Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The PhD Life Coach
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.36 Why you shouldn’t always do your best | 12 May 2025 | 00:21:35 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! If you are bored of being told “just do your best” and not knowing what that means, then this is the episode for you. We are gonna talk today about why you shouldn't be trying to do your best all the time, what the problems are if you do try and do your best all the time, and most importantly, what you should do instead. Links: Client Q&A – getting it done when you don’t feel like it **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.35 How PhD Students Can Network Smarter & Avoid Career Panic with Dr David Mendes from Beyond the Thesis | 05 May 2025 | 00:45:35 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Struggling to figure out your career path after your PhD? In this episode, David Mendes—host of the Beyond the Thesis podcast—shares expert tips on using networking to map out your job market early. Learn how to have strategic career conversations, explore industry roles, and avoid last-minute decision panic. This conversation offers practical steps PhD students can take to better understand their options and plan with confidence. Links: Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD (David’s podcast) Connect with David on LinkedIn **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.26 How to look after yourself when conducting emotionally distressing research | 03 Mar 2025 | 01:04:39 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! All research can be stressful but if your topic is inherently distressing, it becomes even more important to look after your own wellbeing. In today’s episode, I welcome Dr Tina Skinner and Sarah Warbis who are experts in researcher wellbeing. They talk about how researchers can support themselves and, even more importantly, what support institutions should be putting in place to ensure that those conducting research in distressing topics get the help they need. Whatever your topic, there is a useful advice about caring for your own wellbeing. *Please note that there is brief mention of some distressing topics from the start.* Links The Researcher Well-Being Project Join the Researcher Well-Being Group You might also be interested in this new research by Dr Mary Quinton on Best practices for supporting researchers’ mental health in emotionally demanding research across academic and non-academic contexts. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 26. How to be kind to yourself | 10 Apr 2023 | 00:10:49 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode I talk about how I'm being kind to myself this week and how you can too! It's short but includes some important reflections on what we need to believe in order to take decisions that are right for us in the moment. Hope that you're kind to yourself this holiday period! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 25. How to curate your PhD Life with Jamie Pei | 03 Apr 2023 | 00:48:04 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode we have another special guest! This time we're talking to Jamie Pei, the "messy" PhD coach about how to curate your PhD Life. We talk about what we mean by "curating" and why we mean your all elements of your life and not just your PhD. Jamie has a great perspective on how this approach puts you in the driver's seat, and enables you to guide and create the life you want. You also hear us demonstrating how little we actually know about fine art curation in an attempt to make useful analogies.... Links from this episode Jamie's link tree: linktr.ee/jamiepei Subscribe to my PhD mailing list: jamiepei.com/phdmail Instagram: @verymessyjamie Twitter: @verymessyjamie We also reference some work on values from Caroline Kay. You can hear more about her here! https://carolinekay.co/ Her podcast is called Snippets of Genius. Listen via her website (https://carolinekay.co/podcast/) or any preferred podcast platform **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 24. How Winnie the Pooh can help you manage your mind | 27 Mar 2023 | 00:25:53 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode we think about our own inner dialogue. How do you speak to yourself? Are you critical? Quick to judgment? Pessimisitic? Put yourself under pressure? All of these things are so common in academia yet we never really get shown how to manage our minds. Instead we either indulge these thoughts (ie we believe them and look for evidence they're true) or we admonish ourselves for having them (ie we tell ourselves "we're our own worst enemy"). In this episode I'll give you a very practical (and slightly silly) technique to help you develop a more kind, compassionate, and firm inner voice. And it involves Winnie the Pooh... **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 23. How to make decisions you love | 20 Mar 2023 | 00:25:38 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! There are so many big decisions to make in academia, from what to research, what conferences to go to, what admin roles to do, where to submit your work, and even how long to stay in academia. Everyone is keen to give us their opinion on what we "should" do or what will be "good for our CV", but no one seems to ever help us figure out how to make our own decisions. In this episode, I share some frameworks and reflective questions that will help you make the best decisions for you. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 22. What to do when you're feeling a bit bleurgh | 13 Mar 2023 | 00:26:47 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! What do you do when you feel disappointed, stressed or overwhelmed? These are such common emotions in academia yet most of us don't really know how to respond to these emotions. In this episode, I'll guess what you probably do at the moment when you're experiencing an emotion you don't like, and suggest some things you do instead. Emotions are part of the human existence and we can learn how to look after ourselves a little more. In this episode I mention the emotion wheel. There are loads if you search online but here's one I like - https://www.purewow.com/family/feelings-chart **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 21. Why I want to coach your supervisor (and what that means for you) | 06 Mar 2023 | 00:25:07 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I consider the downside of always assuming that our seniors "have it together" (whatever level of academia you're at). Often we create a story where, if they haven't replied to our email or changed their mind about our study, it means that we're not important or our study is wrong. I'll be discussing why it's almost certainly not about you and what we should do differently as a sector. