Mrs Mummy PhD® - podcast cover

Mrs Mummy PhD®

Host Dr Michelle Gibbsmrsmummyphd.com

This podcast is for Mamas like you, who are doing PhDs and juggling all the things. Here, we're changing the narrative from overwhelmed to enough!


As a Mama of three boys who juggled scholarly life (i.e. grad school, PhD life), a healthcare professional career, and holding it down at home, host Dr Michelle Gibbs fully understands how challenging this journey can be.


But as driven and ambitious as we may think we are, we know full well that academic life doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's a difficult, complex journey full of 'ups, downs and all arounds' in which we can easily lose ourselves under the pressure of it all.


So on this podcast, Michelle shares valuable tips and insights to help you finish well because she believes it's time we replaced the guilt and burden of overwork, overachievement, and perfectionism with joy, grace and purpose!


If you are a Mama on an academic journey who is wearing many hats and trying to blend your marriage, family, career, and scholarly worlds, then this space is for you!


Michelle is on a mission to help Mamas on scholarly journeys, like you, to blend family, work and doctoral study without losing yourself in the process. She wants to help you reach your life and academic goals without sacrificing what matters, with practical tips and insights to help you transform your juggle-struggle into purposeful journeys of becoming, reclaim our scholarly joy and create purposeful success!


So Mama, are you in?


Fabulous!


Let's begin...


These are our journeys of becoming!

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Episodes

61. Why Doing It All Is Keeping You Stuck and How to Break Free

As a Scholarly Mama myself, I understand the challenges of juggling motherhood with the demands of PhD life. But I'm here to share the raw truths of this juggle, the pitfalls of the "do it all" mentality, and the power of embracing our authentic, multifaceted selves. In this episode, I share why doing it all is keeping you stuck and how to break free from this trap. This episode is a concentrated dose of inspiration and challenge, speaking to the heart of what it means to be a purposeful Scholar...

May 20, 202412 minSeason 2Ep. 61

60. Unravelling The Hidden Joys of Being A Scholarly Mama

In juggling the rigours of academia with the tenderness of motherhood, I've walked the intricate path of Scholarly Motherhood . It's a story of resilience and triumph, in which I share the wisdom I've gathered from my own experience as a Mama of 3 who also navigated a PhD journey. In this inspiring episode, we celebrate every Scholarly Mama navigating the monumental task of nurturing young minds and cultivating their own intellectual growth. My narrative weaves through the empowerment of educati...

May 13, 202422 minSeason 2Ep. 60

59. Research and Rattles: How to Overcome PhD Procrastination After Maternity Leave

As a Scholarly Mama who's weathered the storm of returning to PhD life post-maternity leave, I'm no stranger to the siren song of procrastination. In an intimate sharing of my journey, I reveal the strategies that helped me stay the course amidst the chaos of new motherhood. It's a road filled with sleepless nights and the guilt of time away from your little one, but also with the triumph of rediscovery of a new, fierce identity as a Scholarly Mama. This episode isn't just about tactics to beat ...

May 06, 202427 minSeason 2Ep. 59

58. Triumph Through Turmoil: A Journey of Motherhood and PhD Resilience with Dr Kristine Nicki Annunziata

In this very special guest episode, Dr Kristine Nicki Annunziata, a nurse with a PhD in addiction studies, graces the podcast with her extraordinary tale, one that marries the rigorous demands of academic research with the unpredictable whirlwind of motherhood. Nicki, a mother to three, including twins, peels back the curtain on her life's compelling narrative, from combating health setbacks and evictions to the triumph of a successful PhD defence. We capture Nicki's candid reflections on the co...

Apr 29, 20241 hr 31 minSeason 2Ep. 58

57. The Truth About Work-Life Balance: 10 Shifts For Scholarly Mama Success

Discover my 10-step formula for Scholarly Mamas seeking harmony between their academic pursuits and personal lives. In this episode, I tackle the myth of work-life balance head-on, offering a new narrative that celebrates mindful intention and aligns with your deepest values. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for those academic matriarchs who are looking to redefine success on their own terms, favouring a sustainable pace over the frenetic hustle glorified in our overworked culture. Emb...

