Researcher Wellbeing: A Short Reading List
As part of this month’s focus on researcher wellbeing, we share a short reading list on academic pressure, working rhythms and the culture of research.
To accompany this month’s focus on researcher wellbeing, we have compiled a short reading list on academic pressure and working life. These texts approach the topic from different angles, exploring the culture of performance, the tempo of academic institutions and the role of rest and attention in intellectual work. The list is not intended to be exhaustive, but to offer a starting point for reflection.
Jessamy Hibberd – The Imposter Cure
Although not written specifically for academics, this book speaks directly to the persistent self-doubt many researchers experience. Hibberd examines imposter syndrome not as an individual quirk, but as a pattern often intensified in high-achieving environments. For those working in competitive academic settings, the discussion of internal pressure and comparison is particularly relevant.
Maggie Berg & Barbara K. Seeber – The Slow Professor
Berg and Seeber offer a critique of the accelerated tempo of contemporary academic life. They argue that constant output, responsiveness and performance expectations undermine both intellectual depth and personal wellbeing. Rather than advocating withdrawal, they make a case for reclaiming time for sustained thinking and engagement.
Alex Soojung-Kim Pang – Rest: Why You Get More Done When You Work Less
Drawing on historical and contemporary examples, Pang challenges the assumption that longer hours automatically lead to better results. His argument is straightforward: rest is not separate from serious work, but part of it. For researchers whose work depends heavily on concentration and clarity, this perspective is worth considering.
Jenny Odell – How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy
Odell’s book is not about productivity in the conventional sense, it examines how modern environments fragment attention and shape how we value time. Although written more broadly about the attention economy, its implications for academic life are clear. Research depends on sustained focus, yet academic cultures often reward visibility and responsiveness.
