Dr. Jaclyn Margolis is an associate professor of applied behavioral science and department head. I found her Instagram profile TheWorkplacePhD (which has since been rebranded to JacMargolisPhD), where she shares the journey of applying behavioral science in her own life—from gratitude practices to leading by example as a leader in her department. We jump in in this episode that we might have expertise (as flagged by a terminal degree), but the journey really is being in the seat of the learner: The mesearch in our research. Some key takeaways:

- The world is in a heavy time. It's important to be empathetic and serve the greater community, and need to care for ourselves. The power of the "And."

- We would never tell someone "sacrifice our physical health because there are hardships in the world" so we struggle with people who say we shouldn't protect our mental health because there are hardships in the world.

- Learn about theory- practice- discover why it is or isn't working for you. Example: gratitude can be a powerful force (good for you and those around you), but a gratitude journal may not work. Try something else.

- Educators should not say "I am right" but rather "I am learning and sharing what I know and I am open to hearing things that are different."

- Scared or afraid to say opinion or “answers” because in the seat of the learner

- Jaclyn studies the psychology of business: understanding what makes people tick and how to be happiest and healthiest at work they can be.

- Leadership professor leading leadership professor sounds like beginning of a bad joke.

- Leading by example: Start your day after coffee and pastry with your kiddo

- Fill yourself before you hit the inbox!

- How are you saving today?

- When we talk about wellbeing, remember you can "save the day today" without falling into a rut that you "missed" your workout or opportunity. What's one thing you can do to change the "what the hell" mindset.

- What would happen if you gave yourself to be funny, yourself, shift the culture?

- Legacy of the way things were done-- but there's a movement to not do things as difficult as it was before.

- What milestones bring you happiness?

- How can you invest your energy in the process rather than the outcome?

- Burnout can fluctuate up to 30%. A lot of burn out is difficult to change but you can feel better...your next 24 hours can start now.

- Flourishing holistically-- career success has so many dimensions, and it's only one component of your life.

- No joy comes from checking your H index. It's just not a worthwhile endeavor.

- Once you hit a certain goal, it’s the bottom of another mountain to climb.

- Vulnerability in admitting you know what you should be doing but not always doing it.

- You can do anything, but not everything.

- It's good to craft and focus on what's important to you, but it evolves.

- Remember, life be lifing and people be peopling.

Stay in touch:

https://www.instagram.com/jacmargolisphd/

If you've ever hid parts of yourself; felt challenged by fashion or presentation of "you" for the lab, classroom, or conference; or were uncertain of where your "real" self v academic self begin and end-- this one's for you. Rebecca gets me with so many zingers like

Top tips for dressing in academia:

If it’s not comfortable, it’s not worth it. Period.

Play with what it means to be a professional—joyful ability to express. Don’t hide who you are, don’t be afraid to play

A blazer will solve almost every problem you’re having A couple that look nice, you can pull it all together

But there's so much more like:

Fashion is a lot more serious than people give it credit for

What you have on is an important part of what you communicate to the world.

Clothing is part of confidence: I can do this, I do belong

Becoming an academic is often accidental

Consider academic if you come alive in teaching – see it as fulfilling, challenging, interesting, exciting to watch someone learn things right in front of your eyes 

Teaching can be a stressful context; compassion and use student/office hours to assist in learning processes

Faculty development teaching workshops. If your instructional communication or pedagogy class will change your life

Consistency, structure, respect—don't worry if my students don’t think I’m cool or funny. If they think you respect them and consistent with empathy, they will trust then maybe like you more than if you were trying to be cool.

A class is not me versus the student; it’s you and the students versus the problem

Didn’t realize getting a PhD changes you as a person, personality, attitude, not just a “job” and there is no real way to revert from it. Once you go through an experience this life-changing

It’s ok that it changes you but you don’t really know what you’re stepping into

A person in clothes, speaking, etc.

