A toolbox för academic productivity and stress management in Uppsala on the 21st of October

Posted by on Sep 13, 2015 in Nyheter
A toolbox for academic productivity and stress management
– Workshop  (full-day)
The objective is to provide PhD students with a toolbox for increased academic productivity and decreased stress levels.
The background is that in academia we focus on what/the content of our work, but sometimes we forget to pay attention to our own work process, or how we work, think, and act. However, the process is important for finishing research projects and managing stress levels. Furthermore, as individuals, we often have one main strategy, or a certain way of thinking and acting, to deal with a variety of situations. Often, our main strategy works fine, but when we encounter new situations, we might need a greater variety of strategies. This workshop is designed to provide you with new strategies applicable to academic work.
More specifically, you will learn productivity tools such as working in cycles, focusing on the end product, and working in units, and apply them to your own work situation. These productivity tools are closely connected to the field of stress management. Here, we will discuss a model ”demand – control – support”  to explain causes of stress in the academic environment, and how you can use it in managing your stress level to shift from negative to positive stress. You will also learn and try new tools for thinking and acting differently. For instance, recognizing your ”automatic thoughts” and how they affect your behavior, as well as tools for handling common thoughts in a performance culture, e.g. high demands on achievement.

WORKSHOP INSTRUCTORS 

Åsa Burman, PhD, Fulbright Scholar, and former management consultant. Main lecturer on academic productivity, and instructor on stress management.

Johanna Clausen Ekefjärd, licensed psychologist, employed at the Faculty of Medicine to conduct research on stress. Main lecturer on stress management and instructor on academic productivity.

AGENDA 

9.15-12.00 Academic productivity: From efficiency to effectiveness

12-13.15 Lunch

13.15-16.00 Stress management for academics: From negative stress to positive stress

EXPECTED WORKSHOP OUTCOME

  • Trying new academic productivity tools easy to implement and with large impact
  • Learning about tools from stress research most applicable to the academic work situation
  • Increased sense of control through practical productivity and stress management tools
  •  Sharing of best practices among participants

ABOUT FINISH ON TIME

Finish On Time has collaborated with many different departments at Lund University, to provide academics with practical tools applicable to the academic work process. Over 50 PhD students have participated in the Graduate student package, a course extending over one semester. Over 700 advisors, professors and students have participated at Finish On Time conferences and/or workshops at KTH, Luleå Tekniska Högskola, Uppsala University, and Lund University. The tools come from the University of California, Berkeley, management consulting and research on stress. During this workshop, you will get a chance to learn about and apply the tools related to academic productivity and stress management prior participants found most effective to your own work situation.