Crafting Productivity Around Self-Compassion
new podcast interview with Dr. Briana Barner
I’m going to try a little experiment with my second newsletter of the month: sharing a reflection about a topic I discuss with my podcast guests on Honing In. I hope you enjoy!
In Episode 3 of Honing In, I interview Dr. Briana Barner, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland. Dr. Barner walks us through her process of discovering how to work on her scholarly and creative projects in a way that aligns with her ADHD and her commitment to bringing a compassionate approach to her productivity in academia. I think this approach shines through in one of the amazing projects she developed and facilitates as a professor, the Black Pod Class, who creates and produces the Black Pod Class Podcast. I hope you’ll give the episode a listen and learn how Dr. Barner prioritizes creativity and play alongside her work as a professor, mother, and writer.
Listen to “Episode 3: Embracing Neurodiversity and Compassion in Academia with Dr. Briana Barner” and read a transcript of our interview on my show notes page.
A Reflection on Compassion and Productivity
One of the things I remind my clients of when they’re starting new jobs is that no one knows you yet, so it’s a great time to set boundaries around your availability and your communication practices. Want to only check your email once a day? That’s what you do. Want to only schedule meetings via an online scheduler with select times available? That’s your thing now—and as far as your new colleagues or students know, that’s what you’ve always done.
Starting an entirely new position with new people might not happen that often, though. So how could we hit a reset button and take a more compassionate approach to our productivity and our availability when we find ourselves feeling stuck and overwhelmed?
[Before we dive in, a quick side note: I want to acknowledge that not all of these suggestions are uniformly accessible, especially right now. We often feel overwhelmed with productivity due to working in a society embroiled in patriarchy, ableism, and capitalism (with many folks experiencing severe financial instability). These ideas are merely intended to help us imagine ways to practice self-compassion, especially as we navigate this hard time collectively.]
You might start by identifying when you feel most stressed or overwhelmed and see if there is a possibility to add in some more breathing room there. For me, stress comes out when I’m looking at social media or checking the news, but also when:
I don’t schedule breaks into my days
I look at screens for too long
I don’t give myself enough buffer time to finish a project before a deadline.
That isn’t to say that all of my days are overbooked, but that when they are, it can feel overwhelming.
Dr. Barner talks in our interview about working with her ADHD instead of working against it. This feels like a real act of self-compassion because she’s not only listening to her body and her mind when they tell her what she needs in the moment—she’s also planning ahead to set up timelines, workspaces, and schedules that will support her. I don’t have ADHD, but I do have Complex PTSD and a few chronic illnesses that mean I’m prone to burnout, so working with my brain and body instead of against it is always going to be helpful for me.
One act of compassion I did for myself recently: I blocked off a whole week in my online meeting scheduler to catch up on projects that I have felt “behind” on. Even though I won’t be entirely stepping away from my desk to only do nourishing things like cook and meditate and practice yoga and go on walks by the river, I know I’ll feel calmer after that week if I can check some big projects off my to-do list.
While this specific suggestion might not be accessible or helpful to you, I invite you to reflect on what small practices might help you infuse self-compassion into your days. What feels possible in this moment? How might you implement your idea(s)?
I hope you enjoy my episode with Dr. Barner and I look forward to bringing you more awesome podcast interviews with creative thinkers in the future!
Take good care,
Dr. Kate