PGR Wellbeing Programme
These in-person workshops and webinars are held exclusively for PGRs and focus on topics relevant to managing your wellbeing as a PGR.
The webinars take place on Zoom and the sessions have been designed for you to share your ideas anonymously via the keyboard, if you wish. The webinars are not recorded and participants do not connect with their own video or audio during the sessions.
The in-person workshops take place in our group room at 19 Clarendon Place. There are 12 places available for each workshop and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Registration for PGR webinars and workshops opens two weeks in advance of each session. You can book a place using the links below which will take you to our Student Counselling and Wellbeing Hub where you can find out more about each event.
Please continue reading for descriptions of upcoming PGR Wellbeing Webinars and Workshops.
Developing Your PGR Identity – Workshop (In Person)
Monday 21 October 2024 12-1.30pm Book a place
RESHEDULED: Monday 4th November 2024 – 12pm to 1:30pm Book a place
This session explores some of the issues commonly experienced by PGRs as they build their identity as a researcher. We’ll introduce a useful framework outlining four stages of PGR identity development and consider some of the potential psychological challenges involved in navigating each of these stages. There will be opportunities during the session to share ideas and strategies around the themes of setting reasonable expectations and developing systems for acknowledging progress and success.
Working With Uncertainty as a PGR -Webinar (Online)
Monday 18th November 2024 – 12pm – 1pm Book a place
This session explores the topic of uncertainty in relation to the PGR experience and considers the ways in which uncertainty can impact on emotional wellbeing. We will introduce a theoretical model which identifies three different regulation systems in the brain: the threat system, the drive system, and the soothing system. Using this framework, we’ll look at the possible impacts of uncertainty on these regulation systems in terms of motivation, productivity and emotional wellbeing. Whilst recognising that uncertainty is an unavoidable part of the research process, we will explore a variety of useful strategies to support your ability to manage uncertainty and work towards your research goals in a balanced and sustainable way.
A Balancing Act - Workshop (In-person)
Monday 27th January 2025 - 12pm – 1:30pm Book a place
This session will focus on increasing our psychological awareness of stress and stress symptoms and explore effective ways to manage personal wellbeing alongside the academic demands of PGR life. There will be an opportunity to reflect on what gets in the way of prioritising wellbeing actions. We will also consider how making small adjustments to our environment, routines and systems can help us to achieve a healthier work-life balance.
The Self-Compassionate Researcher - Webinar (Online)
Monday 3rd March 2025 - 12pm – 1pm
This session will appeal if you are constantly giving yourself a hard time and comparing yourself and your progress to others. Sound familiar? The session considers the benefits of practicing self-compassion to build emotional resilience during the highs and lows, the setback and the challenges of the PhD journey. We’ll explore the motivational power of self-compassion and how a compassionate approach to ourselves can help us manage more effectively as researchers.
Find Your Voice: Effective Communication for PGRs – Workshop (In person)
Monday 12th May - 12pm – 1:30pm
Professional academic relationships can be difficult to navigate as a PGR. This session introduces you to several assertiveness techniques designed to help you to improve your communications and your relationships with others. There will be an opportunity to share thoughts and ideas about how these strategies could support effective communication in a variety of PGR-specific scenarios.
Imposter Syndrome – Webinar (Online)
Monday 9th June – 12 – 1pm
Imposter syndrome is a psychological pattern in academia that causes researchers to doubt their successes, perceive themselves as under achievers, and experience unsettling fears of being exposed as a fraud. Imposter feelings are particularly common in university settings and when taking on new professional roles. This workshop explores what is known about the imposter mindset and considers some useful strategies to help to challenge imposter feelings and build confidence.