u/Emergency-Novel-3369

I don’t know if I’m just being sensitive, but does anyone else feel weirdly irritated or even kind of exploited whenever an academic officials, etc. says “thank you for all that you do”? I know it’s supposed to be appreciative, but lately every time I hear that phrase I have this immediate negative reaction to it and I genuinely can’t tell if I’m becoming cynical or if other adjuncts feel the same way.

Serious question. I’m currently at 2 full-time jobs, 5 part-time jobs (7 W-2s total), plus 2 government contracts as a 1099. On paper, you’d think I’d be overwhelmed. Or at least too busy to think about taking on anything else.

Instead, I spend a ridiculous amount of my free time looking for more jobs, checking RFP sites, writing proposals, and trying to land additional contracts. Each time I get a new one, it just gives me this high like an ecstatic feeling I couldn’t explain.

Today kind of hit me. My spouse and I were walking outside on what was honestly a beautiful sunny Saturday, and I realized I couldn’t even enjoy it. The entire time, I kept thinking, “I’m wasting time. I should be submitting another proposal. I should be applying for another role.” It wasn’t stress exactly. It was guilt for not being productive.

That made me stop and wonder whether this is becoming something unhealthy. Has anyone else experienced this? Does OE eventually become less about the money and more about chasing the next opportunity?
I’m not in financial trouble. I don’t need another role. Yet I keep looking for one anyway.

Has anyone else hit this point? If so, how did you know when enough was enough?

This is my first time mentoring a master’s student. They’ve graduated and asked for help turning their thesis into a journal article. I’m unsure what’s expected. If I’m just giving general advice, that’s one thing. But if I’m helping with restructuring, revisions, and the submission process, I’d expect co-authorship.

What are the norms here? Should authorship be discussed upfront? Is co-authorship typically expected if the advisor is actively involved in preparing the paper?