PodcastsEducationThe PhD Life Coach

The PhD Life Coach

Vikki Wright
The PhD Life Coach
Latest episode

178 episodes

  • The PhD Life Coach

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

    25/05/2026 | 33 mins.
    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.
  • The PhD Life Coach

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

    18/05/2026 | 1h 4 mins.
    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.
  • The PhD Life Coach

    4.37 How do I stop beating myself up in hindsight

    11/05/2026 | 30 mins.
    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.
  • The PhD Life Coach

    4.36 How do I know if my work is good enough

    04/05/2026 | 30 mins.
    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.
  • The PhD Life Coach

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

    27/04/2026 | 36 mins.
    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.
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About The PhD Life Coach
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.
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