The PhD Life Coach

Academics often feel overworked yet underachieving, leading to guilt over downtime. The discussion explores why there's no magic number for work hours, emphasizing that success isn't tied to hours logged. Instead, the focus shifts to prioritizing tasks aligned with personal goals. Emotional and cognitive loads vary by individual, impacting available hours. Dr. Wright suggests using role-based time blocking and adapting work schedules to find balance and enjoyment in academia. Listeners are encouraged to embrace flexibility and adjust their approach for better outcomes.

In this engaging discussion, PhD students Kate and Janice tackle the challenges of managing a critical inner voice while juggling demanding NHS careers. They explore themes of self-judgment, anxiety, and the struggle for confidence in academic writing. Through group coaching, they learn to reframe their inner critics as well-intentioned and extract actionable truths. The conversation shifts to practical strategies for self-kindness, including milestones and a positive self-talk script, all while reflecting on their unique academic journeys.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!It’s a time of year where lots of people are setting goals, worrying about which goals to set, and then beating themselves up if they don’t meet them. In this episode, I answer a question I was asked about how to set goals when you’re not sure they’re possible. I share five ways to evaluate big audacious goals to see if they could be a good fit for you and then share two skills that you’ll need to develop in order to pursue a goal that has the potential to be unrealistic! It’s the perfect episode if you have a tempting big goal on your mind!If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on how to achieve your goals using the self-coaching model. ****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 thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 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.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!I really wanted to cut down how much I use my phone and I bought a Brick! This episode is my honest review of the experience so far, and includes some evidence-based advice about what you can and can’t expect from a product like this. I take you through my ups and downs and the behaviour change approaches that I have applied to my Brick strategy. A must for all habitual phone users! {PS this is NOT sponsored by Brick and I bought my own device!}If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on why phone addiction confession might help you too****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 thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 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.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!We hear so much about people leaving academia at the moment and it’s easy to make assumptions about people’s reasoning. I realised when talking with a one-to-one client that my story is not necessarily a typical one, but it could be one that it is interesting for people to hear. So, in today’s episode, I share my reasoning for leaving academia. I don’t do so in an attempt to encourage others to do the same, and while telling my story, I recognise many privileges that led me to have the career that I have had. Instead I simply wanted to share my experience with you all.If you liked this episode, you should check out “how I finished my PhD in just over two years (and why I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it)”. ****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 thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 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.

Imposter syndrome affects high achievers, who often feel like frauds while simultaneously holding unrealistic standards. Dr. Vikki Wright explores the paradox of feeling inadequate despite achievement, linking it to the Dunning-Kruger effect. She identifies five experiences—like always striving to be the best and viewing struggles as failure—that contribute to these feelings. The discussion emphasizes normalizing effort, confusion, and the iterative nature of research, encouraging listeners to view their challenges with compassion.

Feeling stuck in academia? Dive into how the phrase 'I don't know' can trigger decision paralysis. Discover a framework to transform vague uncertainties into actionable steps. Learn to distinguish between what you can find out and what you may never know. Explore the power of choice in decision-making and how to prioritize based on your values. It's a practical guide for anyone tired of indecision, offering clarity and a path forward.

In a candid discussion, Dr. Vikki Wright shares personal strategies for managing crises. She emphasizes the importance of pausing and deep breathing before making decisions. Creating a small support network and canceling unnecessary tasks can alleviate pressure. Vikki advises against all-or-nothing thinking, suggesting a balanced approach to commitments. She highlights self-care essentials like hydration and movement, while encouraging listeners to communicate changes and make simple plans. It's all about kindness to yourself during tough times!

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!We’ve talked before  about celebrating tiny wins, so now we’re talking about big wins. If you feel uncomfortable celebrating papers being accepted, finishing your PhD or getting a job, or any of the other big objective successes, then you’re not alone. In this episode we’ll talk about why this can feel so uncomfortable, how we can expand our definition of “celebration” and how we can ensure that we recognise and remember these important events. This is particularly relevant for you if that sounds much too embarrassing and social awkward to even consider!If you liked this episode, you should check out “how to be kind to yourself”. ****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 thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 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.

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!THIS EPISODE CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS!! Imposter syndrome is top of my mind at the moment because it’s the focus of my membership this quarter. I’m also utterly obsessed with The Traitors and have been loving the UK Celebrity Traitors which just finished. If you want to hear how the final five (and the winner in particular) made me reflect on imposter syndrome, and hear my tenuous links to an academic context, then check out this episode! If you haven’t seen it, and have no intention of watching it, no worries - you’ll still get some useful insight into overcoming imposter syndrome! If you liked this episode, you should check out “eight things PhD students and academics can learn from The Traitors”. I am apparently obsessed…. ****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 thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 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.