Apr 22, 202442 minSeason 2Ep. 57

56. Breaking the Self-Doubt Cycle: Practical Strategies for Scholarly Mamas

Struggling with the ever-present spectre of self-doubt while trying to juggle the hats of scholarly life and motherhood, I know the internal battle all too well. Join me as I share my own experiences with procrastination and last-minute pressure, and let's unravel the strategies to bolster our confidence and march forward in our scholarly pursuits, even amidst the delightful pandemonium of parenting. In a candid heart-to-heart, I delve into the additional layers of complexity that minority ​Scho...

Apr 15, 202439 minSeason 2Ep. 56

55. Moving My Family Abroad To Do A PhD with Dr Sidra Iftikhar

Imagine embarking on the rigorous path of a PhD journey while cradling the joys and challenges of motherhood. Dr. Sidra Iftikhar did just that - stretching her academic wings in Spain, nurturing her family, and diving into the world of e-learning research. Her compelling story unfolds in our latest episode, where she reveals the motivations for her overseas academic pursuit and the strength found in the camaraderie with fellow researchers. We delve into the nuances of creating a robust support s...

Apr 08, 202447 minSeason 2Ep. 55

54. Reflective Replay of 'Journeys of Becoming - Why I Started Mrs Mummy PhD'

Enjoy this reflective replay of the first ever Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast episode! I invite you to join me in celebrating a year of shared growth and empowerment on the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast. Imagine a place where academic aspirations and the art of motherhood don't just coexist but flourish - that's the journey we've embarked on together. Throughout this time, we've tackled the raw edges of thesis writing, the battles with imposter syndrome, and for me, the nervous elation of sharing my voice, sto...

Apr 01, 202422 minSeason 2Ep. 54

53. 10 Things That Made PhD Motherhood Easier

Have you ever wished you were a fly on the wall in someone else's PhD Motherhood journey to see what they did to make it easier? Well, here you go! Don't miss this front-row seat to 10 things that made my PhD Motherhood journey more doable. Full show notes: COMING SOON! You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for becoming a more purposeful Scholarly Mama ! Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD® blog . 2. Follow me on Instagram , Fac...

Mar 25, 202441 minSeason 2Ep. 53

52. "We made it!" Toll Roads and A Whole Year of Podcasting

It's been a whole year of the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast! Join me in this celebratory episode where we reflect on the past year of podcasting plus navigating a PhD as a Mama. And if you're wondering what any of that has to do with toll roads, you'll have to tune in to find out! If you're a Mama on a scholarly journey, this episode is one you won't want to miss! Full show notes: COMING SOON! You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for becomi...

Mar 18, 202442 minSeason 1Ep. 52

51. "Mama, Take a Break!" The Power of The Reflective Pause

Navigating PhD life as a Mama can feel overwhelming at the best of times. As a Mama doing a PhD, you can't simply 'believe' your way through the juggle-struggle! You need practical strategies to help you navigate this challenging journey. In this episode, we'll discuss the power of the reflective pause when Scholarly Mama® life gets overwhelming and how it can help us reach our goals with less stress and more joy. Mama, let's get into it! Read the related blog post here: "Mama, Take a Break!": T...

Mar 11, 202429 minSeason 1Ep. 51

50. Nurturing Brilliance: Celebrating the Remarkable Beauty of PhD Motherhood

Are you a mother pursuing a PhD? Balancing the demands of motherhood and academia is no small feat, but it's an incredible journey that deserves recognition and admiration. In this episode, we'll explore the unique challenges, triumphs, and experiences that come with being a PhD mother. If you are on this Scholarly Mama® journey, or thinking about starting yours, I also share some important words of wisdom to take with you at the end of the episode which you won't want to miss! Mama, let's get i...

Mar 04, 202424 minSeason 1Ep. 50

49. How Burnout and A Cancer Diagnosis Led To Prioritising Self-Care - with 'Wellthy Mama' Melissa K Lowe

This week, we are continuing our self-love awareness with an inspiring guest, Melissa K Lowe, from 'The Wellthy Mama'. After experiencing corporate burnout and receiving a life-altering cancer diagnosis, Melissa is now on a mission to help busy Mamas prioritise themselves. Melissa, a self-care coach for busy, working mothers, is also the brains behind the amazing 'Wealthy Mama' guided self-love journal. The journal is the perfect companion for busy Mamas who want to reclaim the ever-flowing, yet...

Feb 26, 202447 minSeason 1Ep. 49

48. Self-Love As a Revolutionary Success Strategy

With Valentine's Day widely celebrated, February is often perceived as a month of love. However, how many of us take the time to love ourselves? And not just once per year, but as often as we can :-). Self-love may look different for everyone but in this timely episode, I break down how self-love can be your revolutionary strategy for success! You don't want to miss this one... let's get into it! Full show notes: Self-Love As a Revolutionary Success Strategy To learn more about Scholarly Mamas® ...

