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Good Wellbeing and Good Research: Myths, Challenges and Evidence

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Good Wellbeing and Good Research: Myths, Challenges and Evidence

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A webinar discussing the research behind the Wellbeing Thesis.

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Good Wellbeing and Good Research: Myths, Challenges and Evidence

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Our recommended starting point. Co-created with PGRs, this online resource covers your entire research degree.

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The Wellbeing Thesis content has been developed by the University of Derby, King's College London, Student Minds and PGR student co-creation panels. Content written by Gareth Hughes, University of Derby and Ann Kirkman, University of Derby.

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Protecting your mental health: A practical guide for Post Graduate Research students in STEM 

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Protecting your mental health: A practical guide for Post Graduate Research students in STEM 

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This guide holds relevance for all PGRs, regardless of the discipline that you are undertaking research in.

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protecting your mental health and wellbeing

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A practical wellbeing guide for STEM postgraduate students

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Read our practical resource full of tips for protecting your mental health, perfect for postgraduate research students in STEM.

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The PhD place aims to foster a sense of community through real-life stories and online writing events.

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The PhD Place is an online doctoral community that offers support and resources to researchers on their academic journey. Explore our articles, talks, and online writing groups to connect with fellow scholars and gain valuable insights and advice for success in your doctoral studies.

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15 minutes to develop your research career: A podcast for researchers

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15 minutes to develop your research career: A podcast for researchers

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Head to Episode 4 to learn about imposter syndrome and how to overcome it.

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As an early career researcher, developing your research career is likely to be high on your list of priorities. The required skills for researchers to be successful are shifting and changing all the time, so we've developed a podcast series packed with tips and advice to help you stay on track.

Created with Vitae, the international program which champions professional development for researchers, the podcast features insights from a range of research and career experts.

From getting published to tips for researchers of the future, and even exploring the world outside academia, we've got your career covered. Scroll down to listen to each episode.

Episode 1: Public engagement in research

What does 'public engagement' mean and why does it matter for your research career? This episode explores tips for researchers on how to engage the public with your work and why it's so important to do so. Listen to the episode below.
Read the Public engagement in research podcast transcript.

Where to next?

If you've found this podcast series useful, you should also look at these resources:

Our Insights newsletter - the latest news, tips, and resources delivered straight to your inbox.

Vitae careers - advice and support for researchers on careers inside and outside academia.

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15 minutes to develop your research career - Author Services

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As an early career researcher, developing your research career is likely to be high on your list of priorities. The required skills for researchers to be successful are shifting and changing all the time, so we've developed a podcast series packed with tips and advice to help you stay on track.

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The balanced researcher: Strategies for busy researchers

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The balanced researcher: Strategies for busy researchers

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Includes practical strategies for creating a healthier work-life balance.

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Ex-PGRs share their tips on goal-setting, work-life balance and working with your supervisors.

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This is How to PhD, the show dedicated to sharing those key, practical skills for PhD success. Perhaps you've just decided to embark on a PhD, or maybe you're a seasoned doctoral veteran about to face your viva. Whatever stage you're at, the PhD can be a huge challenge. But it can also be one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do and there are a few things we learned along the way that can help you. Join myself, Dr Arun Ulahannan and my co-host, Dr Julia Gauly, as we share everything we wish we had known before starting our PhDs!

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How to PhD- sharing the essential PhD skills we wish we had known! | a podcast by Dr Arun Ulahannan & Dr Julia Gauly

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This is How to PhD, the show dedicated to sharing those key, practical skills for PhD success. Perhaps you've just decided to embark on a PhD, or maybe you're a seasoned doctoral veteran about to face your viva. Whatever stage you're at, the PhD can be a h...

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Designed by an ex-PGR to help combat imposter syndrome.

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A series of blogs that discuss mental health and wellbeing in academia.