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 20. What to do when you have too much to do | 27 Feb 2023 | 00:35:50 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, we accept a universal truth. We have too much to do. We'll explore what happens when you accept that as a fact and challenge instead the notion that we have to do it all (and especially the notion that we have to do it all this week). I teach you about boss mode and worker mode, introduce you to my plate spinning analogy, and explore how the project management triangle can be used when we're really up against it. We're also going to celebrate that this is my 20th episode! Yay! Thanks for your continuing support :) **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 19. What to do (and think) if you have a toxic relationship with your supervisor | 20 Feb 2023 | 00:35:50 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, we’ll think about how to look after yourself if you think you have a toxic relationship with your supervisor. We’ll consider what that means, what effect it could have on you, and most importantly, how to manage your thoughts so that you can make decisions about this difficult situation. I’ll talk about some of the most common thoughts that I see students having and help you find some other thoughts that might help you more. If you find yourself in this situation, please do reach out to the wellbeing services at your university and make sure that you are also getting the professional help that you need. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 18. How to have a great relationship with your supervisor | 13 Feb 2023 | 00:24:52 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode I discuss five ways that you can improve your relationship with your PhD supervisor. This relationship is one of the most important aspects of your research experience yet we so often leave it to chance. The good news is that you can improve things so much without expecting them to change at all - find out how in this episode! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 17. Why you should never cross things off your to do list and what you should do instead | 06 Feb 2023 | 00:15:34 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode I talk about the way PhD students and academics spend so much time looking what they need to do next that they forget to recognise what they've done. I introduce the "well done list" and show you how it can help you build confidence and productivity. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.25 How to edit your work without hating yourself | 24 Feb 2025 | 00:32:44 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! One of the most frustrating moments in a PhD or academic career is reading through your first draft—only to realise it’s a mess. It doesn’t flow, the arguments feel clunky, and now you’re stuck figuring out how to fix it. In today’s episode, I’m sharing practical techniques to help you transform that rough first draft into a polished manuscript—without the overwhelm and self-criticism. Whether you’re writing a thesis chapter, journal article, or conference paper, these strategies will make revision smoother, faster, and far less painful. Links I refer to in this episode How to handle negative feedback What to do when you get contradictory advice How to break work down into chunks How to improve your writing (with Dr Katy Peplin) **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 16. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 3) | 30 Jan 2023 | 00:21:31 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In the final part of this theory, we think about the story you tell about yourself. What story do you really believe about yourself? Perhaps you believe you're slow at writing. Perhaps you believe that you always get distracted. We'll work through why these stories can lead to some really negative consequences and how you can challenge them and build different stories about yourself. This isn't about "positive thinking", it's about focusing on the stories that make you feel good and help you build the life you want. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 15. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 2) | 23 Jan 2023 | 00:30:03 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! This is the second of a three part series (check out the first part here - https://www.thephdlifecoach.com/14-how-to-tell-your-story-and-get-the-recognition-you-deserve-part-1) about how to tell your academic story. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 14. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 1) | 16 Jan 2023 | 00:23:11 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! This is the first of a three part series on how to tell your story. It's really common, at any career stage, to feel like you've lost track of where you're at and how to get where you want to be. If you're applying for jobs, trying to secure awards or recognitions, or going for promotion or tenure, then these episodes are for you! Even if you're not doing these things at the moment, figuring out "your story" can help reduce overwhelm, ease decision making and lower your cognitive, and actual, work. In this first episode I talk about what I mean by "telling your story" and the many ways it can make your life better. