The Happy Scientist

Pursuing a career in science often involves challenges and setbacks that are mentally demanding.

While we all grow and learn from these setbacks, the main experience at the time is pain.

But it's crucial to distinguish pain from suffering.

Pain might be an inevitable part of growth and learning, but suffering—deeper distress that's often a consequence of pervasive issues like burnout and imposter syndrome—is not necessary ...

#81 — Periodically directing your gaze inward can clarify your current position, past journey, and future aspirations.

In this episode of The Happy Scientist, explore the vital practice of taking a self-inventory.

Hear how to conduct this introspection effectively—steering clear of overly positive illusions, harsh self-criticism, and potential disappointment.

Plus, get practical strategies for maintaining a balanced and hon...

Ever feel a mix of frustration and nostalgia when you see new faces in the lab, fresh and full of questions?

Are you the kind of person who takes them under your wing, or does their naivety annoy you and get in the way of your lab work?

It’s easy to forget that we all started somewhere, and mentoring these budding scientists is the key to advancing not only their careers but also science as a whole.

In this episode of The H...

Naked ambition is a powerful characteristic, yet it can easily become overpowering—for you and your colleagues.

This could endanger your work connections and harm your reputation, especially in situations where teamwork is highly valued.

In this episode of The Happy Scientist, explore the potent quality of ambition and how to use it most effectively to create accomplishment regarding tasks, projects, and career advancement.

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#78 — In this episode of The Happy Scientist, we dive into the emotional patterns that hinder the smooth operation of any to-do list system.

These emotional barriers can sabotage even the most well-crafted to-do lists.

Let's get to the root of these emotional barriers and empower you to work more effectively.

Join us as we explore the psychological factors that influence our productivity and learn strategies to overcome the...

Is your to-do list downstream of your work style, or your work style downstream of your to-do list?

Do you prefer to write down everything you need to do for the day and then execute as many tasks as possible?

Or do you prefer to get stuck in for the day, and then decide what you need to do?

Your to-do list is your daily plan and sometimes an alarm clock. It gets you closer to your objectives by defining tasks. But, to be eff...

#76 — At the heart of the scientific method lies the idea that perspectives are not static—they evolve, shift, and intersect as we tackle scientific problems from different perspectives and uncover new ground truths.

Yet, for most of us, daily science boils down to fine details such as the particulars of experimental design, the caveats to our experiments, producing enough data to satisfy the boss, exporting your data in th...

#75 — We're told from a young age that patience is a virtue. But does that hold up to scrutiny?

In some respects, it seems so, given that impatience can be annoying to experience and make you unbearable to the people you're waiting on.

But what are the consequences of excessive patience? Does it become a pathological trait that results in excess tolerance and forbearance, which, in turn, stop you from getting what you want a...

#74 — How we feel about completing certain tasks and the people they involve have a massive impact on whether or not we do those tasks or how quickly and carefully we get them done.

You know—when a job involves dealing with that person, sending that email, or dealing with that instrument. Or when your stress levels build up so much that you lay out a heap of things you want done and tell everyone involved in an ill-tempered...

#73 — Why do you do science?

Is it your passion, is it to make an impact, is it just the way you make your living, or something else?

Whatever the reason, having a clear sense of your purpose matters.

It can help you deal with major and minor challenges, cope with setbacks, and help you reflect on the professional success and value of your career choices to sustain your development.

Or perhaps you feel dispassionate about doi...

#72 — Freedom is not having lots of options—it's choosing between them.

You are free to choose.

Now think about that in the context of your research project and career. Are there any decisions you would approach differently? Is there anything you tend to avoid because you worry it will limit your options in the future?

You might worry that specializing in a specific technique or instrument makes you less widely employable. ...

#71 — Tara Nylese was a career scientist and formerly a Regional Market Development Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific.

She left her Market Development Manager job to focus on other workplace wellness activities, and launched her book, Mindfulness in Everyday Life, which hit the #1 Best-selling new release in Business Health & Stress on Amazon.

She is passionate about mental and emotional well-being at work and is cer...

#70 — Academia can seem like nothing but deadlines.

Experiments, people, reports, and objectives compete for our immediate attention. Sometimes, rightly so.

But you can't physically do everything at once.

And when rushing becomes the rule rather than the exception, all your well-reasoned priorities can be totally derailed, leaving you feeling like you are always playing catch-up.

Plus, rushing usually has a negative impact...

#69 — Challenging people. You get them everywhere. Your lab—and beyond.

There's the one who block-books instruments for two weeks straight. There's the one who barely shows up and seems to get by doing far less work than you. There are data thieves and god complexes, post-it note warriors, and everything in between.

Heck, labs can be real frontier towns.

Some challenging people might be irritating fellow scientists, which you...

#68 — Respect is an interesting measure of a career. We all know colleagues we respect personally, or professionally, or intellectually. Sometimes one person captures more than one or even all of these measures. In fact, they can feed each other in an upward spiral. Here we will consider the micro and the macro ways to expand our respectability.

We'll also explore how you can cultivate respect—on multiple levels—and how it ...

#67 — Staying motivated while doing research is hard! It can be repetitive, with bouts of frequent failure and some complete dead ends.

But your research is beneficial and does matter—even if you're momentarily struggling to see the bigger picture—so it's critical to have an arsenal of ways to stay motivated when times get rough.

In this episode of The Happy Scientist, we explore some habits and techniques you can adopt to...

#66 — Do you ever think: "I don't love science anymore"?

Many of us have doubts during our scientific career and question whether the passion or enthusiasm is still there, but is it really true that we don't love science anymore, or is it that we don’t love the machine, the politics, the funding apparatus, or the people we work with?

In this episode of The Happy Scientist, let's go back to where it all started and figure out...

#65 — Do you feel awkward responding when someone genuinely compliments your work? Have you ever had a backhanded compliment or dubious praise? It seems like it can be hard to know what to say when your accomplishments get noticed—especially when it's your boss, a VIP, or even a celebrity.

In this episode of The Happy Scientist, get the tools you need to make you confident and gracious in the face of that often uncomfortab...

#64 — Catalysts aren't just for chemists anymore! The best practices you bring to the bench can be invaluable tools beyond it.

In this episode of The Happy Scientist, discover how to repurpose best lab practices to recognize new opportunities, accelerate your career progression, and extract value from your professional experience.

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