

The PhD Life Coach
Vikki Wright
Whether you're a PhD student or an experienced academic, life in a university can be tough. If you're feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, or out of your depth, the PhD Life Coach can help. We talk about issues that affect all academics and how we can feel better now, without having to be perfect productivity machines. We usually do this career because we love it, so let's remember what that feels like! I'm your host, Dr Vikki Wright. Join my newsletter at www.thephdlifecoach.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books

10 snips
Feb 27, 2023 • 36min
20. What to do when you have too much to do
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 :)You can find a transcript at www.thephdlifecoach.com/podcast and find out more about working with me at www.thephdlifecoach.com/work-with-me****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.

Feb 20, 2023 • 36min
19. What to do (and think) if you have a toxic relationship with your supervisor
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. If you'd like to find out more about working with me, come to www.thephdlifecoach.com/work-with-me. You can find a transcript of this episode 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 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.

Feb 13, 2023 • 25min
18. How to have a great relationship with your supervisor
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 talk about this more next week, but the strategies in this episode are mainly focused on enhancing supervisory relationships that just don't feel as good as they could right now. Find the YouTube version of this podcast here: https://youtu.be/gvCuQvAskMg****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.

Feb 6, 2023 • 16min
17. Why you should never cross things off your to do list and what you should do instead
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 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.

Jan 30, 2023 • 22min
16. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 3)
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. You can find out more about working with me at www.thephdlifecoach.com/work-with-me****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.

Jan 23, 2023 • 30min
15. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 2)
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 document to apply for jobs, plan for promotion and apply for awards and recognitions.****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.

Jan 16, 2023 • 23min
14. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 1)
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'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.

6 snips
Jan 9, 2023 • 20min
13. What to do when you know you're behaving like a toddler
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 wayHow to set new year's resolutions that stickTen lessons I learned about doing PhDs by playing Stardew ValleyI also mention the time management lecture by Randy PauschDefinitely check them out!****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.

Jan 2, 2023 • 39min
12. How to set New Year's resolutions that stick with Dr Karin Nordin
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. *please note this episode includes discussion of weight loss*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'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.

Dec 26, 2022 • 22min
BONUS: Ten lessons I learned about doing PhDs by playing Stardew Valley
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'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.