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In the last several years, issues relating to mental health and well-being in academia have attracted increasing attention from researchers and in the popular press. Although scholars have long recognised that academia can be a stressful and demanding profession, it has been argued that the current situation is so serious that it should be described as a "crisis". Both university staff and students are reporting high levels of stress and burnout, both of which can have serious consequences for mental health and well-being. In a recent review of the scholarly literature, work by Guthrie et al. (2017) found that "proportions of both university staff and postgraduate students with a risk of having or developing a mental health problem, based on self-reported evidence, were generally higher than for other working populations."

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In the last several years, issues relating to mental health and well-being in academia have attracted increasing attention from researchers and in the popular press. Although scholars have long recognised that academia can be a stressful and demanding profession, it has been argued that the current situation is so serious that it should be described as a "crisis".

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Dealing with isolation and perfectionism as a PhD student

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Dealing with isolation and perfectionism as a PhD student

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PGR experience.

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1. Home

2. Advice and information

3. Studying during university

Amy explains how studying for a PhD during the pandemic was even more isolating than she had expected, and she shares how she found connection online and in nature. She also shares how important it is to separate herself from her degree, to take time off, and to balance her research with her other interests.

Amy shares her experience of studying for a PhD during the pandemic, including feelings of isolation and perfectionism, and balancing her PhD with her other interests.

Video transcript

Hi I'm Amy, a second year PhD student at the University of East Anglia. I'm going to talk a little bit about my experience of doing a PhD during the pandemic, things that have been difficult, and things I have found supported my mental health and wellbeing during this time.
Isolation during my PHD
So doing a PhD has previously been understood to potentially be quite an isolating experience. Often you are working independently, on a topic that you are becoming a specialist in, moving away from support networks, family or friends to undertake your doctorate. I think the pandemic increased isolation for a lot of people. I personally found it very isolating. I had just moved to a new city, away from familiar places and people. Tying to build friendships and rapport with other PhD students, whilst managing the start of my own PhD was very difficult. I also felt very isolated as my partner worked in a care home, so he was out of the flat for 14 hours a day, so I was often alone. It didn't help that a lot of the guidance from the government and those making the decisions within the university seemed to forget that PhD students existed. The support and rules for undergraduates often did not reflect the reality of PhD study.

One thing I found to be helpful was finding that there was a lot of support through online platforms - especially twitter. There's loads of PhD students online and a number of very supportive communities such as PhDBalance, SMaRteN (The Student Mental Health Research Network) and various facebook, twitter and whatsapp groups that you can build real connections within.

I also made a real effort to not allow myself to become isolated from nature. I lived in a tiny studio flat without a garden or proper natural light, and this very quickly had an impact on my mental health, and I knew that being around nature and observing the growth and change of it was a positive influence on my wellbeing. I made sure to try and go for a walk everyday, where I could fit it into my schedule.
Perfectionism & taking a break
Something a lot of PhD students can struggle with is perfectionism and imposter syndrome - the idea that you're not really good enough to be where you are, and somehow people will find this out and everything will come tumbling down! Doing a PhD means you're highly motivated and you can work at a high level. So it's no surprise that many of us feel immense pressure to do the best work and push ourselves very, very hard. It can be difficult to know where the line between doing your best and pushing yourself past the limit lies. During the pandemic this only increased for me - there were suddenly seminars and conferences online that I wouldn't have been able to attend if they were in person, there were new initiatives starting to help support the pandemic response efforts. I wanted to do everything and be everything to everyone, and that really wasn't healthy for my mental wellbeing.

