A new guide from Jonathan’s Voice in collaboration with the Charlie Waller Trust. Free to download here https://charliewaller.org/resources/protecting-your-mental-health-a-practical-guide-for-postgraduate-research-students-in-stem
Postgraduate research within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) disciplines can be a stimulating and rewarding career path. However, in recent years the higher education sector has become more aware of the complexities of the specific challenges that exist for post graduate research (PGR) students. For researchers in STEM subjects, there can be particular challenges; for example, working in industrial or other settings, the demands of research sponsors and the growing need to adapt to team working and interdisciplinary research. A diverse, thriving research culture, capable of tackling the key challenges of tomorrow, requires the mental health of postgraduate researchers to be prioritised and supported. The purpose of this guide is to address this need.
It includes:
Taking preventative measures to look after yourself
Setting realistic expectations
The basics of keeping motivated and managing criticism and feedback
Combatting unhelpful behaviours or thinking patterns
What to do when self-care is not enough, and you are starting to struggle
Talking about your mental health
Managing challenges you may experience; such as feeling isolated and lonely, financial difficulties, disappointment and rejection
A list of easily accessible resources
We hope that this guide will support PGR students in STEM to look after themselves and others, to feel empowered to speak out about mental health issues and to manage some of the challenges specific to postgraduate research.
