All Episodes
The PhD Life Coach — 202 episodes
4.63 GREATEST HITS - Eight ways you’re secretly procrastinating
4.62 GREATEST HITS - How to work out why you procrastinate
4.61 GREATEST HITS - How to Stop Wasting Time by Trying to Be Too Efficient
4.60 GREATEST HITS - How to make your week more effective
4.59 GREATEST HITS - Why I’m banning highlighters
4.58 GREATEST HITS - How to take better notes
4.57 GREATEST HITS - Why you should never read when you're writing
4.56 GREATEST HITS - How to read academic papers more quickly
4.55 GREATEST HITS - How to edit your work without hating yourself
4.54 GREATEST HITS - How to write when you’re confused
4.53 GREATEST HITS - How Winnie the Pooh can help you manage your mind
4.52 GREATEST HITS - How to be your own best supervisor
4.51 GREATEST HITS - How to prepare for a difficult meeting
4.50 GREATEST HITS - How to have a great relationship with your supervisor
4.49 GREATEST HITS - What to do if you’re lonely in academia
4.48 GREATEST HITS - How to build your own academic community
4.47 GREATEST HITS - How to prepare for your academic summer - structure and freedom
4.46 GREATEST HITS - How to prepare for your academic summer - acceptance and resistance
4.45 Some common misconceptions about self improvement - and what to do instead
4.44 How to do a PhD later in life (a double coaching episode)
4.43 How I made an idiot of myself (circa 2011)
4.42 How to plan time off when you’re busy
4.41 What to do if you fail an annual review or milestone
4.40 Why you should body double and how to do it well
4.39 Nine things I learned about academia from watching reality competition shows
4.38 How to get through the next steps post-thesis submission (A double coaching episode!)
4.37 How do I stop beating myself up in hindsight
4.36 How do I know if my work is good enough
4.35 What to do when you don’t stick to your systems
4.34 How to understand your own procrastination (a special coaching episode)
4.33 How to cope in academia with menstrual dysfunction (a double coaching episode!)
4.32 How to do tasks you’ve been putting off (a special double coaching episode!)
4.31 How to get going on work without external accountability
4.30 How to write when you’re confused
4.29 Why you shouldn’t wait for a polished draft
4.28 How to manage when your work is interrupted all the time
4.27 How to stop thinking about your academic work
4.26 What to do when you don’t have enough time
4.25 How to do difficult tasks
4.24 How to identify options when making a decision (a coaching episode with Claire!)
4.23 How to manage tasks that are not on your To Do list
4.22 What to do when your task is taking longer than you thought
4.21 How much should I work per week in academia
4.20 How to manage the critical voice when you’ve got too much to do (a special DOUBLE coaching episode)
4.19 How to pursue goals that you’re not sure are possible
4.18 How and if you should use a Brick to reduce phone usage
4.17 Why I left academia (it may not be what you think)
4.16 Why you should notice the paradox of imposter syndrome
4.15 What to do when you don’t know what to do
4.14 What to do when the **** hits the fan
4.13 How to celebrate big wins without getting too big for your boots
4.12 What the Celebrity Traitors taught me about imposter syndrome
4.11 Why my phone addiction confession might help you too
4.10 Why we should celebrate tiny silly wins
4.09 Why you are more than a Gantt chart
4.08 How to stay focused when a lot’s going on - a special coaching episode
4.07 Why you need an instruction manual
4.06 I answer listener questions
4.05 How to send that scary email
4.04 How to prioritise when you have competing challenges - a coaching session with Predrag
4.03 How to mentor anyone in academia with Dr Maria Lamonaca Wisdom
4.02 How to take better notes
4.01 How to use your existing expertise when you feel like an imposter
3.48 What to do when you don’t make time for yourself (special coaching episode with Gillian)
3.47 What to do if you’re lonely in academia
3.46 How to prepare for a difficult meeting
3.45 How to write your discussion when you don’t know how (special coaching episode with Becci)
3.44 Understanding how power affects student-supervisor relationships
3.43 Answering your questions – balancing different commitments, academic role models and surviving publish or perish culture