I learnt that it's important to remember that you are DOING a PhD, but you are NOT your PhD! The amount of hours that you work in a day, the feedback that you get on drafts, rejections from journals etc, none of this says anything about who you are as a person! If you think about the people you love most in life, it's not because they can work 12 hour days, or because they can meet word count for an article first try, or because they can publish in high impact journals - its because they are kind, or funny, or caring, none of which can be summed up in a PhD thesis. The PhD can feel like an all consuming monster, but it isn't, its your current job. Its okay to take time off, use your annual leave if you have it. Take your weekends off if you can. You cant be the best researcher you could be if you're burnt out and demotivated,. It's okay to rest.
Outside interests
I found during the pandemic that my PhD became all that I did. It became easy for me to forget the things I enjoyed, and that stopped me from being able to de-stress. Before the pandemic, I'd often spend my free time doing embroidery, which is my outlet for stress and something I find very creatively fulfilling. My partner picked up on the fact that I hadn't been stitching, and so I made a real effort to schedule in time for embroidery as my hobby.

It can be easy to push hobbies and relaxation time to the side when things get stressful, but I found the stressful times are when I needed my creative interests the most. For me, making something with my hands and having complete creative freedom allowed me to relax, and also allowed my brain to focus on something that wasn't my PhD. I found once I'd gotten past feeling guilty for taking time to do things I enjoyed, I would finish an embroidery piece more motivated and often with a new perspective on my PhD work. I work well with structure and deadlines, so I specifically schedule in time for my hobbies now, otherwise I just wouldn't engage with them

I think my experience of doing a PhD during the pandemic has taught me a lot about what I need to do to keep myself well. Doing a PhD can be difficult, stressful, and it can feel like it's taking over your life. But it's the little things, like going to feed the ducks, taking the afternoon off if work isn't going well and doing something creative instead. It's these small things that I've built into my schedule that have got me through the pandemic, and made my PhD a lot less isolating, and also made me a lot mentally healthier.

Video transcript

Hi I'm Amy, a second year PhD student at the University of East Anglia. I'm going to talk a little bit about my experience of doing a PhD during the pandemic, things that have been difficult, and things I have found supported my mental health and wellbeing during this time.
Isolation during my PHD
So doing a PhD has previously been understood to potentially be quite an isolating experience. Often you are working independently, on a topic that you are becoming a specialist in, moving away from support networks, family or friends to undertake your doctorate. I think the pandemic increased isolation for a lot of people. I personally found it very isolating. I had just moved to a new city, away from familiar places and people. Tying to build friendships and rapport with other PhD students, whilst managing the start of my own PhD was very difficult. I also felt very isolated as my partner worked in a care home, so he was out of the flat for 14 hours a day, so I was often alone. It didn't help that a lot of the guidance from the government and those making the decisions within the university seemed to forget that PhD students existed. The support and rules for undergraduates often did not reflect the reality of PhD study.

One thing I found to be helpful was finding that there was a lot of support through online platforms - especially twitter. There's loads of PhD students online and a number of very supportive communities such as PhDBalance, SMaRteN (The Student Mental Health Research Network) and various facebook, twitter and whatsapp groups that you can build real connections within.

I also made a real effort to not allow myself to become isolated from nature. I lived in a tiny studio flat without a garden or proper natural light, and this very quickly had an impact on my mental health, and I knew that being around nature and observing the growth and change of it was a positive influence on my wellbeing. I made sure to try and go for a walk everyday, where I could fit it into my schedule.
Perfectionism & taking a break
Something a lot of PhD students can struggle with is perfectionism and imposter syndrome - the idea that you're not really good enough to be where you are, and somehow people will find this out and everything will come tumbling down! Doing a PhD means you're highly motivated and you can work at a high level. So it's no surprise that many of us feel immense pressure to do the best work and push ourselves very, very hard. It can be difficult to know where the line between doing your best and pushing yourself past the limit lies. During the pandemic this only increased for me - there were suddenly seminars and conferences online that I wouldn't have been able to attend if they were in person, there were new initiatives starting to help support the pandemic response efforts. I wanted to do everything and be everything to everyone, and that really wasn't healthy for my mental wellbeing.