Grad school is in many ways more challenging more than being a professor; there’s no way; but yes, you are being asked to do so much in grad school; if you’re listening and still in training and trying to manage; wearing a lot of hats; expert but not; teacher but student; leads to heightened state of I need to be working and producing

People brag about culture of work and how terrible their life is; virtue is tied to my productivit, which often leads to heightened anxiety- and further health issues 

Academia will always ask me for more than I can give it

If I don’t get away and hold boundaries, I’ll have serious issues

How do I even do that if people say they haven’t slept 4 hours; how do I get out of it?

I know I should rest but I haven’t been given the tools to do so

Freedom to determine own schedule can also become a curse

Department expects you to have outside interests; culture matters.

Life is going to demand that you impose boundaries

Previous self had an aggressive resistance by bringing whole self to work

It’s ok to lie. Don’t be an academic martyr. If you had to stop teaching tomorrow, you would be replaced. Do you really think you’re that important that you don’t deserve time off?

How are we reinforcing the system? How are we complicit?

As we gain power we need to show, not just tell 

Resources for further reading:

Slow Professor: Challenging the Culture of Speed in the Academy

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26367751-slow-professor

Steketee and Harden. Einstein’s combinatory play: A promising practice for creativity and well-being among public health professionals. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhip.2024.100546

Read "How to take a weekend":

https://phdinclothes.com/2021/03/26/how-i-take-weekends-off-as-an-academic

Whether you are struggling with self worth or finances or how to role model health in the workplace, wellbeing architect and coach, Johnika Nixon, has some insights to soothe your soul. Johnika shares about her journey in higher education, in shedding old beliefs, and finding practices that help her get embodied. When discussing flourishing, she states, "just like you would research a plant, you need to research yourself." Johnika shares vulnerably about deconstructing her old beliefs and behaviors to reconstruct a new, healthful way of being -- both at work and in life. So many gems to share, highlighting a few here:

- Reflection is important. Borrowing from both:

- - Maya Angelou: I have great respect for the past. If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where you're going.

- - Ghanaian proverb: it is not taboo to go back for what you forgot or left behind

- When you do good work, people see it (two promotions without even trying). But, there's a cost: "I did work so well, I missed other parts of myself"

- Bringing your authentic self to life, work, parenthood, marriage

- Define your whats and whys- boundaries- throat chakra activated to move forward, cleared 70k of debt and lost 50 lbs

- Debt accrual to fix what seemed or felt broken, buy, hide, validate

- Before identifying your values- you have to sit with yourself. You have to sit with decisions

- Sometimes you need a sounding board to help you see where you are or aren’t clear on your values

- Be bored. Be without. Challenge yourself. Track money you didn’t spend. What do you really want? Goals.

- Workplace and spaces need to deconstruct so they are a place of wellbeing for individuals

- Courageous conversation and radical candor when you take care of yourself

-It’s not selfish to center self care for yourself, you are impaired when you drive, you’re being selfish to those on the road wanting to get home to their destination. We are on this journey of life together, more to ourselves, our villages, and the future. 

- My wellbeing my self care my life is/ are non negotiable

- Activating throat chakra is divine

- If you take care of yourself they’ll know what… that you are beautifully human?

- We need to coach leaders and individuals who supervise how to have intentional, thoughtful, meaningful engagement with people. People will be inspired to move mountains for you, the institution, the work they do, themselves

- Flourishing is the embodiment of being able to set a boundary

Get in touch with Johnika:

Instagram: pursesuitandtravel

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnikanixon/

Tune in to a conversation with my friend and colleague, Betsy Walker an Ayurvedic counselor and owner of Rasa Wellness. We learn about the art of daily living through her deep study and practice of ancient Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a path to physical vitality and wellbeing. We talk about how to apply these concepts in academia and beyond. Overall the discussion is about embracing the nature and purpose of life.  Take our dosha quiz! https://www.parcilab.org/doshaquiz Enjoy a free guided meditation at the end!

