If you’re writing a PhD you have come to the right place!
I’m Amber Davis and I can help you finish your PhD in a couple of focused hours a day. I believe productivity and self-care go hand in hand, especially so in the academic world. I teach an online programme and provide coaching to get you out of any PhD slumps you may be in.
Maybe you are feeling overwhelmed and behind, and are spending long days staring at your screen without making much progress. Perhaps you are unsure whether your work is ‘good enough’, and ‘far enough ahead’ (whatever that means). Maybe you are stuck with a particular chapter or article. There are always difficult stretches along the way. It is part of the process.
The Stress-Free PhD 6-Week Programme to the rescue! It will help you get back on track and write your PhD (almost) effortlessly. Join me for 6 weeks of focus, productivity and self-care.
While you are here you can also read the blog, download the ZenAcademic Worksheet, and check out the other free resources.
If you are wondering why I do what I do: check out my story. Please do get in touch if I might be able to be of help. (In het Nederlands kan ook: ik ben Nederlands/ Engels.) I would be delighted to hear from you.
Hello, I’m Amber Davis. Let me help you write a more inspired, productive and happier PhD. Get started right now! Get access to my free resources including the ZenAcademic mini course by leaving your email below.
COURSES & E-BOOKS
BLOG
Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time
Tell me: how do you structure your PhD workday? Are you following a general 9-5 schedule, assuming you’ll finish your work during those hours (and if not, you’ll squeeze in a little or a lot of extra time in the evenings or on the weekends)? How do you know you are making progress? Do you use word count or other metrics to keep track? I have come to realise that academic productivity is -- and always will be -- non-linear. In the face of this inconvenient truth, we adopt all sorts of systems and conventions in an attempt to keep [...]
Are You Overthinking Your PhD?
Earlier this year I ended up in a strength assessment workshop for professionals in a social club in Cape Town. Think tennis courts, bowling and croquet greens (really!), a cricket pitch, a ballroom, a swimming pool with a view of Table Mountain, a sushi bar, palm trees, the works! I was invited by my friend and Cape Town host Gen. After a fantastic visit in 2023 I am trying to make my trips to Cape Town a regular feature, and this year I succeeded and I was back in town. A place had opened up in this workshop she was [...]
8 Lessons from Academic Failure
When my former EUI colleague and friend Andrew Glencross asked me whether I'd be interested in co-authoring a piece on failure and derailment in academia my answer was an immediate yes. That was two years and endless revisions ago, and last weekend we finally received the email to say our article has been published! Our contribution is part of a forum on "Dead-Ends, Disasters, Delays? Reflecting on Research Failure in International Studies and Ways to Avoid It" in 'International Studies Perspectives' and you can find it here. In the article, we reflect on our own academic journeys and the pivotal role [...]
Pick the Right Supervisor
Do me a favour? Pick the right supervisor. It is THE power relationship that matters when you are writing a PhD, and its impact not only on your work and career, but also on your wellbeing should not be underestimated. If you are looking for a PhD position, don’t just start with the university, the reputation of the department or the field. People matter, and academia is built on personal networks. Being part of the right ecosystem so to speak, is everything. I’ll tell you a story to illustrate. I thought I had all this supervision business covered when I [...]
LIBRARY
Free Resources Library
I have compiled some free resources for you to download. An e-book, a short course with encouraging emails to nudge your writing productivity alive, and a worksheet with a mini-course to create an effective and very zen work routine.
Leave your email to get access.