Dr. Jennifer Paxton acknowledges that her feelings of inadequacy had always been there but were amplified during the transition to motherhood. She opens up about an interaction with an empathetic colleague that shocked her into seeking support. TW/CW: Themes of suicidal ideation

A Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, PI of a tissue engineering lab, wife and mother, Jennifer opened up in the last episode about parenting as an academic during COVID-19. This is the second part of her story. 

If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!

Resources:

• Jennifer’s blog piece – ‘Return of the Mummy – the trials and triumphs of a life post maternity leave.’
• Paxton Lab website
• Jennifer’s lecturing profile

Helpful health and wellbeing books

•  Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig
•  Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig

Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility! 

Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/

Recorded: 10/09/2021.

Sound: Theme music is “Mindset” by Ketsa; podcast edited by DanPatricksAudio.

Senior Lecturer, PI, wife and mother, Dr. Jennifer Paxton, opened up about feelings of embarrassment, guilt, anger and acceptance in response to professional contacts seeing her home life in online meetings and lessons. She highlighted specific frustrations of being a parent in Academia. She also courageously opened up in the final 15 minutes about her decision making process for having a child. She, like many of us, was putting off major personal milestones because of the pressure of academia.

If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!

Resources:

- Jennifer’s blog piece – ‘Return of the Mummy – the trials and triumphs of a life post maternity leave.’

- Paxton Lab website

- Jennifer’s lecturing profile

- Helpful health and wellbeing books

Reasons to Stay Alive – Matt Haig

Notes on a Nervous Planet – Matt Haig

Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility! 

Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/

Recorded: 10/09/2021.

Sound: Theme music is “Mindset” by Ketsa; podcast edited by DanPatricksAudio. 

5th year Health Psychology PhD Candidate and creator of the Dear Grad Student podcast, Elana Gloger, chats about maintaining wellness - creating space between where you’re at, and your tipping point to becoming unwell. She encourages leaning in to your unique needs and remembering that ‘you’re not other people.’

Elana opened up previously, in episode 27,  about how premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) impacted her life and PhD before it was well managed.

CW: swearing, sexual references

This episode touches on:

-  Running through the woods, reality TV, and the desire to be a mother

-  Alleviating fears of medication

-  Accepting that seeking external help is not a weakness

-  Impacts of unmanaged PMDD on a partner

-  Common treatment options for PMDD

-  Selecting an appropriate and affordable provider

-  The annoying fact that exercise actually helps

If you find this episode valuable, and have some spare change, please consider supporting the podcast!

Resources:

Dear Grad Student Podcast

- Twitter: @deargradstudent

- Instagram: @deargradstudentpod

- Facebook: Dear Grad Student

- Website: deargradstudent.com

- Mental health podcast episodes: deargradstudent.com/mental-health

PMDD resources

- @iapmdglobal (twitter) and iapmd.org (website) provides evidence-based information about PMDD.

- Tory Eisenlohr-Moul studies menstrual cycle effects on PMDD

YouTube: ‘Your cycle in 3 minutes’ – contemporary dance interpretation of the impacts of the menstrual cycle

App: Flo – for learning about and starting to track your menstrual cycle

Full transcript of the podcast is available here, with many thanks to Dan Ranson. If you find these transcripts useful, please consider supporting accessibility! 

Mental health support: please contact your GP or use the appropriate support for your country at https://checkpointorg.com/global/

Recorded: 14/01/2022.

Sound: Mindset by Ketsa