus means a lot of different things. On the hopeful side, it signifies a dying down of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects in Canada. It means possibilities for more social interactions, in-person classes, and in-person extracurriculars. There is much to be excited about. But there’s much to be worried about too. Suddenly interacting with more people than we’ve seen in a very long time, adjusting back to in-person classes, lingering fear and concern about COVID, and more.

One thing that has helped me a lot with my mental health, especially throughout the pandemic, is having creative outlets where I can create things and express myself outside of any school responsibilities or deadlines.

With school being entirely online, it’s now easier than ever to stay inside for days on end. I know that during my first online term, there were stretches of days at a time where I didn’t step outside at all. When I didn't have to walk around campus to get to class, my default state of existence became indoors, sitting at my desk, staring into my laptop, and it took an intentional effort to get outside. During my second online school term I made that intentional effort to get outside at least once every day and I noticed a real difference in my mental health because of it.

Pandemic Productivity

We’re all struggling to cope in our own ways right now.  My way of coping, which I share here, may not necessarily be the best way for you.  There’s also a good chance that what works best will change over time.