‘Academic periodization’: using approaches from elite sport to benefit early career academics

Academic periodization is based on concepts used to optimize elite sporting performance and this may represent an effective approach to help young academics reflect on their working practices in order to meet the demands of their roles. The focus on maximizing efficiency hopes to benefit performance, but also to reduce the risk of early career academics engaging with excessive working hours. The core principle of rest must also be considered within this model of periodization and it is hoped that improved efficiency can increase opportunities for rest and recovery within the academic cycle.