by Kelly Beischel PhD, RN, CNE

Many of us are ramping up to finish the semester so we can ramp down for the summer.

Yes, I say that with tongue in cheek. I know some of you will be teaching summer courses. And others will be attending conferences, conducting research, writing manuscripts and planning courses. Whew!

I know your dedication to your students is endless; it knows no bounds. Giving your all until the end is important to you.

But caring for your happiness is important too.

Positive psychology and neuroscience tell us that our happiness is a precursor to being healthy and performing better. So essentially, being happy is good for you and your students.

Try one of these suggestions for a happy finish and see if it boosts your end of the year performance.

1. Plan for fun.

I don’t know about you but my work bleeds into all that I do if I let it. Being intentional about planning for fun, actually writing it into my calendar has made all the difference.

Planning for fun can be anywhere from planning a summer vacation to planning a happy hour with friends. It need not be expensive nor lengthy. The key is to write it in your calendar.

2. Connect with students.

Students have more to share than what they learned in the readings. Ask them about their fun summer plans; discuss yours. The more consciously we connect with our students the more fun we have. It’s a win-win for sure.

3. Take a break.

I’ve heard faculty emote “I can’t take a break. I have too much to grade, read, write, plan (the list goes on…) I won’t get it all done.” (I may have even said this myself:)) But, failing to take breaks drains our energy.

You see, we’re much like a bank account – if we don’t deposit energy into our bank accounts, we have nothing to withdraw. Our efficiency deteriorates when we’re overdrawn, exhausted from grading, reading, writing, and planning.

You can see where this is is headed, right? It takes more time to complete our “to do’s” which then becomes a vicious cycle. We expend more energy this way than if we first cared for ourselves.

The break doesn’t need to be long.

Short bursts of exercise can do wonders for our happiness. Take a walk around campus. Eat outside, away from your computer and phone. Better yet, take a break from all screens for set periods of time. Here’s a sign for your door to alert others that you’re taking a break.

4. “Just Say No”

In the early 80’s Nancy Reagan visited an elementary school where a child asked her what she should do if she was offered drugs, Mrs. Reagan told her, “Just say no.” From this, the Just Say No campaign against drugs was born.

Mrs. Reagan once said about the campaign, “If you can save just one child, it’s worth it.” Well, I’d like to offer this: If we can save just one faculty member from being dismal and weighted down, it’s worth it.

For one week, ‘Just Say No’ to anything attempting to thwart your planned fun or break. It’ll be liberating. I promise.

5. Be silly.

I remember reading about taking time to be silly in Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project and thinking – Holy Crap – I too have become so distracted by all my to do’s as a faculty member that I’ve become more humorless than I used to be.

When was the last time I acted silly or laughed at someone’s silliness? When was the last time I felt the sheer pleasure that comes from being silly? Taking life too seriously is a drag.

Look for times to be silly or laugh at someone’s silliness. Be intentional. Really search for it. See what happens.

6. Smile.

Research studies demonstrate that the mere act of smiling during stress produces both physiological and psychological benefits. Smiling boosts our immune system, creates a positive, contagion effect, and relieves stress.

When don’t these things improve happiness? The funny thing? You don’t even need to mean it. Turn up the corners of your mouth and you reap the benefits!

How cool is that?

What tips can you offer faculty who want to finish the semester with their happy intact?

We can all use suggestions. Share your thoughts with us here.