I learnt that it's important to remember that you are DOING a PhD, but you are NOT your PhD! The amount of hours that you work in a day, the feedback that you get on drafts, rejections from journals etc, none of this says anything about who you are as a person! If you think about the people you love most in life, it's not because they can work 12 hour days, or because they can meet word count for an article first try, or because they can publish in high impact journals - its because they are kind, or funny, or caring, none of which can be summed up in a PhD thesis. The PhD can feel like an all consuming monster, but it isn't, its your current job. Its okay to take time off, use your annual leave if you have it. Take your weekends off if you can. You cant be the best researcher you could be if you're burnt out and demotivated,. It's okay to rest.
Outside interests
I found during the pandemic that my PhD became all that I did. It became easy for me to forget the things I enjoyed, and that stopped me from being able to de-stress. Before the pandemic, I'd often spend my free time doing embroidery, which is my outlet for stress and something I find very creatively fulfilling. My partner picked up on the fact that I hadn't been stitching, and so I made a real effort to schedule in time for embroidery as my hobby.

It can be easy to push hobbies and relaxation time to the side when things get stressful, but I found the stressful times are when I needed my creative interests the most. For me, making something with my hands and having complete creative freedom allowed me to relax, and also allowed my brain to focus on something that wasn't my PhD. I found once I'd gotten past feeling guilty for taking time to do things I enjoyed, I would finish an embroidery piece more motivated and often with a new perspective on my PhD work. I work well with structure and deadlines, so I specifically schedule in time for my hobbies now, otherwise I just wouldn't engage with them

I think my experience of doing a PhD during the pandemic has taught me a lot about what I need to do to keep myself well. Doing a PhD can be difficult, stressful, and it can feel like it's taking over your life. But it's the little things, like going to feed the ducks, taking the afternoon off if work isn't going well and doing something creative instead. It's these small things that I've built into my schedule that have got me through the pandemic, and made my PhD a lot less isolating, and also made me a lot mentally healthier.

See what support is available at your university

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Dealing with isolation and perfectionism as a PhD student

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Home Advice and information Studying during university Amy explains how studying for a PhD during the pandemic was even more isolating than she had expected, and she shares how she found connection online and in nature. She also shares how important it is to separate herself from her degree, to take time off, and to balance her research with her other interests.

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Surviving your PhD: Advice from PhD students for PhD students 

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Surviving your PhD: Advice from PhD students for PhD students 

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Includes space to reflect on your motivations and to identify what you want to get out of your research degree.

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Techniques and activities to hone your writing skills throughout your research degree.

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Downloadable resources to support good wellbeing.

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Explore a selection of downloadable resources to support good wellbeing; practical tools and exercises - some link with animations in the video section.

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PGR experience.

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Students are never 'just students'. We bring to our time at university previous as well as current-continuing experiences and the word 'student' is simply a role label that sits alongside others. In my case, I am currently a mature, postgraduate student, but I am also a mother to a primary-school-aged child.

Prior to the start of the pandemic, it already required a great deal of energy to juggle and gain any semblance of balance between my working life and my home life. As a student parent you are not 100% master or mistress of your own time and actions - much depends on the needs of your child or children in any given moment and the skill of adaptability is certainly required.

For me there was a lot of partitioning throughout the day, dividing and sectioning off pieces of time here and there for work and for parenting-related activities such as lunch-box preparing; the school run; the commute to and waiting during extra-curricular activities; the bedtime routine; the play-date and party planning etc. and etc. and etc..! ; not to mention the necessity that is time to emotionally connect with my child. Parenting has a level of emotional and physical time intensity that can be frequently misunderstood, even overlooked. Being a parent whilst also a student therefore adds a layer of complexity to a university experience at the best of times.

Within days of the announcement that schools were closing, and home-schooling was starting in March 2020, I was feeling the weight, scale and overwhelm of the challenge that is fulfilling both student and parent roles. The pandemic basically made the problems of student-parenting before it even more obvious, and my student and parent roles were in conflict.

