Self Care and Sources of Help
Where to get help in the University
It’s very important to seek help when you need it.
There are many sources of support in the University and it’s very likely that one of them will be able to provide the help you need. This page lists many of them, but may not be fully comprehensive, so do keep looking if you can’t find what you need here. There are also some ideas, hints and tips for getting help and helping yourself, so make sure you read to the end.
Your time and most of your connections will be with your research group and department. Whichever your department, it sits within the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences (MPLS) Division, one of four academic divisions in the University.
There is information and support available from your department, the MPLS Division, and the University. Explore the links on the Introduction to the University and Division page for more detail.
In particular you may find these services useful:
Careers Service (available for research staff)
Centre for Teaching and Learning (for help with developing your teaching skills)
Newcomers’ Club (for the partners of new University staff)
Occupational health (to access a range of services including counselling)
Oxford and the EU: post Brexit guidance
HR Information for Research Staff
People and Organisational Development (for professional development opportunities)
Other Resources
Academic-related Staff Handbook
What Every Postdoc Needs to Know: an invaluable guide on all things posdoc
Vitae's Well Being and Mental Health pages
How to Beat the Imposter Syndrome and Seven Top Tips for Resilience from Jobs.ac.uk
LinkedIn Learning courses:
Looking after and Helping Yourself
There are a lot of things you can do for yourself that will help you progress and help you look after your physical and mental health. These are some suggestions.
Do your job and plan for the future
Always remember that you are being paid to do your job, so make sure you deliver what is expected of you. At the same time, you can be planning for and progressing towards your future career. See the section on Making the most of your time at Oxford.
Look after your PI and other colleague relationships
Looking after your working relationships will pay dividends. See the section on working relationships for hints and tips.
Balance your time and take holidays
Work to make sure you have a healthy work / life balance, making sure you have time for non-work activity and rest. Negotiate expected working hours with your PI if needs be. See the sections on 'Getting what you need' on the Working with you PI and others page, and the section on Managing your Time.
Try self-coaching
If you have an issue and you're not sure how to resolve it, try working through these self-coaching questions. These will be most effective if you write down the answers rather than just thinking about them.
In general
Keep sight of the bigger picture and your future career
Build up a network of support
Keep up non-work interests – sport, music, friends, whatever is important to you
Seek help when you need it