The PhD Life Coach

4.30 How to write when you’re confused

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Writing can feel like you’re banging your head against a wall sometimes. Trying to craf...

4.29 Why you shouldn’t wait for a polished draft

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!One of the most annoying phrases I hear is “my supervisor only gives feedback on polish...

4.28 How to manage when your work is interrupted all the time

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Lots of people struggle to get work done because they feel like they’re always interrup...

4.27 How to stop thinking about your academic work

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!It’s easy to feel like our academic work has taken up permanent residence in our brains...

4.26 What to do when you don’t have enough time

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Lots of PhD students and academics feel unable to make decisions about their time managem...

4.25 How to do difficult tasks

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you are stuck on a difficult task, then this is the episode for you! So often we get c...

4.24 How to identify options when making a decision (a coaching episode with Claire!)

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this coaching episode, podcast listener Claire is exploring career options, but worrie...

4.23 How to manage tasks that are not on your To Do list

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you end the week somehow having been busy but not having done the things you intended,...

4.22 What to do when your task is taking longer than you thought

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you have a piece of work that is taking way longer than intended? This episode will he...

4.21 How much should I work per week in academia

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Everyone I know in academia somehow simultaneously believes that they’re working far to...

4.20 How to manage the critical voice when you’ve got too much to do (a special DOUBLE coaching episode)

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!A critical inner voice is one of the most common and difficult experience as a PhD studen...

4.19 How to pursue goals that you’re not sure are possible

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!It’s a time of year where lots of people are setting goals, worrying about which goals ...

4.18 How and if you should use a Brick to reduce phone usage

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!I really wanted to cut down how much I use my phone and I bought a Brick! This episode is...

4.17 Why I left academia (it may not be what you think)

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!We hear so much about people leaving academia at the moment and it’s easy to make assum...

4.16 Why you should notice the paradox of imposter syndrome

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Imposter syndrome often affects the most high achieving people yet it can still feel so t...

4.15 What to do when you don’t know what to do

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!One of the most paralysing thoughts in academia is “I don’t know what to do”. Wheth...

4.14 What to do when the **** hits the fan

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Short one this week - I am using a current example from my own life to talk you through h...

4.13 How to celebrate big wins without getting too big for your boots

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!We’ve talked before  about celebrating tiny wins, so now we’re talking about big win...

4.12 What the Celebrity Traitors taught me about imposter syndrome

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!THIS EPISODE CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILERS!! Imposter syndrome is top of my mind at the momen...

4.11 Why my phone addiction confession might help you too

10 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!This week I’m confessing my dirty secrets. Have a listen and compare your screen time t...

4.10 Why we should celebrate tiny silly wins

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you’re bored of reading people’s “I’m happy to announce…” posts on LinkedI...

4.09 Why you are more than a Gantt chart

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Sometimes it can feel like the only thing that matters is whether you are “on track” ...

4.08 How to stay focused when a lot’s going on - a special coaching episode

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I talk with Gabriela, a student in my PhD Life Coach membership. She is ...

4.07 Why you need an instruction manual

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!When you buy something like a car or a piece of technology, you get a manual - it explain...

4.06 I answer listener questions

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today I’m answering listener questions in the same way that I answer questions for stud...

4.05 How to send that scary email

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today I’m sharing a real life coaching experience we had in the membership this week. O...

4.04 How to prioritise when you have competing challenges - a coaching session with Predrag

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this coaching episode, I’m chatting with a part-time, international student who is j...

4.03 How to mentor anyone in academia with Dr Maria Lamonaca Wisdom

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Whether you’re a PhD student or an academic, we need to be thinking about how to make m...

4.02 How to take better notes

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Pretty much all PhD students have a vague (or very strong) sense that they’re not takin...

4.01 How to use your existing expertise when you feel like an imposter

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Feeling like you know absolutely nothing is perhaps the worst part of doing a PhD. You kn...

3.48 What to do when you don’t make time for yourself (special coaching episode with Gillian)

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today I’m coaching Gillian who is a member of The PhD Life Coach membership! She has be...

3.47 What to do if you’re lonely in academia

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Loneliness in academia is so common yet so rarely talked about. In this episode I’m goi...

3.46 How to prepare for a difficult meeting

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you put off having difficult conversations or get frazzled just thinking about it, the...

3.45 How to write your discussion when you don’t know how (special coaching episode with Becci)

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today I’m coaching Becci who is writing her final thesis discussion chapter. She told m...

3.44 Understanding how power affects student-supervisor relationships

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today we’re thinking about the relationships we have with our supervisors/advisors. The...

