Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! When did you last get some negative feedback? As PhD students and academics, we get negative feedback quite often, either comments on drafts of papers, rejections from journals, applying for jobs, all sorts of things. We get bits of negative feedback and it can really hurt. So what do we do when we experience negative feedback? What do we do with the fact it hurts and how could we perhaps do something different in the future? That's what ...
Sep 25, 2023•34 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Welcome to Season 2 of the PhD Life Coach! In this first episode, I talk about feeling behind! It's easy to spend a lot of time telling yourself that you're behind your own plan or you're behind other people. Neither feel good and neither help us make more progress. I'll talk through why these sort of thoughts hold us back and give some ideas about what to do instead. None of this needs us to be a super human - the tips are simple and ach...
Sep 18, 2023•21 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this final episode of the 2022/23 academic year, I reflect on seven things that I have learned since starting this podcast. Whether it's managing perfectionism, staying consistent or building community, there's loads that you can apply to your own journey. After this, I'll be taking a short break and returning at the beginning of September. There's 41 episodes up for you now so perhaps revisit some of the ones you've missed, or that yo...
Jul 24, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In this episode, I welcome Kirsty Sedgman, academic and author of On Being Unreasonable. We talk about Kirsty's fascinating route into her current academic role and what encouraged her to write a book about unreasonableness. We also discuss the tricky subject of what is considered "reasonable" within academia and how we can push boundaries to create our own meaningful paths. In this episode, Kirsty Sedgman talks about her book On Being Un...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Do you start your day not clear on what the priorities are and just feeling indecisive and unmotivated? We all do sometimes. What we often need in that moment is to be a bit reflective, think about what we need, get clarity on our tasks and remind ourselves why we do this. But it's so hard! When you're already in a funk, it's so difficult to regulate yourself like that. I know! I try and fail often. To support you, I've made a start the d...
Jul 13, 2023•9 min
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! This is the second of a two part series about thriving in our academic summer. This time we consider the balance between structure and freedom and how to plan a summer that meets all of our needs. In this episode I talk about another episodes of my podcast: How to use role-based time-blocking You can find a transcript at www.thephdlifecoach.com/podcast and also find more details about working with me **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor...
Jul 10, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 39
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! The summer period can be particularly stressful for academics, whether it's because you miss the structure of "normal" term or because you don't feel like you even GET a summer any more. This is the first in a short series of episodes considering how we can make the summer ours again and enjoy this part of the academic year. Today we're talking about the benefits of combining some "acceptance" with some "resistance" so that this doesn't f...
Jul 03, 2023•31 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! When PhD students (and even academics) think about their career options, it often gets divided into "academic" or "non-academic" careers. In this episode, my guest Holly Prescott, a careers consultant for PGRs, talks about academic adjacent careers. She explains what they involve, why people should consider them and we discuss some of the issues that sometimes hold people back from discovering, and moving into, these interest careers. In ...
Jun 26, 2023•53 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Lots of people struggle to feel proud of themselves, even when on paper they look really successful. In this episode, I talk about why this is, why it can cause problems and how to develop a habit of being more proud of yourself. Find the transcript at www.thephdlifecoach.com/podcast **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and th...
Jun 19, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! People often ask me how to finish up a PhD quickly but not many people know that I did exactly that. In this episode, I consider why people worry about finishing quickly enough and share some reasons why it was possible in my case (sneaky preview - none of it was because I was cleverer or better than anyone else in my cohort...) I also discuss the downsides of speeding through and what I think people could do instead. This is my most pers...
Jun 12, 2023•41 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! So many clients tell me that they struggle to transition between different types of tasks, particularly when it comes to fitting writing into their regular days. In this episode, I'm talking about my not-very-illustrious history of attempting triathlons and what I learned about "transitioning" between the different sections of the race. If we're going to time block effectively (and not just tell ourselves that it "doesn't work for us"), t...
Jun 05, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 34
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, and discover why I'm committing to NOT making a bunch of tiny personalised hats.... **** I'm Dr Vikki Wri...
May 29, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 33
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 transcript, or to find out more about working with me, you can go to www.thephdlifecoach.com. **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-P...
May 22, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 32
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 problem with all-or-nothing thinking is that it feels pretty rubbish, encourages us to focus on our "fails", and makes it ...
May 15, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 31
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 can use to help feel a little less like an imposter. Importantly, I also discuss how imposter syndrome is not...
May 08, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 30
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 develop more confidence in your teaching. If you want to find out more about working with me, check out www.thephdlifecoach.com/work-...
May 01, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 29
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 episode I talk about a piece of work by Pragya Agarwal, the author of Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias. You c...
Apr 24, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 28
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 the common barriers and worries that people have about engaging with the public. You can check them out at...
Apr 17, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 27
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 will become clear, this was recorded in a field so you can hear the wind! It's still audible but not quite as crystal clear...
Apr 10, 2023•11 min•Season 1Ep. 26
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 actuall...
Apr 03, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 25
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 w...
Mar 27, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 24
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 wil...
Mar 20, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 23
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 ...
Mar 13, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 22
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. If you'd like to find out more about...
Mar 06, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 21
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 al...
Feb 27, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 20
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 mo...
Feb 20, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 19
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! ***NOTE - this is NOT talking about abusive, problematic and/or unacceptable supervision. I will ...
Feb 13, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 18
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.thephdlifecoach.com/work-with-me **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from...
Feb 06, 2023•16 min•Season 1Ep. 17
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 focusi...
Jan 30, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 16
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 overview that you can use. From here, you can strategise and prioritise about what to focus on and use the docum...
Jan 23, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 15
