The PhD Life Coach

Vikki Wright
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Weekly

Whether you're a PhD student or an experienced academic, life in a university can be tough. If you're feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, or out of your depth, the PhD Life Coach can help. We talk about issues that affect all academics and how we can feel better now, without having to be perfect productivity machines. We usually do this career because we love it, so let's remember what that feels like! I'm your host, Dr Vikki Wright. Join my newsletter at www.thephdlifecoach.com.

  1. 4d ago

    4.40 Why you should body double and how to do it well

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Body doubling is where you get in a room or virtual space with another person, with the intention of getting something done in a way that is more productive or pleasant than doing it alone. Originally developed by the disabled community, and especially those with executive functioning challenges, body doubling can be live or online, synchronous or asynchronous, and can be for any tasks that you want support in getting done. In this episode I share some of the reasons this approach can be so effective and how you can make it work for you. I’ll also share some exciting news about new videos coming your way soon! If you liked this episode, you should check out my existing study along video here.  **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    29 min

  2. May 25

    4.39 Nine things I learned about academia from watching reality competition shows

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! If you think you would do better work if you had more time, or you wonder whether to push back against or accept feedback, or you get envious of the success of others, then this is a great episode for you! Having spent more time than I like to admit watching reality competition shows, I started spotting parallels with the things I was hearing in coaching. So in this episode I ramble my way through nine specific and hopefully useful examples that might help change the way you are seeing academia at the moment! If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on eight things that PhD students and academics can learn from the Traitors! **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    34 min

  3. May 18

    4.38 How to get through the next steps post-thesis submission (A double coaching episode!)

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! Handing in our thesis can be such a pivotal moment that we can forget there is more to do afterwards! In this double coaching episode, I chat with Lekhana and Lena who are both post-submission about the new challenges that they are facing. Lekhana discusses how the wait for her viva is affecting her motivation, whereas Lena (who is post-viva) describes the difficulties of getting changes done while navigating the transition out of academia. Hear as we coach through these common challenges - even if you’re a long way from this submission period, there’s a lot to learn!  If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on how to prepare for your viva. **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    1h 4m

  4. May 11

    4.37 How do I stop beating myself up in hindsight

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! It’s so easy to look back and beat yourself up about things you feel you “should” have done earlier, differently or not at all. That can lead to a spiral of self-criticism that’s not only unfair to past us, but that also makes it really difficult to move forward for fear of experiencing the same regret in the future. In this episode, I discuss a philosophical model I came across called the Justied Decision Perspective and in what ways it could help us stop beating ourselves up in hindsight and instead move forward with more learning.  If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on why we should all be more compassionate and curious (one of the Be Your Own Best Boss series). **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    31 min

  5. May 4

    4.36 How do I know if my work is good enough

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! “Is my work good enough” is the million dollar question running through most PhD students’ (and many academics’) mind! In a sector famous for high, yet very poorly defined, standards, it’s no wonder many of us spend a lot of time worrying about whether our work is good enough. In this episode, I chat about why this concern is totally understandable (spoiler - it’s not your fault!) and why it can also be so debilitating. I suggest instead that you ask yourself “good enough for what specifically”. I’ll give you a few options to consider and some pitfalls to avoid when learning how to decide for yourself when something is good enough.  If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on what to do when you get contradictory advice.  **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    30 min

  6. Apr 27

    4.35 What to do when you don’t stick to your systems

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! So many people set up new to-do list systems, or decide to time block, or come to one of my workshops about how to review your week, and then don’t stick to the system. We then often beat ourselves up, declare it a fail, and never go back to it. In this episode, I give you a much more productive way to figure out what to do when you don’t stick to your systems. We identify WHY you might be finding it difficult, and WHAT you can do to use your systems more consistently (and recognise what you’re already doing). If you’ve ever ditched a new planner after two weeks, this episode is for you!  If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on why you don’t need a new planner! **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    37 min

  7. Apr 20

    4.34 How to understand your own procrastination (a special coaching episode)

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! If you think you are the only person in academia struggling with procrastination, then you need today’s episode! Hear from Susie and Zareen, two students in my PhD Life Coach membership, as we discuss hiding from the big scary thing, never feeling ready enough to start, and shiny object syndrome.You’ll hear real coaching, with real students, and get some specific tips to help you with your procrastination.  If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on Why you should notice the paradox of imposter syndrome. **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    1h 4m

  8. Apr 13

    4.33 How to cope in academia with menstrual dysfunction (a double coaching episode!)

    Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show! In the second of my April coaching series, we hear from Til and Alex who both experience pre-menstrual dysfunction that impacts their ability to work on their PhDs. We discuss how they’re affected (including how it exacerbates their ADHD) and coach around the tricky balance between achieving their goals and looking after their health. This is a must-listen for everyone, whether you have these symptoms yourself or you care about and/or work with someone who does.  If you liked this episode, you should check out my episode on doing a PhD with chronic illness.  **** I'm Dr Vikki Wright, ex-Professor and certified life coach and I help everyone from PhD students to full Professors to get a bit less overwhelmed and thrive in academia. Please make sure you subscribe, and I would love it if you could find time to rate, review and tell your friends! You can send them this universal link that will work whatever the podcast app they use. http://pod.link/1650551306?i=1000695434464 I also host a free online community for academics at every level. You can sign up on my website, The PhD Life Coach. com - you'll receive regular emails with helpful tips and access to free online group coaching every single month! Come join and get the support you need.

    57 min
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5
out of 5
12 Ratings

About

Whether you're a PhD student or an experienced academic, life in a university can be tough. If you're feeling overwhelmed, undervalued, or out of your depth, the PhD Life Coach can help. We talk about issues that affect all academics and how we can feel better now, without having to be perfect productivity machines. We usually do this career because we love it, so let's remember what that feels like! I'm your host, Dr Vikki Wright. Join my newsletter at www.thephdlifecoach.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Vikki Wright
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    179
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The PhD Life Coach
  • Show Website
    The PhD Life Coach

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