Thread by @hapyresearchers

#ResearcherChallenges #mentalhealth

1/13 As an early career researcher, I find my life is a balancing act of managing family and professional expectations in a competitive world, which is stressful as there is a fear of failure.

#AcademicChatter @jenheemstra #womeninSTEM

2/13 Being a researcher, it is assumed that we are patient & tough to handle the pressure coming from different directions, which can be true for some but not for majority of researchers. Being able to do what we love after many scarifies & hard work can be satisfying......

.......but also stressful, maybe not in the beginning but as we move forward as a researcher.

3/13 As we move from Ph.D. to postdoc, and from postdoc to a faculty position our responsibilities change, from being a team member to a team leader, the level of stress increases.

4/13 Most of us never focus on developing skills on how to teach & mentor, but we are expected to fulfill these responsibilities so it is quite natural to have a stressful time. And, on top of this, the majority of us have never developed a skill on how to manage stress.

5/13 When it comes to teaching, we could find good support but it is rare to find universities which provide training in mentoring, leadership, team management, and good mental health. We learn by making mistakes & with time we get better, but at the cost of OUR WELLNESS.

6/13 As time passes, pressure mounts to publish high-impact papers, secure fellowships/grants, attend conferences, build networking and have a CV, which is worthy of a tenure position. This pressure leads to anxiety, stress, disappointment, frustration, self-doubt.....

......and poor mental health. All these are very common issues throughout the researcher's career yet we don't talk about it or ask for help.

7/13 In the researcher's life, the pressure remains throughout its just changes from one type to another.......

.......It starts with being worried about the Ph.D. position than relocating, new friendships, being away from the family, experiments, publishing, communication gap with a PI, a thesis writing & defense, postdoc position, fellowships, awards, application deadlines, .....

.......a faculty position, funding, teaching, mentoring, administrative responsibilities and most of all our reputation in others eye. Along with stress and poor mental health, what remains constant is the absence of a proper support system.

8/13 In a researcher's life, failure is not an option but we say publically that failures are the stepping stones for success. But, failure is seen (mostly) more as a sign that we are not fit for academia instead of a learning opportunity.......

...........Admitting having poor mental health is taboo and it is seen as a person's lack of ability to survive in competitive academia, so we fake it (as everything is fine). It should not be this way, and we should be able to ask for help as we do upon a physical discomfort.

9/13 We all have to work together to understand properly why students, postdocs, faculties and staff are going through a mental health crisis. As a community, what can we do & how we can normalize the conversation with a person having poor mental health, something to think.......

..........If we don't deal with this issue at an early stage it can mess the person's personal and professional lives. We shouldn’t forget, chronic stress can be a potential risk factor for developing many life-threatening disorders.

10/13 One of the key factors, which has worked for me to have better mental health is to say "No". I am also concerned about my Self-care, family time, regular breaks and activities outside academia, which have enhanced my academic productivity, which I think is a win-win.

11/13 Combined efforts and initiatives to have space where people could share comfortably their mental health issues would make a huge difference in academia and for new colleagues!!

12/13 I hope my thoughts will encourage and help others to feel comfortable to talk about their mental health challenges, struggles and suggestions.

13/13 Please RT this thread so this message can reach to many researchers. Let us raise our voices to normalize the poor mental health conversations. @DrUmeshPrabhu @Nicochan33 @ProfTimNoakes @NaomiOreskes @500womensci @AcademicsSay