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 13. What to do when you know you're behaving like a toddler | 09 Jan 2023 | 00:19:39 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you find yourself just not doing the thing you intended to do? No good reason but you just don't want to? In this episode, I talk about what to do if you find yourself just behaving a bit like a naughty toddler and saying "no" to all the things that are good for you. You'll get a five step plan to move from resisting starting to getting going on your tasks. In the show I mention three past episodes - you can find them here: How to review your year the strengths-based way How to set new year's resolutions that stick Ten lessons I learned about doing PhDs by playing Stardew Valley I also mention the time management lecture by Randy Pausch Definitely check them out! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 12. How to set New Year's resolutions that stick with Dr Karin Nordin | 02 Jan 2023 | 00:38:59 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! n this episode, our guest Dr Karin Nordin shares with us evidence-based recommendations for how to set New Year's resolutions that stick. Instead of just talking about it though, she coaches me through my New Year's resolutions so you can see it in action. This is a great opportunity to hear some real life coaching and get tips for your own compassion-first behaviour change. You can also find out more about my guest, Dr Karin Nordin in all these places: https://www.youtube.com/@UCTn-HaKV8vju5G2j6wRTzwQ https://bodybrainalliance.com/ https://www.instagram.com/karinnordinphd/ **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| BONUS: Ten lessons I learned about doing PhDs by playing Stardew Valley | 26 Dec 2022 | 00:21:34 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Even if you've never played Stardew Valley before, you will still love this episode! I will take you through ten important lessons to succeed in your PhD, using tenuous Stardew metaphors to explain them! Enjoy! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 11. How to rest over the holiday period | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:32:26 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! How many times have you intended to rest and ended up working over the festive period? Or intended to work and then not quite got around to it? In this episode I give you a framework to figure out how to make a plan that works for you. Let me help you have a happy holiday! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 10. How to review your year the strengths-based way with Professor Jenn Cumming | 12 Dec 2022 | 00:58:07 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! So often, when we look back at our year, we think about the things we didn't achieve or the things that went wrong. This is especially true when we're looking back in order to plan new years resolutions. In this special extended episode, we are joined by expert psychologist Professor Jennifer Cumming who helps me review my year using her strengths-based prompts. You'll get to know more about me AND see the benefits of this more positive approach. You can then use these questions to review your year too. You can find out more about my guest, Professor Jenn Cumming, in all these places: https://www.sprintproject.org/ and the two tools she mentioned are here: https://www.viacharacter.org/account/register https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/254033/strengthsfinder.aspx (there is a charge for this product, but it may be available through your workplace too) **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 9. How to manage annoying comments at Christmas | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:25:43 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! So many of my Twitter followers told me that they hate the annoying questions they get at Christmas, so I thought I would share some coping strategies! In this episode I give you the A, B, C, D, and E that you need to remember when someone asks you "so, when will you finish your PhD?" **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 8. How to build your own academic community | 28 Nov 2022 | 00:30:07 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! So many people feel isolated in academic and like they "should" have more of a community than they do. In this episode, I talk about the benefits of having a community inside and outside of academia and the barriers there might be to building a community. I then go through some really simple tips to help you build an academic community, step by step. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.24 How and why to write for Medium (and beyond) | 17 Feb 2025 | 00:44:13 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Want more people to read your research? This week, I’m joined by Tony Stubblebine, CEO of Medium, to explore the benefits of writing for a general audience. We’ll discuss how sharing your ideas beyond academia can boost your visibility, strengthen your writing skills, and position you as an expert. If you’ve ever wondered whether anyone will actually read what you write—or how to reach more people—this episode is for you! Find out more about Tony Stubblebine and some of his most popular articles here **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 7. How to avoid the end of year panic | 21 Nov 2022 | 00:30:43 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Has the pre-Christmas panic hit you yet? That feeling of having four thousand things that you simply have to do before you break up for the winter holiday? In this episode, I channel my inner Charles Dickens and help you figure out how to be kind to your past self, to your present self, and to your future self during this busy month. Let’s finish the year with more enthusiasm and less stress. In this episode I mention A Christmas Carol - if you're not familiar, this is the book I mean! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 6. Why you deserve (and can have) a life outside of academia | 14 Nov 2022 | 00:28:56 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! It's so easy to believe that you don't have time for a life outside of academia. The pressure and the never-ending to-do lists mean that even having fun feels like one more thing you need to fit in. In this episode I talk about the benefits of having hobbies outside of academia, including how I found myself hanging by my ankles being rescued by people half my age. I also talk about how you can coach yourself to believe that you deserve that time to yourself. