At first glance it doesn't look particularly relevant to me - realistically my poor social skills, negligible network and poor performance in interview-type situations mean I'm unlikely to become a PhD student (and I mean that in all seriousness, I graduated in December 2019 with a Distinction in my Astronomy master's - my not already being a PhD student isn't for lack of trying on my part). So the experience of poor mental health due to research pressures are unlikely to ever affect me - in much the same way that I will never have to worry about my being overlooked for an Oscar or missing out on an Olympic Gold.
But a lot of what is mentioned is useful and relevant.
The article talks about yoga, meditation, mindfulness and journalling. Some of these make me wary - I'm a Chrsitian I'm never going to be overly enthusiastic about doing Buddhist practices. Mindfulness is interesting - there have been a number of reports about links to depersonalization and psychosis - basically being 'at one with the universe' sounds great to a hippy but can cause some people to have a breakdown: The Potential Dangers of Mindfulness | Psychology Today
But there is some sense here. Psychologically, christian prayer probably has much in common with secular meditation (of course I would add there's actually a whole lot more going on). Physical exercise helps to regulate the stress hormone cortisol. Journalling helps you reflect on how things make you feel and what is blogging if not a form of journalling.
Strategies to cope with the mental health crisis in science
I've been reading one of the papers that will be discussed in Online Journal Club:
How PhD students and other academics are fighting the mental-health crisis in science
https://www-nature-com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/articles/d41586-024-02225-8At first glance it doesn't look particularly relevant to me - realistically my poor social skills, negligible network and poor performance in interview-type situations mean I'm unlikely to become a PhD student (and I mean that in all seriousness, I graduated in December 2019 with a Distinction in my Astronomy master's - my not already being a PhD student isn't for lack of trying on my part). So the experience of poor mental health due to research pressures are unlikely to ever affect me - in much the same way that I will never have to worry about my being overlooked for an Oscar or missing out on an Olympic Gold.
But a lot of what is mentioned is useful and relevant.
The article talks about yoga, meditation, mindfulness and journalling. Some of these make me wary - I'm a Chrsitian I'm never going to be overly enthusiastic about doing Buddhist practices. Mindfulness is interesting - there have been a number of reports about links to depersonalization and psychosis - basically being 'at one with the universe' sounds great to a hippy but can cause some people to have a breakdown: The Potential Dangers of Mindfulness | Psychology Today
But there is some sense here. Psychologically, christian prayer probably has much in common with secular meditation (of course I would add there's actually a whole lot more going on). Physical exercise helps to regulate the stress hormone cortisol. Journalling helps you reflect on how things make you feel and what is blogging if not a form of journalling.