The Academic Imperfectionist

Rebecca Roache
  • 4.9 (26)
  • SELF-IMPROVEMENT
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY
The Academic Imperfectionist

The Academic Imperfectionist combines philosophical analysis and coaching insights to help you dump perfectionism and flourish on your own terms. Your host is Dr Rebecca Roache, a coach and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of London.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    #101: Professors Thomas S. Mullaney and Christopher Rea on the absolute basics of doing research

    Do you know how to turn what you're interested in thinking about into something that other people want to read about? Do you even know what you're interested in, as opposed to what you think you should be interested in? Do you recognise that boredom and feeling lost are necessary and unavoidable parts of the research process, and that you can use them to your advantage? Do you know how to tap into your unique strengths and produce writing that's original and insightful? Do you realise that pe...

    1h 20m

  2. 12/13/2024

    #100: What I've learned about perfectionism

    Friends, it's the 100th episode! So, isn't it about time we talked about what perfectionism is, and why it's a problem? It's over 4 years since I recorded the first episode of this podcast, and I've learnt a LOT about perfectionism from the 99 episodes I've released so far - not to mention from the many hundreds of hours of coaching people I've done. Leave that unfinished project, that untidy desk, and that incomplete task list, and join your old imperfectionist friend for some perfection-rel...

    24 min

  3. 11/29/2024

    #99: Hey! What you reading for?

    It's a familiar story. We're feeling stuck and out-of-our-depth with our writing, so we decide we'll go and do a bit more reading - just, you know, to soak up some of the wisdom out there and become better informed and therefore better qualified to continue writing. But sadly, reading for these reasons ends up making us feel less informed and qualified, not more. Sometimes, when we're stuck, we need to write, not read. And when we do read, we need to have an agenda. We need to know ...

    23 min

  4. 11/15/2024

    #98: Guest interview! Dr Debbie Sorensen on battling burnout

    When I came across Dr Debbie Sorensen's recent article, 'How to recover from burnout', I knew I had to get her on the podcast! Debbie is a Denver-based psychologist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience, specialising in burnout, chronic stress, and anxiety. Her own struggle with burnout, along with her experience helping others, make her an absolute goldmine of insight and actionable strategies that you can apply to your own life. Stop fantasising about how today is the day you'll final...

    1h 15m

  5. 11/01/2024

    #97: When failure of inspiration strikes

    What do you do when you have no idea? When you literally can't think of anything to write about? I don't know why I'm asking. I already know the answer: you panic and run to your favourite productivity websites for a new hack to solve it, right? And you definitely, definitely don't tell anyone, because struggling to come up with ideas is a shameful secret that you must guard with your very life. Friend, step away from the productivity hacks. Having no idea is something we've al...

    26 min

  6. 10/18/2024

    #96: Guest interview! Dr David Brax on the dangers and inequalities of 'hope labour'

    Have you ever thrown far more time and energy into your work than you get paid for? Have you ever said yes to a request to be on a dull and time-consuming committee because you want to show what a great colleague you are? Have you ever done too much for too little, because you hope that it will all pay off in the end when you get that secure job, that PhD position, or that grant? If so, my friend, you've been engaging in hope labour, and Dr David Brax is worried about you. With stress, burnou...

    1h 5m

  7. 10/04/2024

    #95: The perfectionism-busting power of hobbies

    I know you think you shouldn't be making time in your life for hobbies, what with being so shamefully behind on your writing and everything. And I know that you know that, despite this, you probably should be making time for hobbies, because in theory you do actually need to relax sometimes, you suppose, so maybe you'll consider taking up chess or macrame or ice skating just as soon as you've caught up with everything you're behind on (or as soon as someone adds a 25th hour to the day, which ...

    32 min

  8. 09/20/2024

    #94: Postcard from the Costa del Burnout

    So, that last episode that didn't happen. What was going on there, then? It was burnout, friends. Followed by trying and failing to take some relaxing time off. It wasn't all in vain, though. Here are some reflections on burnout, the battle to relax, and the dangers of disconnecting from our own needs.References:Cohen, Josh. 2016: 'Is there more to burnout than working too hard?' The Economist, 29th June. Cohen, Josh. 2016: 'The way out of burnout', The Economist, 28th July.Hauser, CJ. ...

    21 min
See All (102)

4.9
out of 5
26 Ratings

About

The Academic Imperfectionist combines philosophical analysis and coaching insights to help you dump perfectionism and flourish on your own terms. Your host is Dr Rebecca Roache, a coach and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of London.

Information

  • Creator
    Rebecca Roache
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Academic Imperfectionist
  • Show Website
    The Academic Imperfectionist

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