3.43 Answering your questions – balancing different commitments, academic role models and surviving publish or perish culture

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today I’m answering listener questions! We hear from people who are feeling pulled in d...

3.42 What to do if you are considering leaving your PhD – a special coaching episode

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Today you get to hear a real coaching session with a listener, Ruth, who is considering n...

3.41 Thriving with autism in academia: Advice for students and universities

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I’m joined by Jess Dineen, who is both a PhD student and a neurodiverg...

3.40 How to read academic papers more quickly

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!One of the most common comments I hear from PhD students is that reading always takes lon...

3.39 How to get ahead when you’re feeling behind

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, best selling author Sophie Hannah shares her “Book Ahead” method for...

3.38 Nine things PhD students need to tell themselves more often

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Most PhD students and academics spend a lot of time telling themselves they’re not doin...

3.37 Why academics need to think like entrepreneurs

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I welcome Dr Ilana Horwitz, author of the new book, The Entrepreneurial ...

3.36 Why you shouldn’t always do your best

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you are bored of being told “just do your best” and not knowing what that means, t...

3.35 How PhD Students Can Network Smarter & Avoid Career Panic with Dr David Mendes from Beyond the Thesis

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Struggling to figure out your career path after your PhD? In this episode, David Mendes—...

3.34 Why making halfassed decisions is making your PhD harder

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!We don’t usually think of a PhD as a decision making process but it really is. We decid...

3.33 How to make your week more effective

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you start your weeks strong but usually end disappointed, then this episode is for you...

3.32 How to work out why you procrastinate and what to do about it

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Pretty much every PhD student struggles with procrastination yet the advice is often very...

3.31 Protecting your mental health during your PhD with Dr Marissa Edwards

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!This week I’m joined by Dr Marissa Edwards, one of the editors of the Research Handbook...

3.30 Doing a PhD with a chronic illness, with special guest Krystina François

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, we welcome Krystina François, a third year PhD student and current memb...

3.29 How to Stop Wasting Time by Trying to Be Too Efficient

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode of The PhD Life Coach podcast, Dr Vikki Wright explains why chasing ‘pe...

3.28 How to overcome your fear of presenting (with special guest, author Linda Ugelow)

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you dread presentations, or would just like to be a bit more confident when speaking, ...

3.27 How to “do it all” – a listener Q&A episode!

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode I answer three questions from listeners on different topics, but that are...

3.26 How to look after yourself when conducting emotionally distressing research

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!All research can be stressful but if your topic is inherently distressing, it becomes eve...

3.25 How to edit your work without hating yourself

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!One of the most frustrating moments in a PhD or academic career is reading through your f...

3.24 How and why to write for Medium (and beyond)

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Want more people to read your research? This week, I’m joined by Tony Stubblebine, CEO ...

3.23 Why what you do matters (and when it doesn’t)

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you ever wonder why you’re even doing this? Whether your research actually matters a...

3.22 Are you in an emotional overdraft? With special guest author Andy Brown

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you ever feel like you’re only succeeding because you’re working more than is heal...

3.21 Six types of social support you need as a PhD student (and how to get it)

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Doing a PhD and even working in academia can be a lonely business. Sometimes we just don&...

3.20 Why we should think less about deadlines (and what we should do instead)

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you find yourself putting stuff off because it’s not due yet or never reaching some ...

3.19 Secrets we wish PhD students knew with Dr Gertrude Nonterah of the Bold PhD

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I chat with Dr Gertrude Nonterah, founder of The Bold PhD. She shares he...

3.18 How and When to Change Your Plans: Overcoming Resistance, Embracing Flexibility, and Making Big Moves

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Changing plans can feel daunting, especially when you’re committed to a specific path a...

3.17 Overcoming Overwork and Overwhelm in the Final Months of Your PhD (a special coaching episode!)

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I coach Swagata, a PhD student navigating the intense overwhelm and exha...

3.16 Why I’m banning highlighters

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I make a feisty case for why we should ban highlighters! I’ll give you...

3.15 Creating Positive Academic Environments: Insights from Sports Psychology with Dr Andrew Dewar

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Andrew Dewar from Oxygen Conservation to explore how ...

3.14 Why Word Count Goals Don't Work for PhD Writing – And What to Do Instead

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, we’re diving into a common trap many PhD students and academics fall i...

3.13 Client Q&A - Motivating yourself in your final year, achieving post-PhD goals, and effective podcast listening

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I answer three thought-provoking questions from PhD students and graduat...

