A Personal Tea Ceremony: Mindful Practices of an Academic Curated on Instagram

• In Event: Self-Care Strategies in Academia: Perspectives From the Field

Abstract

Courage is needed to consider different ways of being in higher education. We have been indoctrinated in the academy to accept that working at a fast speed and with long, extra hours is the norm. This can generate a culture where overworking and broadcasting achievements is like a badge of honour. Exhaustion is seen as a status symbol. This is the antithesis of self-care. The mismatch between personal values and institutional values can come into play as one navigates how to manage workload, expectations and time as an academic. Yet, we are increasingly privileged to work in academia. In this role, although there are high expectations and requirements to work across multiple areas, there is a tremendous amount of flexibility in how we can approach our workload across areas of teaching, research and leadership. Often this is not explored as a means to align personal goals and those of the university. Through a lens of curiosity, this flexibility can make it possible to reconfigure the individual experience of higher education as an academic.

There is growing evidence that attending to wellbeing might be beneficial within the university context beyond just focusing on the positive attributes of graduates but to also include academic and professional staff (Oades, Robinson, Green & Spence, 2011). In this paper, I share a visual narrative performed on Instagram that illuminates the place of mindfulness in my daily awareness of how I wish to be in this role. Curiosity, compassion and awareness have played a significant role in contributing to the management of burnout, overwork, others expectations and perspectives, exhaustion, the navigation of my own journey towards change and how I wish to be within the university environment and culture. This cultivation of mindfulness is one that has worked for me and that can be seen as an informal approach that can support wellbeing in the higher education context (Oades et al, 2011; Author, 2018; Nakai & Schultz, 2000). Being rather than doing underpins this mindful practice.

At the centre of my self-care is a practice of enjoying a green tea. This is almost like a personal tea ceremony. It is a daily ritual. I often begin the day with a green tea, and it is not uncommon that it accompanies me while I write. It is a symbolic representation of a time to sit, centre myself, and cultivate being in the moment. This practice acts as an interpretation of the hustle and fast speed. It is an explicit act of self-care. Over time I have shared these moments on Instagram through the hashtag #greentearefillsrequired with narratives of my intentions. This green tea consumption routine is symbolic and significant as part of my mindfulness practice as an academic, and in this presentation, I unpack this routine while also connecting to other practices that support mindful intentions of being in the academy.

Author

• Narelle Suzanne Lemon, Swinburne University of Technology