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Over the past few months, in speaking with various higher education professionals, I’ve heard similar disheartening messages: “I’m struggling,” “I’m discombobulated,” “This is a really challenging time in higher ed.” Even the more optimistic voices admit, “I’m doing as well as I can be.”
At a time of intensifying public scrutiny and growing uncertainty about the future, it’s tough not to feel unsteady or like you’re drifting out to sea. Yet, in the midst of all this, higher ed professionals are still showing up — still committed to their work, their students, their institutions. This persistence, despite uncertainty, offers a quiet kind of hope. It’s these steady commitments and collective actions that matter most right now.
Still, today’s environment can take a personal toll. If you’re feeling downtrodden or unsteady, you’re not alone. Let’s examine some strategies that can help you cope — and maybe find some clarity and joy — amid the uncertainty.
Practice What You Preach: Prioritize Your Own Wellness
One of the biggest challenges for higher education professionals right now is simply committing to self-care and mental wellness. Especially in this current environment, many faculty and staff are working hard to support high-risk students, and it’s easy to get caught up in trying to take care of others. Yet, we have to remember to “put on our own oxygen masks” before helping others.
“Well-being and self-care aren’t extra items on our to-do list — they are the foundation of our success,” noted Benoit Dube, MD, associate provost and chief wellness officer at the University of Pennsylvania and clinical professor of psychiatry for the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
“We must accept the advice we give to our students — to seek support when needed,” he added. “Faculty and staff can find support through on-campus resources, like an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and it’s just as critical for them to find that support as it is for our students… The truth is, when we care for ourselves, we show up better for our students, our coworkers, our families, and ourselves.”
Think about how often you encourage students to take advantage of resources to support their well-being — whether it’s counseling, food assistance, events and groups that affirm identity and foster community, or other services. Be sure to seek out help and resources on your own as well.
Sara Abelson, senior director of training and education for Temple University’s Hope Center for Student Basic Needs, echoed these sentiments during a recent American Council on Education (ACE) webinar, “Navigating Campus Mental Health in a Changing America: What Now?”
“There is huge power in normalizing help-seeking,” she said.
Set Boundaries with Yourself and Others
In a world with a 24-hour news cycle and various social media apps that keep us interconnected at the tap of a finger, it’s no wonder that many of us feel overwhelmed. We are continually inundated with news about current events and varying viewpoints. Part of protecting your peace is “remembering you are in control” and learning to set boundaries for yourself. In practice, this will be a unique process for everyone, but some places to start might include:
- Carefully evaluating which people, pages, or groups you follow on social media.
- Considering a daily or weekly limit on your news or social media consumption.
- Changing your notification settings to align better with your current needs.
These are relatively easy practices to implement, but setting other boundaries may require more effort. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed in a social setting, consider gently steering the conversation away from current events or establishing a clear, respectful boundary. You might say: “I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed by the news lately, so I’m trying to take a break from discussing current events right now. I hope that’s okay.”
This clearly and kindly communicates your needs.
Find Productive Emotional Outlets
Just as with breaks and boundaries, it’s equally important in times of uncertainty to process your emotions and find productive, appropriate outlets. There are numerous ways to work through your emotions, such as:
- Talking to a counselor.
- Engaging in journaling or other creative outlets like drawing or painting.
- Moving your body (Walking, doing yoga, or even stretching can calm your nervous system.)
- Grounding/earthing (Many people find that making direct contact with the earth’s surface, thereby joining the global electrical circuit, has positive effects on mental well-being. Some ways to do this include walking barefoot on natural surfaces or lying on the ground.)
As Abelson mentioned in ACE’s webinar, it helps to name what you are seeing and experiencing. She encouraged higher ed professionals to “do this in community.”
“Seeking social support is truly one of the most powerful and most enduring protective factors when it comes to mental health,” she noted.
Finding trusted sources and productive outlets is key, though. While it’s natural to want to share what you’re feeling, it’s important to be mindful about where and how you do so. We’re each on our own unique mental wellness journey, and not everyone may be ready — or willing — to engage in those conversations. Some colleagues, for instance, may be taking intentional breaks from current events to protect their own well-being. Choosing designated support spaces or trusted sources ensures that you are also respecting the boundaries of others. If you’re unsure where to start, consider reaching out to your campus wellness center or human resources office to explore available support groups or safe spaces for conversation.
Focus On What You Can Control
It’s easy to become paralyzed with fear about the future, but actively working to make sense of things during times of uncertainty is key to determining your next steps and being resilient. Seek out credible sources of information, get involved in productive groups, and focus on what you can do.
As Eric Wood, director of counseling at Texas Christian University, noted on ACE’s webinar, staying educated about the impacts of current events and engaged with efforts on local, state, and national levels are other ways to channel your worries into something productive.
“Having concise, data-driven, experience-driven, factual arguments help,” he said. “It helps me feel prepared.”
“But you also do want to filter it,” he added. “You can’t read too much of the mainstream news right now because that will pull you down.”
Another way to reduce the feeling of paralysis is to use the “heart, head, and hands” framework. Start with your heart — connect emotionally with current events and challenges. Then, use your head to evaluate the impacts on your institution, department, and students and to outline new goals, priorities, and expectations. Finally, engage your hands — focus on execution and innovation. What active steps can you take to move forward, and how can you get creative?
While this framework doesn’t reduce the magnitude of the challenges higher education is facing, it can help you organize your response into manageable, meaningful steps.
Stay Strong and Keep Sight of the Bigger Picture
Work, like life, will have tough moments. It’s normal to feel discouraged by some of the larger-scale challenges that are not in your control right now. At the same time, it’s possible to recognize what’s hard and stay connected to the incredible work happening across your campus. A phrase I often come back to is: “Two things can be true.“You can feel frustrated or concerned about the challenges facing higher education, and still find energy, meaning, or even joy in the meaningful work happening across your campus. These feelings can coexist. Try not to lose sight of the purpose and value of higher education (and your work within it), even when things feel uncertain.
