Deadlines Really Did Wait: An Emotional Recharge Space for Colleagues

Amidst the endless stream of lectures, scientific articles, and work tasks, it is incredibly important to be able to put the world on pause. On November 11, the Department of Pedagogy at the Faculty of Psychological and Pedagogical Education and Arts became exactly such a haven of calm by hosting a virtual psychological café called “Deadlines Can Wait.”

The moderator of the meeting, PhD and Associate Professor of the Department of Pedagogy Nadiya Dira, offered her colleagues an incredibly valuable piece of advice: step out of the role of a “serious lecturer” for at least an hour and allow yourself to simply be human.

It was a time filled with genuine smiles, trust, and mutual support. It was especially pleasant that colleagues from other faculties joined the event, creating a truly large circle of like-minded people. We started with an honest check-up of our state during the “My Mood Today” interactive activity. It was wonderful to see how energetic “Unicorns,” measured “Turtles,” and even genuine “Hurricanes” united in the chat, while a humorous “Lecturer’s Horoscope” added even more brightness to the atmosphere – colleagues jokingly recognized their traits among “Digital Cats,” “Wise Owls,” and “Coffee-Addict Bears.”

The brainstorming session “SOS: Urgently Need a Pause!” evoked the most emotion. During it, witty anti-stress solutions were generated for typical workplace emergencies. Colleagues shared life hacks on how to keep one’s balance when a required file won’t open a second before a lecture, and how to survive with humor under an avalanche of 48 new emails.

To consolidate the effect of the emotional detox, at the end of the meeting we “prescribed” ourselves playful virtual support recipes – someone chose “Calmin,” while others vitally needed “Huganol” or “Laughamin.” The meeting concluded with a therapeutic reflection called “Leaving Behind the Door.” We symbolically left all our fatigue, tension, and the endless pursuit of perfection there. And we took with us only a feeling of lightness, the aroma of warm coffee, and that crucial right to take a pause.

We sincerely thank all the colleagues who shared this hour with us! Let’s remember: deadlines really can wait, but taking care of our mental health cannot.