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 5. How accepting where you are is the first step to getting where you want to be | 07 Nov 2022 | 00:27:48 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! So many PhD students and academics struggle with perfectionism and imposter syndrome. By having such unrealistic standards, we make it much more painful and, ironically, much less likely that we'll actually meet our goals. In this episode we talk about how self-acceptance can help you be a lot kinder to yourself and find a gentle and effective route to success. This is the blog I mention in this episode. If you are interested in the circus too, in Birmingham I trained with Circusmash and FPS Fitness! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 4. How to write the thing when you're not writing the thing | 31 Oct 2022 | 00:26:59 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! We all have times where we need to get on with writing our thesis/paper/promotion materials/grant, but we're not. We procrastinate, we tell ourselves we don't have time, we worry that we're not good enough, when really we want to write it! In this episode, I'll help you uncover the 7 thoughts that are stopping you getting on, and 7 thoughts that you might want to think instead! Twitter accounts I mention in this episode are: @writethatphd – for lots of links to writing resources @drjenncumming– for lots of advice about writing and critiquing strategies @verymessyjamie – who supports PhD students to find more balance, ease, joy and clarity. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3. How to swim when you're drowning in emails | 18 Oct 2022 | 00:28:37 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! If you feel like your inbox is an endless swamp of thankless tasks, this is the episode for you! Today I talk about the problem with how we think about our emails and how we can make them much less painful. This is not your usual productivity hacks! **Also, here is the "Part-time wellness" podcast with Chelsea Uithoven that I recommend in the podcast** **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 2. Why you don't need a new planner | 18 Oct 2022 | 00:24:46 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you find yourself searching for the perfect planner that will just help you get it together? In this episode, I discuss why we all want the perfect planner, why it won't solve our problems, and what we can do instead! **Also, here is the "I'm Busy Being Awesome" podcast with Paula Engebretson that I recommend in the podcast** **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 1. How to be your own best supervisor | 18 Oct 2022 | 00:25:47 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! There is no voice you hear more often than the voice inside your head, yet we often spend very little time thinking about HOW we speak to ourselves and the effect it has. When did you last call yourself useless? Lazy? Stupid? In this episode we think about how we can notice our negative self-talk and start to be our own best supervisor. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.23 Why what you do matters (and when it doesn’t) | 10 Feb 2025 | 00:08:05 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you ever wonder why you’re even doing this? Whether your research actually matters and whether the world actually cares? In this episode I’m telling you exactly why I believe your work matters, no matter what you’re researching. I’ll also tell you what bits (that we often worry about) don’t matter! This episode is designed to listen to whenever you need it, so make sure you save it somewhere for those days when you’re struggling! Links I refer to in this episode What to do when you want more reassurance **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.22 Are you in an emotional overdraft? With special guest author Andy Brown | 03 Feb 2025 | 00:52:45 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you ever feel like you’re only succeeding because you’re working more than is healthy? That you are subsidizing your work at the expense of your wellbeing? Then today’s episode is a must listen! I welcome Andy Brown, author of The Emotional Overdraft and we chat about what we mean by an Emotional Overdraft, how to know if you have one, and what to do about it. Links I refer to in this episode You can find out more about Andy Brown and The Emotional Overdraft here Find out the extent of your emotional overdraft by completing this assessment **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.21 Six types of social support you need as a PhD student (and how to get it) | 27 Jan 2025 | 00:35:31 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Doing a PhD and even working in academia can be a lonely business. Sometimes we just don't feel like we've got the support we need around us. In this episode, I am going to identify six different types of social support that I think all academics need and give you some ideas to start assessing where you think you are at the moment. From there we’ll identify some steps forward that you can take, so that you can get the social support that you need. Links I refer to in this episode You can find links to Dr Lilia Mantai’s research here How to build your own academic community **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.20 Why we should think less about deadlines (and what we should do instead) | 20 Jan 2025 | 00:29:00 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you find yourself putting stuff off because it’s not due yet or never reaching some goals because they don’t have a specific deadline at all? Is the only thing that actually gets you moving that slight panic associated with a looming deadline? If so, this is totally normal but it can mean that work feels very pressured and that we don’t always do the things that we want to be doing in the long term. In this episode, I will talk about how we can reduce our