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Continue reading →: A Week of Micro-WinsAs we move into the final push of the Fall semester, sticking to our to-do lists gets harder. We’re all ready for a well-deserved break. With that in mind, I’ve been trying to identify strategies that will help carry me through these last few weeks without burning out. One thing…
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Continue reading →: The Invisible Work of Grad School: Why You’re More Productive Than You ThinkSome weeks, I end Friday feeling completely drained – but when I look at my planner, it doesn’t look like I did that much. I didn’t finish the draft I meant to, or submit that form, or read as many articles as I planned. On paper, it looks like I…
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Continue reading →: A Realistic Approach to Weekly Planning in Grad SchoolEvery Sunday, I used to sit down with my planner and map out the “perfect week.” It always looked good on paper – colour-coded, balanced, full of motivation and good intentions. By Wednesday, the plan would inevitably fall apart. Something would take longer than expected. I’d have a last-minute meeting,…
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Continue reading →: Slow Productivity for the Overachieving Grad StudentBeing in academia means living in a culture that glorifies being busy – especially in grad school. If you’re not juggling five deadlines, three research projects, and a growing list of unanswered emails, it can start to feel like you’re falling behind. But lately I’ve been realizing: being busy isn’t…
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Continue reading →: The Myth of Catching UpIt’s mid-semester, and the pace has officially picked up. Between coursework, research, meetings, and everything else on your plate, it can start to feel like you’re always a few steps behind. That sense of racing against the clock and your to-do list can be exhausting – but somehow, it also…
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Continue reading →: When Life Gets Full (An Update About Balance After a Busy 2 Weeks)It’s been a couple of weeks since my last blog post. This is the first time I’ve missed my usual rhythm since starting Balanced Academic, and it actually wasn’t because of burnout. Life has just been full. These past two weeks have been busy – the kind of busy where…
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Continue reading →: The 1% Reset: Small Shifts for a Smoother WeekMy Sunday Reset this week is quick and simple. Instead of trying to reset everything today, I’m just focusing on 1%. Here’s the idea: you don’t always need a full overhaul to improve your week. Sometimes, a tiny adjustment is all it takes to create momentum. A 1% shift today…
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Continue reading →: Why You Don’t Need to Feel Motivated to Make ProgressMotivation often gets talked about like it’s the golden ticket to productivity. Social media is full of advice on how to “find” or “boost” your motivation. But the truth is, motivation is unreliable – it comes and goes, often at the worst times. The good news? You don’t actually need…
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Continue reading →: Sunday Reset: A Values Check-InThis week I wanted to cover some new ground with the Sunday Reset and talk about values. Living through your values means consistently and consciously aligning your decisions, actions, and way of life with what you believe is most important. So for this week’s reset, instead of focusing only on…
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Continue reading →: Midweek Check-In: How to Reset When You Hit the SlumpIt’s Wednesday afternoon and you’re staring at your to-do list with absolutely no desire to check anything off. You’ve made some progress today, but your energy is nowhere near where it was on Monday. Suddenly, even opening that article or dataset feels impossible. If this sounds familiar, you’ve hit the…
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Hello,
This is Balanced Academic
A blog written by a busy grad student learning how to build a healthier & more intentional academic life. This is a space for academics who want to stay productive without burning out. Real tools. Real talk. Real balance.
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