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.

Quiet Quitting or is it Quiet Flourishing?

Quiet quitting can be harmful, so what about quiet flourishing? So what does this look like? Let’s explore as you coach yourself and find a balance between one's inner world and the external demands of work and personal life.

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 4): Mentorship and nurturing your supervisor relationship

Mentorship and nurturing your supervisor relationship are hot topics in the PhD journey. Part 4 of the Collaboration and the PhD experience series focuses on some reflective questions to support these relationships.

Do you need a Boundary Manifesto?

I’m just going to say it. I’m exhausted. My personal and professional life has blurred so much that I have developed this pattern in the last few months where I work 7 days a week. I keep telling myself I am doing it to keep up or even get ahead on tasks. But after months of doing this I’m not. That’s not cool! My boundaries need a serious refresh. What about you?

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?

Processing student evaluation feedback

In higher education student evaluations are a hotly contested space. So let’s have a look at an approach for processing that enables you to care for you at the same time.

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.

The care in requests

I love receiving email requests to collaborate, speak, or run workshops. I especially like emails, tweets and DMs that share an appreciation. I honestly love hearing from others, it brings me joy. I love ideas. I love being generous. But, there is an art to communication and showing care to those you are reaching out to. Here are my 9 flips that place care at the centre of the cold call or new connection with a busy person.

July is for connecting with your colleagues and peers

July is for connecting with your colleagues and peers. Download, print or set as your screen saver this guide to building positive relationships with your teams.

June is for Jolts of Joy

Welcome to June and daily reminders to self, intentions and ideas to bring some joy into your life.

It’s time for a self-care check in

We have a new moon. Well actually we are moving into an "eclipse season" with a super moon amongst many other moon-like changes and astrology happenings over the next few months. An eclipse season is a culmination of some energy changes, and for those who follow along with astrology know that this is possibly a time for taking inventory about how we have dealt with things. So, it’s a perfect time to do a self-care check in.

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.

April as a month to value yourself

This month is all about valuing yourself. I’ve created a monthly calendar that lays out some daily inspiration via intentions, reminders to self, questions and things to leave in last week actions.

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?

Caring for ourselves and each other as we return to campus

Teaching 2021 is starting back again here in Australia. It will be a year and one week since I last taught in a room that is not my lounge or spare bedroom and on campus! I’m pretty excited actually. I love the energy in a room and the additional layer of social connection that is achievable away from screens. But, I know my excitement is not experienced by others.

That’s a load of 2020: Covid consequences

Wow, 2020! What a year. We’ve made it, and with a few extra new words to our vocabulary! It has been a year of exhaustion, heartbreak, and of reflection. It has been a significant year of pause. And many of the “re” words….rethink, renew, refresh, regroup, restart, reset, reflect, repurpose...have featured.

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.