Summer Recharge: 7 Tips for Pharmacy Faculty to Refuel, Refocus, and Reignite
Across academic pharmacy, faculty are closing out another year marked by growing responsibilities, shifting expectations, and a pace that rarely slows. Between accreditation demands, student needs, research pressures, and service overload, it’s easy to arrive at summer running on empty.
But summer isn’t just for catching up—it’s for fueling up.
The most effective faculty use this time with intention: to recharge their energy, reflect on their purpose, and realign with the impact they want to make next year. Not through overhauls or checklists, but through simple, strategic actions that restore clarity, creativity, and control.
Here are seven proven strategies to help pharmacy faculty recharge and return stronger than ever.
1. Reflect on the Year Behind You
When the semester ends, it’s tempting to move straight into the next project. But high-performing faculty pause. They ask: What just happened—and what does it mean for where I’m headed?
Reflection helps convert experience into insight. It surfaces lessons that might otherwise be lost and gives you the space to recalibrate before the next cycle begins.
Faculty Action:
Carve out one hour to reflect on the past year. Journal or talk with a trusted colleague about:
What moments felt most aligned with your purpose?
Where did you feel most drained?
What surprised you—for better or worse?
Example: A faculty member builds a simple three-slide reflection deck to guide goal-setting conversations with a mentor or coach. Another revisits end-of-semester student feedback—not to fix everything, but to spot trends and tweak for impact.
2. Recharge Your Energy—Intentionally
Academic culture often rewards overwork and undervalues rest. But sustainable success isn’t about endurance—it’s about recovery. If you want to bring energy to your students, your research, and your leadership, you have to protect it for yourself first.
Faculty Action:
Treat recovery like a deliverable. Block at least one “non-academic” day during the month with no email, grading, or planning.
Example: One faculty member deletes all work apps from their phone for July. Another commits to a walking routine, replacing meetings with “walking office hours.” A colleague schedules an unplugged vacation—and returns with a new course idea sparked by time away.
3. Reconnect with Your Purpose
It’s easy to lose sight of your “why” in the grind of grading and meetings. Summer offers a moment to remember why you chose this profession—and how to reconnect with that mission in a way that motivates the year ahead.
Faculty Action:
Write down one story from the past year that reminded you of your purpose. Keep it visible in your workspace. Use the reflection to update your list of values and purpose.
Example: A professor revisits a letter from a struggling student who found confidence through their mentorship—and uses it to shape a keynote address for orientation. Another re-records their teaching philosophy, not for P&T, but for personal clarity.
4. Upgrade One Teaching Practice
You don’t need a course overhaul to improve learning. Sometimes, one fresh idea, tool, or tweak can reignite engagement—for you and your students.
Faculty Action:
Choose one course you teach. Identify one innovation—big or small—that could elevate learning or reduce friction.
Example: A professor experiments with a polling tool to make lectures more interactive. Another revamps their feedback strategy using audio comments to connect with students more personally. One faculty member adds a short reflective journaling exercise at the end of each module to encourage metacognition.
5. Set 1–2 Professional Growth Goals
It’s easy to let summer become a blur of half-started projects. Instead, choose one or two goals that support your long-term trajectory and align with your strengths.
Faculty Action:
Use a simple 30-60-90 day framework to set, break down, and track progress on a focused professional goal. The most difficult part may be identifying the steps along the way that are critical to complete on time so not to delay the overall achievement of the goal. By making those critical milestones more explicit, you are able to focus on them to ensure progress.
Example: One faculty member drafts a grant proposal skeleton, aiming to submit by October. Another commits to a biweekly writing group to finish a stalled manuscript. A junior faculty member builds a career roadmap with a mentor, identifying development milestones beyond tenure.
6. Curate Your Calendar—Before It Curates You
Once August hits, the calendar fills quickly. Summer is your opportunity to be proactive—ensuring space for what matters, not just what’s urgent.
Faculty Action:
Look ahead to the fall. Block time now for writing, mentorship, wellness, and reflection. Set boundaries before the meeting invites arrive.
Example: A faculty member creates a “no meeting zone” every Friday morning and guards it for writing. Another adds 15-minute debrief blocks after classes to document ideas in real time. One professor organizes their syllabus and LMS content now—so their August self can breathe.
7. Reclaim Joy and Creativity
Academia isn’t just about rigor—it’s about renewal. Creativity fuels innovation, and joy fosters resilience. Summer is a perfect time to explore, play, and fill your own cup.
Faculty Action:
Make a joy list: ten activities that energize you. Schedule at least one per week. Prioritize fun as a leadership practice.
Example: A faculty member dusts off their piano and commits to a song a week. Another joins a local book club—choosing fiction over pharmacy. One reconnects with their kids through “weekly adventure days,” creating memories that far outlast the semester grind.
Final Thoughts: Your Best Year Starts Now
The faculty who thrive next year aren’t waiting until August to prepare. They’re using summer to rest with intention, realign with purpose, and take small actions that lead to big shifts.
So ask yourself: What do I need more of this year—and what can I start doing now to create it?
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