Other key take aways:

- Ayurveda gives us the knowledge to make choices to serve us in a moment

- Everything is built of elements (selves, season [outside and in life], food, interactions)

- What you consume matters from food to media

- Three aims of Ayurveda:

Regulate agni (digestive fire, poop)

Reduce ama: (toxins)

Increase ojas (immunity, light, glow)

- Rest, digest, and sex: How we're sleeping; what we're consuming and how we're digesting it; use of energy-- energy putting out and energy taking in

- How to balance nourishment and movement when someone else is setting your schedule

- Poets and scientists who have gone mad—too much reception and we need to balance with love and compassion. Life right now is constant seeking and receiving information  

- Aiming for peace, love, and stillness

- How to balance when you're in different seasons of life and seasons we’re in

- Happiness is u shaped curve

- Season of grit and grind? Productivity and busyness bias. What to do when you’ve been saying you’ll slow down for 15 semesters

- Svasta – sense of self, realness in who we are and what we’re doing regardless of the phase

- "We feel young when not grounded in time but in ourselves"

- Energetics around you but aims and goals of Ayurveda equip with choice

- Academics spend so much time away from sense of self

- We share practical applications about halfway through! (29 min in)

- Strength and opportunities of each dosha; Awareness is to see where pulled out of balance to pull ourselves back in

- Dosha is your constitution, mental and physical tendencies, natural to you

Vata- that which moves things, air, ether, good day creative, out of balance anxious, flakey. Dancer artist

Pitta that which transforms, fire and water, hot, sharp, oily, charismatic, leaders, fast speech tendencies, out of balance judgement and anger

Kapha, earth and water, nurtures, caretakers, calming, when out of balance stagnation, heaviness, hording, depression

- We can all have the perfect poop

- We have the perfect dosha for our dharma

- Distance between what you’re born with and current energies informs care

- Who you are, what season you are in, you are not broken

- Myth busting like: Ayuvedic cleanse isn’t about restriction. Give your body what it needs to create space for clarity and illumination- extract what you don’t need and create space

- Gives us tools to live a life of peace

- A brief reflection on what happens when you have so many privileges, but your body or mind is still in distress

- Oldest system of wellness and how to appreciate the gifts of this system through cultural appreciation

- Everyone on this earths birthright to feel the best they can feel, recognize where the wisdom came from

- The land where your blood and bones came from- what was medicine for them? That in turn might be medicine for us 

- Upholding respect and giving back and showing up in the right way to do honor for this tradition and recognizing anyone walking this earth can have a path to wellness

- I grapple with my need for rest and healing and how dare I seek this; "Who am I to share? Who am I not to!"

- Feel your feelings instead of intellectualizing

- Real recognize real: Just be you!

- A new approach can feel like we have to change, laundry list of things to improve

- Flourishing when you can remain resilient because it's not always going to be smooth sailing; but you have the health, heart, and nervous system takes us through all of it

Connect with Betsy: @rasa_wellness_ for IG

Schedule a consultation: [email protected]

Take our quiz: https://www.parcilab.org/doshaquiz

More about Shakti School: https://theshaktischool.com/

Monika Staab ((soon to be Dr.) is awaiting her certificate for a PhD in adult and continuing education—specifically related to international comparison in educational processes. She shares about the need for courage and vulnerability to step into joy and ease on the academic path. As a dissertation coach, she is in a “learning rhythm” with the clients. And, she reminds us all that when we let go of what other people think (or what we think they think), we can lead with excellence. Monika and I have different characters, peaks, and valleys, but our story is the same...We used our pain to fuel the desire to create higher vibrations in higher education one professor, one lecturer, one PhD student, one person at a time. Systems are slow to change, but we can keep reflecting on our why, what we need, and what do we want to change? Other key takeaways include:

• Join us in a guided breath practice: Andrew Huberman’s lab at Stanford found that these 2-3 breaths can calm us (before presentations, whenever we need). It’s an instinctive breath.

More at:

www.mindyourphd.com

https://www.instagram.com/mindyourphd/

Sign up for a coffee chat!

