Blog

Have you made the progress you had hoped to with your PhD this summer? Are you already thinking about how to regain focus and momentum this September? If so, you’re not alone! I often find summer leaves me feeling a little ‘untethered’ and I look forward to September...

Your mindset directly affects your PhD performance. When you are focused on fear you can’t think clearly; when you let go of self-criticism you can step into being the productive and confident researcher you want to be. If you are: * Anxious about submitting a piece...

How is your to-do list looking at the moment?! Many of us approach planning by writing a long list of everything we need to do and then mentally shout “go” at ourselves in the morning, expecting that everything will be ticked off by the end of the day. More often...

I have just published a special edition of the podcast. This isn’t the usual type of episode with an interview but a little gift of a few minutes to pause and reflect on your PhD journey. In this episode, I invite you to: Let go of the kind of PhD reflection that...

As the year draws to a close, I’ve been thinking a lot about wonder. Not the big, showy sort, but the spark that shifts something in you and opens up a new perspective. For many people, that kind of wonder is what draws them into a PhD in the first place.  I’ve...

How are you sleeping? Sleep quality is often the first thing to go during a PhD;  sacrificed because of late-night writing marathons in the desire to get ahead with the work.  Yet, research tells us that sleep isn’t wasted time but a vital phase where the...

How are you doing? If your PhD to-do list feels overwhelming, your workflow keeps slipping, or your motivation is flagging, this session could help! In advance of the launch of the Autumn 2025 PhD 12 Week Sprint programme in September, I will be running an information...

Some notes on the transcription... I wanted to provide a transcript of The PhD Life Raft podcast episodes to make the material more accessible.I have used an automated transcription service to produce this document. These, as we all know, are not 100% accurate. Please...

Some notes on the transcription…I wanted to provide a transcript of The PhD Life Raft podcast episodes to make the material moreaccessible.I have used an automated transcription service to produce this document. These, as we all know, arenot 100% accurate. Please...