Principle 7: You overwork yourself at the risk of legitimising a culture of overwork
Author Identifier (ORCID)
Narelle Lemon: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1396-5488
Abstract
Overwork and associated unhealthy work cultures are far too prevalent in higher education. Too often there is misalignment of time, boundaries, priorities, meaning and accomplishment with core values, highlighting the shame and guilt associated with perpetuating this culture. Framed as building a wellbeing literacy, this chapter advocates for a shift in mindset, intentionality and language uses, challenging the competitiveness and judgment prevalent in higher education that often feeds overwork. This chapter questions the lack of wellbeing literacy in academia and encourages strategic approaches to disrupt toxic overwork practices. Illuminated is the relational aspect of self-care and its role in developing wellbeing literacy. Specific strategies, including self-compassion, strengths, and guiding principles that consider I, we and us are unpacked, emphasising a holistic approach for individual and collective wellbeing to disrupt the normalisation of overwork.
Keywords
Academic self-care, higher education, overwork, self-compassion, strengths, wellbeing literacy
Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
Publication Title
The Gentle Academic: Reimagining the Contemporary University Culture with Principles of Community, Leadership, and Care
Publisher
Springer
School
School of Education
Copyright
subscription content
First Page
105
Last Page
129
Comments
Lemon, N. (2026). Principle 7: You overwork yourself at the risk of legitimising a culture of overwork. In C. Grove & K. A. Allen (Eds.), The gentle academic: Reimagining the contemporary university culture with principles of community, leadership, and care (pp. 105–129). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-95-4084-6_8