#AcademicTwitter, I’m afraid this is 1 of those threads. The tweet about academics only having 2 of permanent job, live with partner & reasonable workload struck a chord. For 5.5 years I’ve had 1&2, but I’ve felt a growing need for 3. So I’ve made the decision to give up 1. [1/14

Leaving a job it took me so long to get may look like a rather drastic response, & in many ways it is, but it’s also part of a bigger project to rethink & reprioritise. And, having tipped the work/life balance so far 1 way for so long, it’s time to tip it the other way! [2/14

This is no doubt not the best place to try & explain this, but I do want to say something, however brief & ineloquent. This thread has been through many different versions in my head, but translating it into tweets & counting characters has been hard – please bear with me! [3/14

A few things to make clear:
1. I’m alright! This is a change of choice, not necessity.
2. I’m not saying my workload is any greater than anybody else’s. I’m well aware that in many cases it’s less, although 2 such workloads in the same household does cause specific issues. [4/14

3. I’m fully conscious of how fortunate & privileged I am to be able to make this choice, both in having an academic job in the 1st place, & in being able to walk away from it.
4. I’m aware of how selfish I’m being in making this choice, & yes, I do feel bad about that. [5/14

This has been an incredibly difficult decision to make. It’s perhaps the 1st time in my (sheltered) life that I’ve understood a decision can be both right & sad. I love my job & academia, but there are other things I love & want & need too, & it’s time to prioritise those. [6/14

Over the last year in particular it has become very clear to me that academia doesn’t love us back, & while I don’t really need it to & wasn’t really under any illusions in that regard anyway, I do need it to be less of a one-sided relationship than I’ve made it so far! [7/14

So, at the end of August I’m leaving my current post & taking a break from academia in a formal sense. I will remain the Secretary of the BSLS, & will continue with my research in an informal manner – I hope I’ll even manage to get some of the new stuff out there at last! [8/14

I don’t know what life will be like come September, but I know I’ll miss my colleagues & students immensely – it’s been an absolute pleasure & privilege to work with you all, & I’m taking away such fond memories. Please know that you’ll always have my support & gratitude! [9/14

I’ll continue to follow all you wonderful researchers, & should have more time to engage with your work. I’ll continue to combine my growing love of nature with my ongoing love of all things modernist, periodical & literature & science related, & maybe find some new loves. [10/14

There are things I’ll miss & I'm sad, but this is also a really exciting time, & I’ve made this decision with happiness & hope for what may follow. It’s been a whirlwind so far, & I wasn’t expecting a global pandemic to curtail my teaching, but let’s see what happens next! [11/14

Obviously there’s more I could say, & obviously my decision relates to bigger ongoing issues in academia which we all know are there. But ultimately this is a personal decision made by & for me in a positive & proactive way. I hope people will be able to understand. [12/14

I’ve been told my post will be advertised, although not immediately, so keep an eye out for that, & feel free to contact me when the time comes if you’d like to chat it through. It’s been a great place to work, even though I’d never heard of it before I saw the job advert! [13/14

1 last thing: thank you to everyone who’s supported me over the last few years, in big ways & small, & to those who’ve helped me make this decision, even without knowing it. I step away with my love of academia tempered but intact so I can prioritise other things for now. [14/14