Self-Compassionate Professor

Dr. Jenn Berg explains how her work as a tenured math professor came to take over her life. After developing a meditation practice however, she started noticing patterns that indicated she had an unhealthy relationship to work. As she watched herself in a new way, she realized it was time to walk away and she made the bold decision to leave academia altogether. She's now working on "Project Jenn," where she is unlearning bad habits, processing emotions when they emerge, and actively making choices about what she wants. - P.S. This is the photo we were talking about early in the interview. It's my husband, Dan, literally stuck on the wall after attempting to jump out of the crawl space in the basement. LOL. 

Dr. Patricia Bonnard explains how her career has been shaped by her multipotentialite tendencies, driving her to multidisciplinary studies, consultancy work around diverse issues, and later, energy healing, embodiment work, and coaching. She explains the importance for humans to find answers to life's questions by going inward, which as she notes, results in greater empowerment, authenticity, connection, and compassion. In other words, finding solutions within connects you more closely to your humanity. Find Dr. Patricia Bonnard on LinkedIn and on her website at https://www.starchaser-healingarts.com. 

Dr. Alex Ketchum, author of Engage in Public Scholarship: A Guidebook on Feminist and Accessible Communication, explains the value of engaging in public scholarship, offering much hope and a sense of possibility for individual academics, the academy generally, as well as society at large. Alex describes her own experiences doing public scholarship, the need for broader engagement with academic research in our society, as well as the risks and challenges of doing such work. Pre-order her book in paperback now and receive a 20% discount using the code, ketchum20. Also, follow Dr. Alex Ketchum on Twitter at @ketchum22. 

In this solo episode, I discuss the need to unpack the values embedded in your career goals and notice, in micro-moments, how your mind will often tell you lies that derail you from aligning with your values. I encourage listeners to notice such lies so they can free themselves to pave a career and life path with meaning and intention as well as expand their capacities to do what they want to do and be who they want to be. If you want help improving your own career wellness, please feel free to schedule a free coaching consult on my website: https://danielledelamare.com/    

In this solo episode, I discuss the challenges of the holiday season and how to begin practicing self-compassion during this time. I argue that the deep inner work of self-compassion is essential to processing emotion and re-orienting along a self-compassionate career path. Drawing on Dr. Kristin Neff's work, I discuss the essential elements of taking a self-compassion break: a) acknowledging your suffering, b) noticing that you are not alone on this difficult human journey, c) showing yourself kindness. If you want  to find more career wellness, schedule a free consult here: https://danielledelamare.com/

In this solo episode, drawing on elements of Polyvagal Theory, I discuss how self-care anchors you in a calm and connected nervous system state. I also discuss how for many of us, after a long semester, our nervous systems become dysregulated and as a result, we become not only disconnected from our bodies and from others, but we also become disconnected from our career visions: we either cannot see our vision or we are furiously chasing an elusive vision. If your nervous system is dysregulated, I explain how you can return to a more connected state. If you want  to find more career wellness, schedule a free consult here: https://danielledelamare.com/  

Dr. Olga Vvedenskaya is a co-founder of Dragonfly Mental Health where she and her colleagues offer mental health support to academics. She tells about her own struggle with depression and explains how the disease distorts reality, convincing a person that they are totally alone. Olga reassures listeners who are struggling with depression and other mental health issues that they are indeed not alone and explains how to find support in a number of ways, offered by Dragonfly Mental Health. Find Dr. Olga Vvedenskaya and Dragonfly Mental Health at https://dragonflymentalhealth.org/. 

Dr. James Hardt discusses his exit from academia, the founding of the Biocybernaut Institute, as well as the help he and his team provide to people who go through his neurofeedback training. He explains that such training changes people's brain waves so that they experience much greater creativity and calm--similar to long-time meditators. Apply for Dr. Hardt's neurofeedback training at https://www.biocybernaut.com/.  

Dr. Melva Robertson describes both her research about Covid and the Great Resignation as well as her own career pivot into academia after the Covid pause provided ample reflection time and insight. Melva explains that self-care, mental health, and finding calm are foundational pieces to career transition. Find her at http://www.melvarobertson.com/.

In the spirit of self-care, self-compassion, and wellness, I re-release my interview with Dr. Özgün Ünver. Dr. Özgün Ünver explains how academics may be at greater risk of burnout compared to the rest of the population. She also describes how burnout manifests differently for different people, types of support one might want to seek when in burnout, as well as her own experience with  burnout. Özgün also discusses the necessity of turning into difficult  emotions as well as practicing self-acceptance and self-compassion when  healing from burnout. Sign up for her newsletter and get the updates about when her next burnout course will be offered at https://www.mindyourownrevisions.com.