3.42 What to do if you are considering leaving your PhD – a special coaching episode
3.41 Thriving with autism in academia: Advice for students and universities
3.40 How to read academic papers more quickly
3.39 How to get ahead when you’re feeling behind
3.38 Nine things PhD students need to tell themselves more often
3.37 Why academics need to think like entrepreneurs
3.36 Why you shouldn’t always do your best
3.35 How PhD Students Can Network Smarter & Avoid Career Panic with Dr David Mendes from Beyond the Thesis
3.34 Why making halfassed decisions is making your PhD harder
3.33 How to make your week more effective
3.32 How to work out why you procrastinate and what to do about it
3.31 Protecting your mental health during your PhD with Dr Marissa Edwards
3.30 Doing a PhD with a chronic illness, with special guest Krystina François
3.29 How to Stop Wasting Time by Trying to Be Too Efficient
3.28 How to overcome your fear of presenting (with special guest, author Linda Ugelow)
3.27 How to “do it all” – a listener Q&A episode!
3.26 How to look after yourself when conducting emotionally distressing research
3.25 How to edit your work without hating yourself
3.24 How and why to write for Medium (and beyond)
3.23 Why what you do matters (and when it doesn’t)
3.22 Are you in an emotional overdraft? With special guest author Andy Brown
3.21 Six types of social support you need as a PhD student (and how to get it)
3.20 Why we should think less about deadlines (and what we should do instead)
3.19 Secrets we wish PhD students knew with Dr Gertrude Nonterah of the Bold PhD
3.18 How and When to Change Your Plans: Overcoming Resistance, Embracing Flexibility, and Making Big Moves
3.17 Overcoming Overwork and Overwhelm in the Final Months of Your PhD (a special coaching episode!)
3.16 Why I’m banning highlighters
3.15 Creating Positive Academic Environments: Insights from Sports Psychology with Dr Andrew Dewar
3.14 Why Word Count Goals Don't Work for PhD Writing – And What to Do Instead
3.13 Client Q&A - Motivating yourself in your final year, achieving post-PhD goals, and effective podcast listening
3.12 Why perfect plans fail: Embracing imperfection in academic planning
3.11 Navigating AI during your PhD: An Honest Conversation with Dr. Jessica Parker of MoxieLearn
3.10 How to go from idea overload to clarity
3.09 Client Q&A – post-deadline slumps, uncommunicative supervisors, and judging your own work
3.08 How to be more patient and realistic (part of the Be Your Own Best Boss series)
3.07 How (and if) to work when things feel uncertain
3.06 How to inspire the next generation (with Rosa Smith from the Brilliant Club)
3.05 Client Q&A – getting it done when you don’t feel like it
3.04 How to be more strategic and ambitious
3.03 How to get started on a task
3.02 How to start the academic year
3.01 How the PhD Life Coach can help you this year
2.48 Why we should ask if this will make the summary
2.47 Nine lessons the Olympics taught me that help in academia
2.46 How to work with the version of you who shows up (with special guest Dr Alison Miller)
2.45 Why we should all be more intentional and resourceful (and how!)
2.44 What to do when you get contradictory advice
2.43 What to do when you can't judge how long things take
2.42 Eight ways you might be secretly procrastinating
2.41 Why we all need to be more encouraging and accepting of ourselves
2.40 How to use a Do Know Don't Know list
2.39 How to be your own best personal assistant
2.38 Why we should all be more compassionate and curious (One of the "Be Your Own Best Boss" Series)
2.37 Why you should never read when you're writing
2.36 What to do when you get distracted
2.35 What to do if you feel stuck
2.34 How to manage your tasks
2.33. Why we should think of our careers in phases
2.32 How to plan your academic writing (with special guest Jo VanEvery)
2.31 How to get back into work after a break
2.30 How to break your work down into chunks
2.29 Seven mistakes academics make and how to avoid them
2.28 How to stop comparing yourself
2.27 How to plan when you hate planning (special coaching episode)
2.26 How to manage your energy
2.25 Five things I still struggle with that might surprise (and reassure) you
2.24 How to plan using "boss mode"
2.23 What to do if academia feels unfair (special coaching episode)
2.22 What to do if you want more reassurance
2.31 Eight things that PhD students and academics can learn from The Traitors
2.20 How to improve your writing (with special guest Katy Peplin from Thrive PhD)
2.19 How to stop procrastinating (part 2)
2.18 How to stop procrastinating (part 1)
2.17 How the PhD Life Coach university membership supports students
2.16 How to achieve your goals using the self-coaching model
2.15 Seven things we can learn from Santa
2.14 How to stop feeling guilty when you rest over the holiday
2.13 Why you should act without thinking
2.12 Five things you probably need to hear right now
2.11 How to manage your emotions when everyone is stressed
2.10 How to do academia with ADHD (with guest Dr Alex Conner!)
2.9 How to network (with guest Dr Jen Polk)
2.8 How to prepare for your viva
2.7 How to plan your week (with special guest, ex client PhD student Marie!)
2.6 How to coach yourself (and why you should)
2.5 How to shorten your written work
2.4 Nine things I learned from organising our wedding that you can apply to your PhD
2.3 How to manage your supervisor (or boss)
2.2 How to manage negative feedback
2.1 What to do if you already feel behind
41. Seven things I've learned this year that might help you too
40. On Being Unreasonable in academia with guest Kirsty Sedgman
BONUS - start your day!
39. How to prepare for your academic summer - structure and freedom
38. How to prepare for your academic summer - acceptance and resistance
37. What is an academic adjacent career and why might you want one?
36. Why we should be more proud of ourselves (and how to do it)
35. How I finished my PhD in just over two years (& why I wouldn't recommend it)
34. What I learned about task transitions from doing triathlons (badly)
33. How to do role-based time-blocking
32. How to seek the help you need
31. How to spot, and stop, all-or-nothing thinking
30. How to overcome imposter syndrome
29. How to get more confident about teaching
28. How to stop beating yourself up and learn from past mistakes instead
27. How to get into Science Communication (with The Struggling Scientists!)
26. How to be kind to yourself
25. How to curate your PhD Life with Jamie Pei
24. How Winnie the Pooh can help you manage your mind
23. How to make decisions you love
22. What to do when you're feeling a bit bleurgh
21. Why I want to coach your supervisor (and what that means for you)
20. What to do when you have too much to do
19. What to do (and think) if you have a toxic relationship with your supervisor
18. How to have a great relationship with your supervisor
17. Why you should never cross things off your to do list and what you should do instead
16. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 3)
15. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 2)
14. How to tell your story and get the recognition you deserve (part 1)
13. What to do when you know you're behaving like a toddler
12. How to set New Year's resolutions that stick with Dr Karin Nordin
BONUS: Ten lessons I learned about doing PhDs by playing Stardew Valley
11. How to rest over the holiday period
10. How to review your year the strengths-based way with Professor Jenn Cumming
9. How to manage annoying comments at Christmas
8. How to build your own academic community
7. How to avoid the end of year panic
6. Why you deserve (and can have) a life outside of academia
5. How accepting where you are is the first step to getting where you want to be
4. How to write the thing when you're not writing the thing
3. How to swim when you're drowning in emails
2. Why you don't need a new planner
1. How to be your own best supervisor