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Sharing how positivity and gratitude can support successful working in academia and higher education

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Blog Posts

Stories and tips about working in academia from the Grateful Academic

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Guest Blogs

Visit our guest blog page for stories and great advice from academics from around the world

Beautiful Campuses

University campuses offer stunning environments to relax in and explore

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Motivational Quotes

Feel uplifted by taking a moment to pause and read our quote section

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Home: Projects

How to say No and beat the demons of overcommitment

Kate Tapper

Jun 184 min read

How to say No and beat the demons of overcommitment

Overwhelm is rife in academia, there is always way too much to do. The wonderful Kate Tapper is back helping us learn how to say no.

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Is Taking a Break Beneficial? Exploring the Pros and Cons

The Grateful Academic

May 94 min read

Is Taking a Break Beneficial? Exploring the Pros and Cons

There has been a little break from the Grateful Academic recently, so I thought I would explore the pros and cons of taking a break.

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Surviving the End of Term Chaos: 6 Top Tips for Academics

The Grateful Academic

Dec 5, 20234 min read

Surviving the End of Term Chaos: 6 Top Tips for Academics

For many of us working in academia the end of the term or semester is coming and whilst we may be starting to look ahead towards some well e

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The Grateful Academic

Jul 25, 20231 min read

Beautiful Campuses: Summer

A short reflection on the delight in exploring summer garden spaces on campus

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The Grateful Academic

Apr 28, 20231 min read

Beautiful campuses: Spring #2023

It's Spring and it is beautiful! This post is simply about slowing down to enjoy the natural world on campus at spring time

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Dialling up the positivity switch in our brains

The Grateful Academic

Mar 3, 20233 min read

Dialling up the positivity switch in our brains

Have you ever considered that how we think about something, might be able to change how it feels? This blog is about the power of positivity

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The Grateful Academic

Jan 5, 20233 min read

Hitting the refresh button

In this blog, I share ways of retaining the focus we regain after taking a break and why we should all regularly hit the refresh button.

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The Grateful Academic

Nov 2, 20223 min read

The 5 minute rule

Your time is your most precious commodity. In this blog I reflect on how busyness can stop you from being effective, and how 5 minute tasks

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The Grateful Academic

Aug 31, 20222 min read

Beautiful Campuses: Summer

Seasonal look at the changing beauty of university campuses

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Guest Blog: Fighting imposter syndrome with a feeling of belonging by Becky Selwyn

Dr Becky Selwyn

Jun 7, 20225 min read

Guest Blog: Fighting imposter syndrome with a feeling of belonging by Becky Selwyn

Dr Becky Selwyn is an award winning senior lecturer in Engineering who writes about the challenging phenomenon of Imposter Syndrome.

287 views0 comments

Fabienne Vailes

May 5, 20225 min read

Guest Blog: The importance of compassion and self-compassion in education by Fabienne Vailes

The latest guest blog at thegfratefulacademic.com is all about compassion, from the wonderful Fabienne Vailes.

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Kate Tapper

Apr 8, 20223 min read

Guest Blog: Can academics be kind and successful? by Kate Tapper

Sharing the Grateful Academic's second blog on kindness, I welcome the wonderful Kate Tapper, founder of Bud Development to the site.

204 views0 comments

The Grateful Academic

Apr 6, 20222 min read

Beautiful Campuses: Spring

Beauty /ˈbjuːti/ noun A combination of qualities that pleases the senses

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Inclusive Research Collective

Mar 21, 20225 min read

Guest Blog: Changing Research Culture by the Inclusive Research Collective

This month, I welcome the Inclusive Research Collective to thegratefulacademic.com. This collaborative team are challenging the status quo

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Guest Blog: Gratefully Giving Forward by Sally Brown

Prof Sally Brown

Jan 13, 20227 min read

Guest Blog: Gratefully Giving Forward by Sally Brown

In this blog, Sally Brown writes about what grateful late-stage or retired academics can do to support the next generation of academics.

310 views2 comments

The Grateful Academic

Dec 22, 20212 min read

Beautiful Campuses: Winter

Seasonal look at the changing beauty of university campuses

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Guest Blog: The Kind Professor by James Norman

Prof James Norman

Nov 13, 20214 min read

Guest Blog: The Kind Professor by James Norman

In this latest guest blog, Professor James Norman writes his blog on the amazing quality that is kindness

155 views0 comments

Guest Blog: Finding positivity in “negativity” by Dr Zoë J. Ayres

Dr Zoë Ayres

Oct 23, 20213 min read

Guest Blog: Finding positivity in “negativity” by Dr Zoë J. Ayres

In this blog, Zoe talks about her advocacy work and how it is critical to acknowledge that things aren’t always ‘positive’ in academia

152 views0 comments

The Grateful Academic

Sep 26, 20212 min read

Beautiful Campuses : Autumn

Seasonal look at the changing beauty of university campuses

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Time: 4 ways to look at the passage of time

The Grateful Academic

Jul 28, 20214 min read

Time: 4 ways to look at the passage of time

Time /tʌɪm/ noun the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future.

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