Academia runs on overwork. That’s not an individual problem; it’s a systemic one. Institutions pile on admin, expect endless teaching labour, and then somehow still demand a world-class research portfolio.

How many times today have you told yourself I have to? It sounds like a small thing, but the words "I have to" make you feel powerless. They trap you in a victim mentality, reinforcing the idea that you have no control over your work or your time.

I was having a drink with a senior HR professional this weekend who wished to remain anonymous, and he had this piece of advice for university staff who are made redundant: Sign off on the sick for the rest of your contract.

Over the last two weeks, my lab group have hosted two invited speakers remotely. Both were experienced academics and completely comfortable with video conferencing. And yet, both spent the first five minutes of their talk clicking around, sighing, and saying, “Sorry, I just need to figure out how to share my screen.”

You’re holding back on publishing your best ideas because theory feels scary to you. That’s the truth I’ve learned from clients, writing groups, and, if I’m honest, my own experience in academia.

You’ve got a brilliant idea—maybe even five.  But nothing’s happening.  I’m talking about the ground-breaking research centre, the important article, or the amazing life-changing impact project. 

I was listening to a podcast with Gabor Mate the other day talking about junior doctors. He and the podcast host were discussing how some junior doctors just can't tear themselves away from their work and end up staying late or going in on their day off.

If you went part-time to manage your workload only to end up using your unpaid days to catch up on email and things you didn't manage to finish, then it's time to stop.

I met this professor at a women in leadership event, and she was telling me about the time she spent her entire morning looking for these name tags and a welcome banner for the departmental open day.