Mental Health in Graduate School with Susanna L. Harris (Rerun)

Published: Dec. 23, 2021, 5:01 a.m.

b"Get the Papa PhD Career Readiness Tool kit !
\\n\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\tWarning: Please note that this episode mentions different mental health issues, including suicidal ideation.This week, given that this holiday season might be particularly difficult for some of you, I'm having a rerun of a great conversation around mental health in graduate school I had in Season 1 of the podcast with Susanna L. Harris. I hope it will help those of you who are struggling or who have friends or close ones who are.When we look around us, it\\u2019s easy to think everyone else is doing fine and has a picture perfect life. It\\u2019s easy to feel like your peers are better than you, more successful, having a better time. But you\\u2019d be surprised\\u2026 In today\\u2019s stressful day-to-day, in particular in graduate school, more people than you imagine are struggling with anxiety and depression.In part one of this week\\u2019s episode of Papa PhD, Susanna Harris will be sharing with you her personal experience dealing with depression during her PhD and the lessons this experience has brought her.\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\tSusanna L Harris, PhD, believes clear and transparent communication builds communities. Susanna loves creating spaces for people to understand each other and share their passions, whether that be about science and technology or mental health and wellness. While earning her PhD in microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Susanna founded\\xa0PhD Balance\\xa0to empower graduate students to thrive in academia.\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800\\u2800Susanna translates cutting-edge research into accessible and engaging materials for professional and public audiences. Through real-world experience and professional training in written, oral, and digital communication, Susanna confidently speaks to rooms of 5-to-500. Susanna approaches scientific outreach, whether to investors or kindergartners, through the lens of inquiry-based learning; through charisma and compassion, she can persuade others to reevaluate their beliefs and opinions towards new technologies and divisive world challenges.Susanna is the Manager of Engagement and Communications at Xontogeny, managing interactions with key stakeholders and leading communication strategies to optimize value of collaborations and support of entrepreneurs and management teams of life science startups. She earned her BS in microbiology at the University of Iowa and her PhD in microbiology and immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\t\\tWhat you\\u2019ll learn about in this episode:\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\tThe importance of finding undergrad and graduate programs in domains that interest youHow to reason you way through impostor syndrome in graduate school\\xa0How to deal with negative self-talk and with negative talk coming from othersThe importance of getting specialized help if you\\u2019re struggling, especially if you\\u2019re dealing with mental health issuesWhy you should have someone who you can safely share your struggles and your worries with during graduate schoolHow knowing your yearly mood cycle can help you keep balance\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\t\\tThis episode\\u2019s pearls of wisdom:\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\t\\u201cDo what\\xa0you\\xa0think success looks like.\\u201d\\u201cThings that support people\\u2019s mental health are things like having a routined schedule, having very clear goals, then metrics by which to meet them, a clear understanding of expectations, family, friends, loved ones\\u2026\\u201d\\u201cGoing back to the idea of taking care of myself \\u2013 if you have a pet you don\\u2019t have a choice of not getting up in the morning, you don\\u2019t have a choice of staying in your house all day long. And things like \\u2013 they have to eat twice a day, so I should probably eat at least twice a day\\u2026 and companionship.\\u201d\\u201cThose pieces that we tell people, that sound so fluffy, like \\u201chave a support system\\u201d or \\u201cget enough sleep\\u201d, or \\u201cbe introspective\\u201d \\u2013 those are often the hardest, but they really are the pieces that matter.\\u201d\\t\\t
\\n\\t\\t\\tThank you, Susanna!\\t\\t
"