3.12 Why perfect plans fail: Embracing imperfection in academic planning

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, I share a fresh approach to planning for PhD students and academics that...

3.11 Navigating AI during your PhD: An Honest Conversation with Dr. Jessica Parker of MoxieLearn

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Whether you’re a regular AI user or prefer to keep your distance, understanding AI’s ...

3.10 How to go from idea overload to clarity

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!I don’t know about you but my brain has so many ideas and thoughts of things I should d...

3.09 Client Q&A – post-deadline slumps, uncommunicative supervisors, and judging your own work

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you struggle to get back into work after a big deadline? Have issues connecting with y...

3.08 How to be more patient and realistic (part of the Be Your Own Best Boss series)

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you make unrealistic plans and get impatient that you’re not progressing more quickl...

3.07 How (and if) to work when things feel uncertain

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!It’s a tough world at the moment. I’ve had lots of clients struggling with job insecu...

3.06 How to inspire the next generation (with Rosa Smith from the Brilliant Club)

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you remember what fascinated you about your PhD topic? Sometimes when we’re stuck in...

3.05 Client Q&A – getting it done when you don’t feel like it

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you struggle to get stuff done when you don’t feel like working, this episode is for...

3.04 How to be more strategic and ambitious

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Sometimes in academia being “strategic” and “ambitious” can feel like criticisms ...

3.03 How to get started on a task

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!A lot of PhD students and academics struggle to get started on a task or believe that the...

3.02 How to start the academic year

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!This week, we’re talking about starting a new academic year! This is NOT about goal set...

3.01 How the PhD Life Coach can help you this year

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!We are back for a brand new season and I want to help all of you struggling with procrast...

2.48 Why we should ask if this will make the summary

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Sometimes we can feel like we have to do everything, that everything is urgent, and we do...

2.47 Nine lessons the Olympics taught me that help in academia

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Whether you have been watching the Olympics or not, we have so much we can learn from Oly...

2.46 How to work with the version of you who shows up (with special guest Dr Alison Miller)

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Sometimes we have the best intentions for the work we're going to do, but we wake up...

2.45 Why we should all be more intentional and resourceful (and how!)

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!You ever feel like you get to the end of the week and you have no idea what you did, you&...

2.44 What to do when you get contradictory advice

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!PhD students and academics often wonder how to handle contradictory advice and how to dec...

2.43 What to do when you can't judge how long things take

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!So many people tell me they struggle to plan because things always take longer than they ...

2.42 Eight ways you might be secretly procrastinating

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Procrastinating is when we scroll social media instead of working, right? No! Procrastina...

2.41 Why we all need to be more encouraging and accepting of ourselves

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!This is for anyone in academia who struggles with self-criticism and judgement (ie most p...

2.40 How to use a Do Know Don't Know list

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!One of the things I hear clients say most often is that they don't know what to do. ...

2.39 How to be your own best personal assistant

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you ever feel disorganised, chaotic or behind, then maybe you need to spend time in &q...

2.38 Why we should all be more compassionate and curious (One of the "Be Your Own Best Boss" Series)

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you beat yourself up or tell yourself that you don't know what you should do, the...

2.37 Why you should never read when you're writing

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!So many of my clients this week have been struggling with writing. Now that's not un...

2.36 What to do when you get distracted

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Do you have things on your list that you should be doing, but you're not? Are you fi...

2.35 What to do if you feel stuck

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Often as PhD students or academics, we get that feeling of being stuck and unable to do t...

2.34 How to manage your tasks

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!This week is one of those really practical episodes where I tell you specifically how I d...

2.33. Why we should think of our careers in phases

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!So many of my PhD student and academic clients are feeling overwhelmed, overcommitted and...

2.32 How to plan your academic writing (with special guest Jo VanEvery)

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Whether you're a PhD student or an academic, it can be really hard to plan how to fi...

2.31 How to get back into work after a break

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!It's that time of year when academics and PhD students are coming back after Easter/...

2.30 How to break your work down into chunks

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!If you have items on your to do list that you aren't doing, you need this episode! W...

2.29 Seven mistakes academics make and how to avoid them

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!Everyone makes mistakes. It's inevitable that we're going to make mistakes. But...

2.28 How to stop comparing yourself

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!At every stage of the academic journey, people are comparing themselves to those around t...

2.27 How to plan when you hate planning (special coaching episode)

18 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Send Vikki any questions you'd like answered on the show!In this episode, you get to hear a live coaching session with Laura! Laura is a part time...