It’s December and the Life-Work-Balance group is recalling the “Mind Your Head” blog posts, a blogpost series which started in May 2018. We invite you to join our journey through 11 inspiring blog posts and five simple activities to foster our life-work-balance, revive knowledge and find new inspiration during this holiday season.
A word at the beginning: perhaps your current life and daily routine do not allow to stick with our ideas everyday. That is alright. Adopt this Advent Calendar style journey to your needs and liking. A little change goes a long way!
Checking in:
1 Dec: Let’s talk about mental health in academia
The title says it all! That’s what we are going to do this December. Although the article has already been published in 2018, its relevance remains unchanged.
Week 1: Mindful Productivity
4 Dec: Relax your eyes
We will do a lot of reading in the next few days. This can be tiring for our eyes. Let’s take five minutes today dedicated to relaxing them. Feel free to repeat this relaxation technique as often as you feel you need it!
5 Dec: The importance of time management in academia
Do you feel overwhelmed by the amount of work on your desk? A good time management can help. Find out more in this article.
6 Dec: Five tips on mindful productivity at work
It is tempting to overwork oneself to get the feeling of being more productive. But it is often just an illusion and will harm your health in the long run. This makes us even less productive and prone to working even longer. See our tips for a mindful productivity at work to stop this vicious cycle.
7 Dec: The Imposter Syndrome
Do you often wonder how and why you got your current job because everyone else seems to be more suitable? Of course not always, but very often this is a sign of the imposter syndrome. Find out more and start valuing yourself better!
8 Dec: Coffee or Tea?
We already went through a lot of content in this week. It is time to reward ourselves! Enjoy a good cup of coffee or tea and, if you like, listen to this five minute meditation video.
Week 2: Taking care of yourself in uncertain times
11 Dec: Exercise to start the week
No matter what kind of sorrow or stress you may have, whether mental or physical, exercising is known to be relieving to your system. If you are able to stand and move, join us by doing this simple five-minute exercise video. Feel free to adapt the movements to your needs or already take a look at the video for 18 Dec: this exercise can be done seated.
12 Dec: Taking care of yourself
This article was originally published during the Corona crisis when a lot of us were stuck at home. Although this is hopefully not the case this winter, taking care of ourselves is still a good idea and should be priority!
13 Dec: Taking care of yourself, Part 2
Want more tips and inspiration for taking care of yourself? Here they are!
14 Dec: Overcoming anxiety
Anxiety indeed rose during the Corona crisis, but years later is still found around us today. In this article, a scientist describes what anxiety is and how she deals with it.
15 Dec: Job uncertainty in academia – know your strengths and possibilities!
How to deal with job uncertainty in academia? This big question is tackled here.
Week 3: A good working environment
18 Dec: Stay flexible
Flexibility is not only key when looking for an academic position, but also quite relevant for our mental health. So let’s start this week with stretching. Feel free to adapt the exercise to your needs!
19 Dec: An introduction to workplace bullying in academia
We think we all agree that everyone should have the right to work in an healthy environment. Find out how you can recognize bullying at the workplace and what you can do to stop and prevent it.
20 Dec: A healthy relationship with your advisor
This is relevant for everyone working with an advisor, especially when it is not the easiest type of collaboration. But also when being an advisor yourself, you may find valuable tips here.
21 Dec: The power and pitfalls of compliments
Compliments are nice, but sometimes they can be overwhelming. This article deals with the intricacy of compliments, which might not be so obvious for everyone at first glance.
22 Dec: Take a deep breath and get ready for Christmas (or the weekend)!
