Last year I gave a lecture on violence against women. Beforehand, I had given my students a trigger warning via email and verbally noted that the array of readings might stir up emotions in them. On the day, I led the lecture and facilitated discussion but ended the class about five minutes early (as one student sat quietly crying at the back of the class) and thanked everyone. The student and I chatted as we walked back to my office where I gave her the office numbers of campus staff who could help her process her emotions. This was not the first time in my teaching career that I've had to help a student in need.

In March this year, I sat on a pedagogy round-table at the International Studies Association in March, and one of the speakers referred to the high cost of emotional labour for a women's studies instructor. Many heads nodded around the room. Despite my experiences teaching women's studies, I do not think that emotional labour discriminates. Anecdotally, I perform as much, if not more, emotional labour teaching political science, but this might be influenced by the fact that I am an undergraduate advisor.

In my time as an academic, I've accompanied students to the police department to report a sexual assault and listened to others talk about the old memories triggered by a reading or a discussion. This is part of the emotional labour of the job. Granted, for some students, it's not issues of violence but rather issues related to coming out, finances, a bad break up, eating disorders, and many more. My degrees are not in mental health, so I know that it's best if I listen and then make a referral. But here's the thing: I never attended a professional development seminar about students and mental health until I was more than 10 years into my career. I am not qualified to help the students with the array of issues that they might have.

Now, thanks to my role as the chair of the Academic Women's Caucus, I sit on more committees than I care to count and I have had ample opportunity to go to workshops related to mental health, inclusive work environments, dealing with difficult situations, and other important issues. I do feel better prepared for these moments - a mere months from celebrating my fifteenth year teaching.

What I long for now though, are more honest conversations about emotional labour in our work. I also want more training on how to deal with the weight of emotional labour, as it is a heavy burden to carry some days.

Janni Aragon is a regular contributor at University of Venus and a Senior Instructor of Political Science in the Department of Political Science at the University of Victoria.

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