Researching and writing a PhD is rewarding, exciting, difficult, and lonely work. Keeping it up for four years requires strength and perseverance at the best of times. Covid years and the aftermath made it even more challenging.

Resilience is needed.

Resilience

Resilience is the ability to bounce back when life is getting difficult. Especially in these times this is a very attractive and useful skill.
People’s resilience differs: some seem to be able to handle just about everything, while others are less stable. The good news is however that you can learn to be more resilient. This workshop teaches you the skills to do just that.

You learn

• What resilience is.
• What pressure, stress and anxiety do with mind and body, and how you can minimize the negative effects.
• How to handle feelings such as anger, loneliness, shame or uncertainty.
• How to discover and use your strengths and resources.
• How to find and use opportunities during your PhD, even when it’s difficult.

After the workshop you will

• Have a better understanding of yourself.
• Know a large number of practical, hands-on and useful tools.
• Have your personal recipe box, so you know exactly what you can do when things are getting strenuous or difficult.

The facts

• Twice 3 hours.
• Online or on location
• Small group with 3-8 participants.

Content

• The 5 ingredients of resilience.
• Stress and self-care.
• Self-compassion.
  - Acceptance of yourself and your struggles.
  - Dealing with difficult emotions such as uncertainty, anger, powerlessness or shame.
• Self-knowledge: understand how you cope with difficulties.
  - which conscious and unconscious strategies do you use in challenging situations?
  - If they work: how can you strengthen them?
  - If they don’t work: how can you change them?
• Using possibilities.
  - How can you find strength and direction?
  - How do you discover and use opportunities?

This workshop combines knowledge transfer with exercises, reflection and practical tools.