dependence on deadlines and how we can use start dates to organise our tasks instead. Links I refer to in this episode Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People How to do role-based time blocking Total Workday Control by Michael Lindenberger **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.19 Secrets we wish PhD students knew with Dr Gertrude Nonterah of the Bold PhD | 13 Jan 2025 | 00:38:45 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I chat with Dr Gertrude Nonterah, founder of The Bold PhD. She shares her own experience of transitioning from an academic career to an industry position and starting her own business that supports people with PhDs to build their personal brand and find jobs outside academia. She also shares some of the hints and tips that she has gathered through speaking with hundreds of academics, that she wishes all PhD students knew! Links I refer to in this episode Dr Gertrude Nonterah on LinkedIn 55 academics reveal PhD student secrets you won’t learn in school! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.18 How and When to Change Your Plans: Overcoming Resistance, Embracing Flexibility, and Making Big Moves | 06 Jan 2025 | 00:35:37 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Changing plans can feel daunting, especially when you’re committed to a specific path and you’re not sure what is the “right” decision. In this episode, we dive into why it’s so hard to shift gears, why adaptability is essential for success, and how to navigate change without losing momentum. You'll also hear about a major update I’m making to my membership programme—offering insights that could inspire your own big decisions. Whether you’re rethinking your PhD research goals or looking to build resilience in your everyday life, this episode is packed with practical tips and real-world examples to help you embrace change with confidence. Links I refer to in this episode How to make decisions that you love How to go from idea overload to clarity **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.17 Overcoming Overwork and Overwhelm in the Final Months of Your PhD (a special coaching episode!) | 30 Dec 2024 | 01:04:36 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I coach Swagata, a PhD student navigating the intense overwhelm and exhaustion of her final months of writing up. If you’ve ever felt the pressure of looming deadlines, struggled to balance rest with productivity, or found yourself trapped in guilt for taking a break, this episode is for you. What’s inside this episode? 👉 Listen now to discover how to tackle overwork, embrace rest guilt-free, and finish your PhD without sacrificing your well-being. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.34 Why making halfassed decisions is making your PhD harder | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:18:11 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! We don’t usually think of a PhD as a decision making process but it really is. We decide what research we do, how we do it, how we report it, and we make hundreds of decisions a day about what order we will do work in, what opportunities we will take up and refuse, and who we should ask for support. In this episode, I share the problems that happen we only vaguely, half-heartedly make decisions – and as usual, let you know what we need to do instead. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.16 Why I’m banning highlighters | 23 Dec 2024 | 00:13:16 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I make a feisty case for why we should ban highlighters! I’ll give you four reasons they’re not helping you and tell you what you should be doing instead. Forward this to all your favourite stationery-obsessed friends! **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.15 Creating Positive Academic Environments: Insights from Sports Psychology with Dr Andrew Dewar | 16 Dec 2024 | 01:00:44 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Andrew Dewar from Oxygen Conservation to explore how we can build more positive, motivational environments in academia using insights from sports psychology. We dive into strategies for fostering recovery, supporting each other, and creating climates that inspire students and supervisors alike. Learn how to:
Whether you’re a PhD student striving for balance or a supervisor aiming to better support your team, this conversation is packed with actionable insights to help you thrive in academia. 🎧 Tune in to discover how you can contribute to something bigger while achieving your personal and professional goals. Links I refer to in this episode Andrew’s podcast episode – From Hire to High Performance So good they can’t ignore you by Cal Newport Stephen Covey’s Circle of Influence **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.14 Why Word Count Goals Don't Work for PhD Writing – And What to Do Instead | 09 Dec 2024 | 00:14:21 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, we’re diving into a common trap many PhD students and academics fall into: setting word count goals like “500 words a day” or “6,000 words by next month.” While these goals sound productive, they often oversimplify the complex process of academic writing. I’ll explain why relying on word count as a measure of progress can hinder your motivation and overlook crucial aspects of writing, such as revising, outlining, and refining ideas. Most importantly, I’ll share smarter, more effective ways to track your progress and keep your writing on track without feeling overwhelmed. If you’re struggling to stay motivated with your thesis, dissertation, or academic papers, this episode is here to help you rethink how you approach writing. Tune in to make meaningful progress without getting stuck in the word count trap! Perfect for PhD students, early career researchers, and anyone navigating academic writing challenges. Links I refer to in this episode Why you shouldn’t read when you’re writing How to plan your academic writing (with special guest Dr Jo Van Every) How to break your work down into chunks **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.13 Client Q&A - Motivating yourself in your final year, achieving post-PhD goals, and effective podcast listening | 02 Dec 2024 | 00:26:10 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I answer three thought-provoking questions from PhD students and graduates:
