What motivated you to take part in this well-being group?
The plan laid out on the website was exciting: I was curious to explore tools useful during my PhD and beyond, but also the opportunity to meet regularly with other students and learn about their experiences as individuals and as members of different faculties. It felt like a space to share concerns and build awareness.
What topics were covered in the group that were particularly relevant or helpful to you?
I'll treasure several dynamics and directions from the group. I think most often about those related to feedback, communication, and resilience. We discussed how to approach feedback, our reaction to it, and its relevance. It was enriching to learn about the layers of communication and how every speaker and listener tends to assign a different weight to each. In the final meeting on resilience, we were gifted important insights relevant to every challenge in life.
How was the atmosphere in the group? Did it change the more often you met?
With time, we got to know about each other's work environments, questions, and hopes, we also got more comfortable talking and exchanging impressions. I believe the long format was necessary for the initiative’s efficacy, and I would have liked it to span an even longer period. Nevertheless, the chosen length made it possible to attend almost every meeting with ease and get to know our peers and the well-prepared organizers.
How did you benefit from the group?
The group provided us with several strategies I apply when thinking about the development of my project and in my interactions with my research team and my peers, as well as outside the work environment. For example, I particularly like the one with a name along the lines of “feedback defuse salad bowl”: when receiving input and criticism on your work, picture a salad bowl between you and your interlocutor, and imagine adding their words to the salad bowl to pick them up later, when you feel ready. In this way, looking at the feedback more objectively and rationally becomes smoother!
Would you recommend participation to other doctoral students?
Absolutely! I've been talking about the group to several friends, and will advertise it as soon as a new group starts. In general, the group has been effective in offering perspective and structure, and the diversity of topics makes it relevant for any PhD student at any point in their journey.
We would like to thank you for the interview and wish you all the best and every success for the future!