A Reflective Reset Keeps Your Well-Being at the Core of Your Higher Ed Experience

#facultywellbeing #burnoutprevention #emotionalintelligence Download your journal: bit.ly/thefillablewire If you’re an academic carrying a lot—research, service, and teaching—and still feel behind, you’re not alone. Give me a moment to tell you about a weekly practice that helps you breathe again and teach with more clarity. I first learned about this journal in a webinar. Its creator, Dr. Kellie P. Alston, shared how her teacher ed program was relocated from one college to another during the pandemic while she taught nine different online courses a year, supported her daughter, and pursued her PhD. One afternoon in 2022, after interviewing a research participant, she realized she was moving so fast she couldn’t hear herself think, and her body and mind agreed. She sat at her kitchen table and wrote nine honest questions—what she’d ask herself at week’s end. That page became The Professor’s Week-in-Review. Her life changed by setting an appointment with herself to reflect. That resonated with me, and I committed to a reflective practice, too. It didn’t erase the workload—it organized my mind. It’s funny how when you set a 15–30 minute weekly appointment, you notice the wins, name the weights, and choose the small next steps. That turns “I’m overwhelmed” into “I know what to do next.” Dr. Alston calls it a Reflective Reset. ________________________________________ Here’s the superpower: reflection builds emotional intelligence. Self-awareness to name what you feel, Self-regulation to respond instead of react, Empathy to design with students in mind, Motivation to remember your why, and Relationship management to communicate with care. Week by week, reflection makes these skills second nature. ________________________________________ The fillable PDF gives you 16 weeks of the same nine prompts—no guesswork, just rhythm. At the end of each week, you can create an Action Plan guided by three prompts and room to plan next steps: • Continue: What will you keep doing? • Do differently: What will you try or tweak? • Support: Who or what will help you bring this to life? Download your journal and RESET your higher ed experience! bit.ly/thefillablewire