The main big challenge of my student-parent pandemic experience, from which all the other challenges stem, relates to 'time' - in terms of the amount of it available totally mismatching the tasks that I need to complete; in terms of feeling subject to external timetables (the university's; my child's school's; even my child's daily routine-time-structure that they need to continue for their own wellbeing), none of which coordinate or relate to one another in any way, (ultimately resulting in me having limited sense of an ability to control the management of my own time, especially in the lockdowns.). And importantly, also in terms of a total absence of 'me' time - and by that I mean essential rest time.

Parenting is a full-time job; PhD research is also a full-time job. At the best of times there is a fine balance that can be maintained with the support of things like childcare, family or friend help etc., so perhaps it should have been obvious that overwhelm was something I was going to experience when these support elements were removed as a consequence of the pandemic. Despite fighting to continue 'as normal', it became simply impossible to do two full-time jobs simultaneously, especially when one of those jobs really did need specific, lengthy periods of 'thinking through ideas time'.

I began to get frustrated that there was little recognition of the abnormal situation in which student-parents were now having to exist and that circumstances were overruling what I personally knew I could do better. I felt powerless, as well as completely exhausted. I also began to feel isolated - I didn't know any other students at my university who were parenting or dealing with the stress of home-schooling alongside their work. And I also felt support mechanisms weren't reflecting or relating to the reality of student-parent need or experience.

The nature of the pandemic has obviously changed since the first lockdown, and so too has the nature of being a student and a parent simultaneously during it. Living in a pandemic, in the same way as being a parent or a student, is not to experience a fixed state, and therefore it's important to remain open to new ideas about how to manage and cope with ever and rapid changing circumstances.

I continue to have to be flexible in my work if there is a need to respond to overnight changes in my child's circumstances (like if they're ill, or if they have to be at home isolating due to a school outbreak of the virus etc.). A year earlier than where we are now this would have been very stressful for me - I like to organise and have a fixed routine but that is simply not possible in the current circumstance. I still have moments where I can feel panic rising, but I have got to the point where I've developed principles and actions to live by as a student-parent in the pandemic.

One thing I have found to be vital is honesty. Prior to the pandemic I might have hid or minimised stresses associated with my parenting role - now I find it important, even imperative, to remove a sense of shame and be honest with myself and others about when my roles are in conflict.

I say 'no' when I can see that overwhelm is on the cards; rather than pushing ahead, I make (justified) changes to my research activities when I can foresee clashes; I keep my supervisors informed when I am struggling with role conflicts; I engage in proactive actions to avoid stress, like rejecting meeting requests that collide with school pick-up times; I accept when my work is 'good enough' rather than aiming for 'perfect'; I make time for and prioritise physical activity - walking and dancing are things I cannot live without! And I acknowledge the individuality of both my parenting and student experiences, no longer comparing what I do in either role to other students and/or other parents - everyone's experience is different. I also am using this time to begin a conversation about mental health with my child - it's never too early to talk and introduce activities like gratitude diaries, crafting and yoga.

I suppose in this way you could say that having been a student-parent during the pandemic, I have become more proactive rather than reactive to situations as they arrive. I am proud to be a parent and a student, seeing them as equal elements in my identity, and one can contribute to the success I have in the other. That is something to take forward into whatever 'new normal' develops for student-parents within university.

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Students are never 'just students'. We bring to our time at university previous as well as current-continuing experiences and the word 'student' is simply a role label that sits alongside others. In my case, I am currently a mature, postgraduate student, but I am also a mother to a primary-school-aged child.

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International PGR experience.

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Researcher Development University of Glasgow

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This PhD Life Oct. 2022 - Mariana Pintado Zurita

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Delve into the Wellbeing Thesis using their videos, ordered by theme.

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Watch our videos to explore the PGR experience from different perspectives, from current PGR students, post PGR students, supervisors and experts.

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For part-time PGRs.

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Everything you need to know to not just survive but thrive during your part-time doctorate

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For distance learner PGRs.

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More lived experience stories and tips.

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Tackling Student Isolation. Focus on friendship, community, and idea exchange. Join The PhD Place Network. #AcademicTwitter