Feb 19, 202429 minSeason 1Ep. 48

47. Navigating Your PhD Journey as a Mother with 3 Actionable Steps

I always try to find lessons in everyday life and as a Mum of three boys, I am constantly navigating my way through fields of toys, which I've realised is not too dissimilar from navigating a PhD journey! So in this episode, I share a recent experience of this and the three actionable steps I extrapolated, which you can easily apply to your PhD journey as a mother. Tune in to hear more about it and those 3 actionable steps :-). Full show notes: COMING SOON! You can also take the Purposeful Schol...

Feb 12, 202420 minSeason 1Ep. 47

46. The Hardest Part of Navigating a Scholarly Journey as a Mama

One day it just hit me... Despite all of the challenges I was facing on my Scholarly Mama® journey, this one was the hardest of them all. If you're a Mama on a scholarly journey, many of the challenges discussed in this episode will hit home for you, but I'd love to know what you think about the one that I decided was the hardest for me! Tune in to find out :-). Full show notes: COMING SOON! To learn more about Scholarly Mamas® , please follow the link and sign up for the FREE community. You can...

Feb 05, 202425 minSeason 1Ep. 46

45. Reflective Replay of 'What's Holding You Back Mama?'

Enjoy this reflective replay of a previous episode on the podcast. A few years ago, as I waited to board the tube (train) in the hustle and bustle of the evening rush hour, I had a teachable moment that spoke to me in such a way that I felt compelled to share it with you. Tune in to find out! To learn more about Scholarly Mamas® , please follow the link and sign up for the FREE community. You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for beco...

Jan 29, 202419 minSeason 1Ep. 45

44. This Single Word Swap Is A Game-Changer for Any Mama Doing a PhD

This single-word swap is a game changer for any Mama doing a PhD. Why? Because it's a mindset shift that will change the way you think about your PhD journey forever! Full show notes: COMING SOON! To learn more about Scholarly Mamas® , please follow the link and sign up for FREE community. You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for becoming a more purposeful Scholarly Mama ! Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD blog . 2. Follow me...

Jan 22, 202425 minSeason 1Ep. 44

43. The Post-PhD Wilderness And How To Navigate It

The post-PhD wilderness is real. But how do we navigate it as Scholarly Mamas®? In this podcast episode, I share my thoughts on how you can prepare for and navigate the post-PhD wilderness. Full show notes: COMING SOON! To learn more about Scholarly Mamas® , please follow the link and sign up for the FREE community. You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for becoming a more purposeful Scholarly Mama ! Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs Mu...

Jan 15, 202439 minSeason 1Ep. 43

42. Reframing Failure As A Scholarly Mama

How do we perceive and deal with failure as Scholarly Mamas®? In this podcast episode, I share my thoughts on facing failure as Mamas on doctoral journeys and how we can reframe it for good. Full show notes: COMING SOON! Links referenced in the podcast: Access our FREE PhD with Purpose Mamanar Learn more about Scholarly Mamas® You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for becoming a more purposeful Scholarly Mama ! Want more? 1. Check out...

Jan 08, 202430 minSeason 1Ep. 42

41. Inside The Scholarly Mamas Collective Plus 3 Important Traps to Avoid in 2024

Happy New from Mrs Mummy PhD®! It's finally time to open the doors to our purposeful collective: Scholarly Mamas®! In this podcast episode, I share more about what's inside of the network and how you can get FREE access to some areas of Scholarly Mamas® via our EXPLORE space. You can also take the Purposeful Scholarly Mama trait quiz and I'll send you some personalised tips for becoming a more purposeful Scholarly Mama ! Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD blog . 2. Follow me on Instagram ...

Jan 01, 202415 minSeason 1Ep. 41

40. Merry Christmas & Reflective Replay of 'Finding Fulfilment: Why You Need to Prioritise What Matters Now'

Merry Christmas from Mrs Mummy PhD®! This is a season of love but it's also a season of reflection and on today's episode, we are sharing a Reflective Replay of an earlier episode that feels quite timely now as you maybe reflecting on 2023 and thinking ahead for 2024. Enjoy the Reflective Replay! The Scholarly Mama juggle-struggle is hard. This is why it's even more important to slow down and prioritise what matters... Finding fulfilment is the process of discovering and pursuing what brings you...

