Essentialism Meets AI: How We Wrote a Book in a Weekend While Prioritizing Self-Care

We wrote a book in a weekend! Discover how AI and essentialism can transform your project management and self-care practices. Learn from our cyborg writing retreat and embrace intentional living for optimal wellbeing and success.

Try Quiet Flourishing Instead of Quiet Quitting: Working with your strengths

But what if we flipped the script? Instead of dialing back with a “quiet quitting”, let's talk about "quiet flourishing" - optimizing your effort by intentionally leaning into your unique strengths and values.

twc, Strengths, productivityNarelle LemonApril 20, 2024quiet quitting, quiet flourishing, str, strengths, wellbeing, wellComment

Recharge Week: Embracing Rest and Renewal

At its core, the slow movement isn't about complete stagnation; rather, it's about regaining control over the pace of our lives. It's a conscious decision to resist the hustle culture that surrounds us, favouring presence, thoughtfulness, and meaningful connections over mindless productivity.

Slow academia: booking in deep thinking and slow time as an act of self-care

Slowing down means to be present and in the moment where there is an intentionality that interrupts autopilot, busyness work, and hustle with (self-)awareness. It does not mean everything is completed at a slow pace. It means things are completed at a slower pace, with a priority on spending the right amount of time on the things that matter.

twc, wellbeing, productivityNarelle LemonAugust 25, 2022Comment

Supporting the wellbeing of doctoral researchers who study at a distance

Some students may live and work far away from their campuses; others may be physically nearby but work remotely for a portion or all of their candidature, whether by preference, by force. This guest post by Dr Katrina McChesney (University of Waikato, New Zealand) and Dr Jamie Burford (University of Warwick, UK) offers timely advice and illuminates five principles for doctoral wellbeing.

twc, wellbeing, supervision, networking, productivityNarelle LemonMay 21, 2022Comment

Festive Five: Celebrating 1 Year of Wellbeing Whisperer

Wellbeing Whisperer has just turned one. Thanks for your support, for sharing and for reaching out with what has resonated with you. As we move into the end of year and to mark this celebration I’ve collated the top five posts from the past 12 months as a Festive Five gift to you. Read them individually or as a set in an act of care for you and our colleagues.

wellbeing, productivity, networking, supervisionNarelle LemonDecember 20, 2021wellbeing whisperer, wellbeing, academic care, academic reciprocityComment

Tips to help you address your delayed, skipped, or just not happening for you yet AcWriMo experience

I set the best intentions for Academic Writing Month (AcWriMo) this November…but life has gotten in the way. has this happened for you as well? Here are some tips to help you recover and get back on track with your writing habits.

twc, wellbeing, productivityNarelle LemonNovember 23, 2021AcWriMo, writing, academic emotions, academic care, academic wellbeing, academia, academic, PhD, phd lifeComment

Collaboration and the PhD experience (Part 3): Collaborating up, across and passing it on

In this third part to the series on collaboration and the PhD experience we focus on collaborating up, across and passing it on.

Rest as our companion to productivity: And who knew there are different types!

Rest and sleep. We know we need both. Some of us need more than others. And at different times we need more than at others. They are different, but what exactly are they and how can they help us?

Normalising risk taking and fear of failure

A recent tweet from a colleague reminded me of the fear of rejection and failure dialogue I had been recently having with myself. To be honest, I have many, but there had been one I’ll share with you in the post that had featured in my mind a little too much. Let’s unpack this in a way that may help you as well.

Supporting ourselves: Lessons from yoga for our writing

Like yoga, approaching writing and how one begins the process is important. Scaffolding the process is central, as to preparing for writing. Here are some questions I ask myself.

Small acts of self-care: Green tea refills are required

Self-care can be seen as a repertoire of practices – different things you can do that help you care for you, no matter how small. It is those small acts, often that we forget about or dismiss, that can be incredibly powerful. Repeated over time they become a habit that is empowering for you. My small self-care act is savouring a green tea.

The invitation to peer review for a publication: 5 questions to help you with your yes...or no.

My friend, let’s call him Max, sent me a text. He’s a lecturer who is also undertaking his final 6 months of the Phd. He asked me “how do I respond to a request to be a reviewer for a journal?”. Let’s unpack some question sto help you answer this where self-care is present.

Stuck in the Suez Canal: Processing your writing blocks

The recent events of the container ship stuck in the Suez Canal has offered some great viewing, much dialogue, and some critical discussion points represented in memes for us over the past week. The event has also offered us a familiar metaphor for how we sometimes feel as PhD scholars, writers and researchers. Who is your tugboat?

Gaining a sense of control: Finding you again

It’s mid Feb and there are an enormous amount of lockdowns happening right now. Like many of us, the sense of control, or lack thereof is very much present. Let’s connect to our sphere of control for covid…and our academic work.

Rethinking how we work: It is time to make some tweaks

I am heading into the 2021 working year feeling behind. What about you? I don’t think I’ve ever said that before, and I have definitely not said that out loud before. But I feel rather empowered in saying it out loud to you all. And this empowerment has me thinking about what I need to tweak as I more forward - hello a mini experiment in piggyback, mono-tasking, and slowing down.

Making and counting stitches: Holding a space for yourself when you are all zoomed out

I don’t know about you, but I’m all zoomed out! 2020 has had us working in different ways, connecting virtually...well, all of the time. More screen time has been one major feature for most of us. I’ve always thought of my time in different ways - green, screen, me and down time. As I've navigated what down time can look like for me I've explored different ways to do this. You have probably found this as well.

When there is no promotion shine, just deflation...

The feedback floats around in my mind, blurring together, I hear them but I don’t register them. But there is one louder comment that gets stronger and stronger in my mind, playing like a bad song I’ve heard in the foyer of a building that for some reason I remember and keep playing again and again in my mind: "On this occasion, we regret to inform you that your application for promotion, has been unsuccessful".