This episode is packed with practical advice for navigating common challenges in your academic journey and beyond. Links I refer to in this episode How to go from idea overload to clarity **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.12 Why perfect plans fail: Embracing imperfection in academic planning | 25 Nov 2024 | 00:24:18 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I share a fresh approach to planning for PhD students and academics that doesn’t rely on perfection. If you’ve ever felt like planning isn’t for you because you “never stick to it,” this episode is for you. We’ll explore imperfect planning: creating flexible time structures that make it easy to pick back up after things go off track. Tune in to learn:
Perfect for anyone balancing research, deadlines, and the unpredictable journey of PhD life! Links I refer to in this episode How to use role-based time-blocking How to plan when you hate planning **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.11 Navigating AI during your PhD: An Honest Conversation with Dr. Jessica Parker of MoxieLearn | 18 Nov 2024 | 01:04:42 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Whether you’re a regular AI user or prefer to keep your distance, understanding AI’s role in academia is becoming essential. In this episode, I chat with Dr. Jessica Parker, founder of the AI platform MoxieLearn, about the when, why, and how of using AI as a PhD student. We explore where AI can genuinely enhance your research—and where it might fall short. From the best benefits to the biggest pitfalls, and even some thought-provoking questions about the future of higher education, we delve into both the philosophical and the practical sides of AI. Tune in for insights, real-world advice, and an honest look at what AI means for the PhD journey. Links I refer to in this episode Dr Jessica Parker’s LinkedIn Profile Ethan Mollick's Substack "One Useful Thing" The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI Dr Sarah Eaton – Six tenets of post plagiarism **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.10 How to go from idea overload to clarity | 11 Nov 2024 | 00:20:47 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! I don’t know about you but my brain has so many ideas and thoughts of things I should do, shouldn’t do, mustn’t forget, want to change, or need to make a decision about. I needed a system to get them out of my head but where I knew I would come back to them. In this episode, I’m sharing a system I’ve been testing to help capture and crucially organise and act on ideas more effectively. This process is all about easing mental overload, holding onto those fleeting insights, and spotting patterns in our thinking to boost clarity and problem-solving. I’m still experimenting at the moment, so I’d love to hear your feedback and ideas—perhaps there are tweaks that could make this even more useful for researchers and PhD students! Links I refer to in this episode How to plan your week (with special guest and ex-client Marie) How to use role-based time blocking **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.09 Client Q&A – post-deadline slumps, uncommunicative supervisors, and judging your own work | 04 Nov 2024 | 00:40:39 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you struggle to get back into work after a big deadline? Have issues connecting with your supervisor? Or feel like you don’t even know whether your work is good enough or not? Then this episode is for you! In my second client Q&A episode, I answer three questions from listeners on these topics and give actionable advice if you find yourself in these situations. I even give a little controversial advice to supervisors so make sure you listen out for that too! Links I refer to in this episode What to do if you want more reassurance How to manage your supervisor or boss How to have a great relationship with your supervisor What to do and think if you have a toxic relationship with your supervisor **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.08 How to be more patient and realistic (part of the Be Your Own Best Boss series) | 28 Oct 2024 | 00:26:20 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! If you make unrealistic plans and get impatient that you’re not progressing more quickly, then this is the episode for you! I’m going to give you specific tips about how to be more realistic and more patient so that you can be a better boss to yourself! I’ll talk about when you need to be realistic and patient, what thoughts will help and what feelings, actions and results we can then generate. If you like it, check out the rest of the five part series where I talk about 8 other qualities – compassionate, curious, strategic, ambitious, intentional, resourceful, encouraging and accepting. These all come from my online course, how to be your own best boss, which you can find on my website if you want more support! www.thephdlifecoach.com Links I refer to in this episode Why we all need to be more intentional and resourceful Why we all need to be more encouraging and accepting Why we all need to be more compassionate and curious How to be more strategic and ambitious **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||
| 3.07 How (and if) to work when things feel uncertain | 21 Oct 2024 | 00:32:18 | |
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! It’s a tough world at the moment. I’ve had lots of clients struggling with job insecurity, family or personal health issues, and the direct or indirect effects of all the bad stuff that’s happening in the world right now. In this podcast, I give some ideas about how you can show yourself compassion, decide what (if any) work you are capable of, and how to support yourself through these challenges times. The emphasis is always on compassion - it’s OK to find this difficult. When we can reduce the self-judgment, we can then spend time thinking about how to support ourselves. **** I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need. | |||