In reflecting on her stellar career thus far, Dr. Heather Leach brings a lightness to the journey. She recounts how she started her education but was “there for the soccer”… finding the degree came separately. Unsurprisingly, to me, she found Health and Exercise Science. Through an internship at NASA she learned what the research was… then came a MS and PhD and Postdoc and when we talked, she was in the last few weeks of her sabbatical (academic rest). We laugh and reflect on the journey, trying to lay out some “cheat codes” for you to find joy in your academic pursuits. A lot of it comes down to this: find your passion; dial up what you love, dial down what you don’t love; take sacred rest whenever you can. My favorite share... "What are you going to do with your PhD?... Whatever the hell I want." Other key takeaways include:

• Find your passion and maybe you can “back fill” what job or degree

When people are told that they are overly sensitive or thinking too much—instead of lauding gifts of insight and protection—they feel isolated and alone, and start to wonder, “Is there something wrong with me?” This was the genesis of Miriam Verheyden’s experience with her own self-doubt, intrusive thoughts and… eventual understanding of depression, alcohol misuse, and PMDD. PMDD is premenstrual dysphoric disorder, which is distinctly different from PMS and is more closely related to hormone imbalances that lead to sever psychological symptoms (like depression, anger) as well as skin, gastrointestinal symptoms, fluid retention to name a few. At the cross-section of being on her 40s, being almost 2 years sober, and having multiple incredible published books out—Miriam brings a voice to women navigating shame and resilience. I almost audibly gasp when she says she doesn't take being called "selfish" as an insult: We are responsible for ourselves, we have to be selfish.

Other key takeaways include:

• All feelings are valid, observe with compassion, feelings don’t define you. In savasana or otherwise

More at: https://miriamverheyden.com/

Dr. Natalaya Androsova, a writing and dissertation coach, studied linguistics & the communication and cultural aspects of language for her PhD. When I recorded this episode with Dr. Androsova, I felt so seen, safe, and held by her energy and trust with the universe. What I left knowing was that my inner writing critic isn't about my prose: It’s about my inability to prioritize time. Each of us might be “cobblers without shoes” as we pour our heart and soul onto the page, but are not yet published or not published in the way we hope. We talk about our own personal practices, remind you that you are never alone, and encourage you to remember that someone else might benefit from your words. Keep writing, keep sharing, build your trust in yourself, and as Natalya shares, you can borrow her trust in the meantime.

Other key takeaways:

• Meditation can change relationship to writing and to Self

More at:

https://www.writingdissertationcoach.com/

https://www.instagram.com/natalya_androsova_/

When I wanted to speak with someone about how to weave more faith and spirituality into my work as an academic Tamra Andress launched into my mind. Tamra is a best-selling author, spiritual entrepreneur, coach, podcaster, and ordained minister. She also happens to be someone I’ve known since 9th grade. When I stepped away from social media, she was stepping in and up with a colorful platform that “sells words” related to “obliterate(ing) shame and activat(ing) purpose” and putting faith at the forefront of entrepreneurial endeavors. We keep it pretty faith agnostic— so that you can see how spirituality can be an element within any given moment.

Her book, Always Becoming, is on bookshelves everywhere.

And her website: https://tamraandress.com/

Highlights include:

• I can be all of myself, in all places. Here you are the body as an athlete; here as the mind because you are an academic …musician, actor, mom, wife… faith is an element that shows up in every single one. Show up as who you are in every given moment.

• 7 year itch, biochemically, you have changed. Continue dating while married. Don’t ever stop getting to know someone as they grow.

Check out:

Book: Artisan Soul

Mode: Ikigai Finding Meaning in Work and Life

Is a rigid mindset holding you back? Do you have unrealistic expectations of yourself? Can we build flexibility of the mind to assist ourselves-- even our yesterday selves or our younger selves?

We've all had them: An awkward moment. We ruminate and think that we don't belong. Let's use yoga practices to ground, generate internal safety, and look at the situation with new found ease.

- Let's find our emotions.

- Identify the facts

- Visual and make peace with the moment-- that version of you doesn't even exist anymore. Find your feet.

- Visualize a red orb at the base of your spine. Expanding and contracting with your breath to invite stability and safety.

- Wrap by processing what you learned from the moment