Dec 25, 202326 minSeason 1Ep. 40

39. Huge Wins And Hard Lessons From 2023: The Rollercoaster Year That Changed My Life Forever

I don't know about you, but 2023 certainly brought me some huge wins and some hard lessons too! It was truly a rollercoaster of a year but one that changed my life forever. As I reflect on the year 2023, I share some of those huge wins and hard lessons in this emotional episode. Trigger warning: I emotionally discuss our recent experience of grief and loss in this episode (from around 21 minutes to around 27 minutes) so you may wish to skip this section if you think you may find it triggering. 1...

Dec 18, 202338 minSeason 1Ep. 39

38. Is Scholarly Mamas For You?

Our new Scholarly Mamas® webpage is now live! Check it out here . But who is the Scholarly Mamas® collective really for? The previous episode focussed on why Scholarly Mamas was created... This episode is all about who Scholarly Mamas® is for! If you simply want to blend your PhD life and Mama life in a way that allows you to achieve your personal and scholarly goals without guilt and without sacrificing the people and things you love (including yourself) then Scholarly Mamas® is for you! Want m...

Dec 11, 202327 minSeason 1Ep. 38

37. The Scholarly Mamas Collective and The Powerful 'Why' Behind It

Sometimes we just have to be the change we want to see. I knew the moment I started my PhD as a Mama of 1 that it was going to be a hard road ahead, but nothing prepares you for doing a PhD while becoming a Mama of 2 and then a Mama of 3. Although this did not change my goal of completing my PhD, it did change the way I went about achieving it. In this episode, I want to share why I am creating Scholarly Mamas® . Be warned Mama, I'm going deep in this podcast episode. Related Blog post: The Scho...

Dec 04, 202325 minSeason 1Ep. 37

36. What To Do When You've Fallen Out Of Love With Your PhD

If anyone tells me that they've completed a PhD without ever thinking of walking away from it, they are not being truthful. As Scholarly Mamas , we all have these moments at some point during our PhD journeys, where we realise that no matter how hard we keep working at it... we fall out of love with it... The PhD pressure rises and the passion fades. So, in this episode, I will share some thoughts on what to do when you've fallen out of love with your PhD. I hope you find it helpful. If you do, ...

Nov 27, 202326 minSeason 1Ep. 36

35. The 7 C's Every Scholarly Mama Needs To Unlock Success

As Scholarly Mamas , we all want to reach our academic (& personal) goals. However, it can be difficult to know where to begin when our goals feel unattainable at times. Well, as someone who has been through this in quite an unconventional way, I want to share the 7 key pillars every Scholarly Mama needs to kickstart that success. I hope you enjoy this empowering episode! Read the related blog post here: The 7 C's Every Scholarly Mama Needs To Unlock Success Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs M...

Nov 20, 202327 minSeason 1Ep. 35

34. 'Manage Your Energy Over Your Time!': What I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Scholarly Mama

As Scholarly Mamas , who wear many hats, we're often told to master the art of time management. And it makes sense in theory, right? If we're in the throes of the juggle-struggle, we could try organising our time more effectively to get in control of our tasks... However, in reality, managing your energy might be the secret to blending your academic aspirations and your role as a mother. So in this episode, we explore why energy management matters even more than time management for Scholarly Mam...

Nov 13, 202317 minSeason 1Ep. 34

33. Time Management Mastery for Purposeful Scholarly Mamas

As a Scholarly Mama , you are certainly no stranger to the juggling act of managing both your academic pursuits and the demands of motherhood. It's a challenging task, but with the right time management strategies, you can master both and achieve your academic goals while still being present for your family. If you want to know more, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Read the related blog post: Time Management Secrets for Scholarly Mamas Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD blog . ...

Nov 06, 202318 minSeason 1Ep. 33

32. Purpose Over Prestige: A New Rule For Success

It's time for a new rule for success as the obsession with prestige does not serve us as Scholarly Mamas . So what's the new rule for success for us as Scholarly Mamas ? It's simply valuing purpose over prestige! If you want to know more, this is an episode you don't want to miss. Read the related blog post: Purpose over Prestige: A New Rule For Success Want more? 1. Check out the Mrs Mummy PhD blog . 2. Follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest or TikTok . 3. Join Scholarly Mamas®...

Oct 30, 202318 minSeason 1Ep. 32
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