6 May 2024 | Münster, Germany (and online)
We are very excited to hear from Carmen Kettler on ‘Promoting well-being in early career researchers and PhD students’
*Navigating the world of academia and research as an early career researcher (ECRs) or PhD student is a challenging journey. Studies reveal that ECRs, and PhD students are shown to be overworked and overstressed, resulting in a lower level of general mental well-being than individuals ending their scientific career after their master`s degree. However, prioritizing well-being is not just essential for personal health and happiness but also for sustaining long-term productivity and creativity in scientific pursuits. Promoting well-being in ECRs and PhD students requires a proactive approach building healthy habits that can integrate goal setting, self-care practices, a healthy and balanced lifestyle including nutrition and physical activity, seeking support, resilience building or mindfulness techniques. However, the challenge lies in translating these health-promoting behaviours into everyday routines. Time constraints, institutional or personal norms (e. g. self-care is a luxury, rather than a necessity) or the power of routines makes it difficult to actually implement these behaviours into everyday life. This presentation zooms in on the relevance of well-being for ECRs and PhD students, explores strategies to improve personal well-being and provides insights on how to incorporate these strategies into your daily life.*
