The PhD Life Coach

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! You may have heard of, or even tried, time blocking before. It can be a great way to take control of your to do list and get things done, but it can also get really overwhelming. Role-based time blocking is a streamlined version, designed specifically for roles (like academic jobs) that have lots of different components. Check it out, a...

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! It can be so hard to ask for help, especially if you believe that you don't deserve it or that you should be able to solve the problem yourself or that there's nothing anyone can do to help. In this episode, I talk through the thoughts that you can cultivate to make seeking help feel a little easier.  If you'd like a tran...

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! If you find yourself thinking that everyone else has it together, or that you'll never finish your paper, or that you always procrastinate, this is the episode for you. These are examples of "all-or-nothing thinking" where we take a really black and white view on the world and forget to see all the shades of grey. The pro...

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Have you ever felt like an imposter? Worried that someone will find out that you're not good enough to be here after all? Unfortunately we know that imposter syndrome is really common in academia and can lead to reduced wellbeing and even people leaving programmes or jobs. In this episode, I share some simple tactics that everyone...

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! By most people's definitions, we're experts. Whether you're a PhD student or a more senior academic, you have more expertise than most people in your subject. However, us "experts" often still lack confidence when it comes to teaching. In this episode, we think about how we can put things in perspective and deve...

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! We all make mistakes but some of us getting stuck in them, beating ourselves up and often repeating them. In this episode, we consider how you can instead approach past mistakes with compassion and curiousity, so that we can learn from them with less judgment. So, whatever your past mistakes, this is the episode for you!  In this episod...

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! This is a  bumper episode because it is a crossover with The Struggling Scientist podcast! I am joined by Susanne and Jayron, founders of The Struggling Scientists to talk about all things science communication. Susanne and Jayron will give advice about getting started in science communication and I will offer coaching tips on some of t...

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!   **Please note - for reasons that wi...

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...

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 fo...

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...

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 y...

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...

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 a...

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...

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 ep...

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.  To find out more about working with me, check out www.t...

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...

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.  This time, I give you a step-by-step process to move from a busy, haphazard-feeling career to having a structured overvie...

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 episode...

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 resist...

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 tip...

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! (Please note you may prefer to watch this on YouTube here https://youtu.be/WZU6dXoxhLg so you can see gameplay too) **** I...

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'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life c...

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 yea...