Each month, "Dean's Corner" will share insights from the 91猎奇's academic leadership. As the fall semester draws to a close, College of Education Dean Cathy Horn offers some advice on applying "balance" to faculty members' busy personal and professional lives.
鈥橳is the season. Calendars are packed with end-of-semester deadlines and celebrations of academic milestones, alongside personal and family opportunities and obligations. This up-tempo time of year encourages us to find 鈥渂alance鈥� in all that we鈥檙e experiencing. It also reminds us how elusive 鈥� or even impossible 鈥� that effort can sometimes feel. Is there any hope for the academic who wants it all? A deep and growing body of multidisciplinary research says yes. Rather than seeking balance, scholars have begun to explore the concept of work-life integration 鈥� 鈥渁 holistic approach that seeks to blend personal and professional needs.鈥� As explained in a 2023 Society for Human Resource Management article, the goal is to find spaces of 鈥渃ompromise and synergy,鈥� rather than distinctions or conflicts to resolve. Research across multiple fields has identified a range of meaningful connections between work and life. I want to briefly amplify two of the areas that are priorities for me in the quest for work-life integration: the joy that comes from curiosity and meaningful attention to health.
Curiosity kindles our desire to learn, explore, and seek out possibilities and solutions not yet discovered. As scholars, this often comes readily to us as we pursue our next question, creative work, or experiment 鈥� always with an eye on the broader impact we hope our work will have. Curiosity drives us to learn new approaches, test competing strategies, and engage in the productive struggles that may include failure but ultimately lead to powerful, positive outcomes. As teachers, this drive is the very skill we hope to instill in our students as they deepen their own interests and expertise. The unbridled delight that comes from building capacity, discovering new insights, and helping others do the same is uniquely nourishing.
We also have opportunities outside of work to spark curiosity and fuel joy. For me, I remain committed to the long game of learning to play the guitar (with hopes of starting my own garage band someday). When we invest in ourselves through experiences that generate happiness and energy, we often enhance personal development and self-improvement. These intentional efforts can also create a virtuous cycle, igniting creativity that spills into all areas of life 鈥� including our work. That is work-life integration.
A second area I prioritize in finding work-life integration is real attention to health. Physical and mental health are the bedrock of well-being. Failing to consciously focus on both can jeopardize our ability to achieve professional goals and enjoy life more broadly. It may sound clich茅, but prioritizing adequate rest, exercise, nutrition, and supportive emotional and behavioral routines is essential self-care that helps stave off burnout and illness. These habits also build energy and resilience 鈥� key contributors to joy. My personal investments in health have been life-giving and transformative. I鈥檓 not running marathons (ever) or lifting the heaviest weights (yet). I am taking daily walks across campus while listening to my favorite songs, getting tips 鈥� and patient encouragement 鈥� from friends at the gym, checking in on colleagues, and writing letters (real ones) to family I love and miss. These intentional activities have strengthened how I show up at work and at home, and all aspects of my life are better for it.
As we head into winter break, I encourage you to mindfully seek out your own spaces
of work-life integration. Give yourself permission to acknowledge and attend to your
interconnected personal and professional needs in ways that bring you joy. Guided
by curiosity and grounded in well-being, we open ourselves to endless possibilities.
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