Upcoming DRN event - Looking After the Researcher: Wellbeing in Academic Careers
A conversation on researcher wellbeing, managing pressures, and finding sustainable ways to work and thrive in academic careers.
Research and academic careers often involve high workloads, blurred boundaries, and sustained mental demands. Over time, these pressures can affect both wellbeing and the quality of work we produce, yet conversations about how researchers manage these challenges are often limited.
Date and time: Monday 23 February, 12:00–13:00
Taking place during the month of Valentine’s Day, this session draws on the theme of care, encouraging researchers to reflect on how looking after their own wellbeing is a necessary foundation for sustaining their work and supporting others.
In an informal and supportive setting, the session will explore:
- Why it can be difficult for researchers to maintain sustainable ways of working
- Why those who care most about their work often push themselves the hardest
- How academic and research environments can quietly add extra pressures
- Practical ways to protect your time, energy, and long-term effectiveness
The session will also include opportunities for knowledge exchange, where participants can share coping strategies, approaches to maintaining boundaries, and practices that support sustainable working habits. Participants are welcome to contribute as much or as little as they wish.
Feel free to bring a cup of tea, coffee, or another beverage of your choice and join the discussion. Researchers and professionals at all career stages are welcome.
If you would prefer to raise a question anonymously ahead of the event, please send it to defenceresearchnetwork@gmail.com, and we will address it during the session without identifying the sender.
Please note that this event does not provide professional therapeutic advice, but aims to create a space for reflection, conversation, and peer support.
Please register via Eventbrite:
