Blog

Welcome to the blog. This is where you can find the latest posts from the ConveRSE Community. We have invited a range of people with different background and experiences to contribute to this blog, so you can find a wide range of stories, tips and advice on self-care and mental health.


Latest Posts

View the latest posts below. Click on an author, category or tag to filter the results.

Let's talk about Getting Help

  Mike Simpson
  Self-Care
654 words
Let's talk about Getting Help

One of the questions I’ve been asked while giving my mental health talk is “where can I get support?” Sadly, this question often seems to coms from people submitting anonymously, who are asking where to get help if their line manager is not supportive or taking their concrns seriously. So, let’s look at your options for where to get support.

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Let's talk about Supporting your Team

  Mike Simpson
  Conversations
542 words
Let's talk about Supporting your Team

Another question I’ve been asked a few times while giving my mental health talk is “what can I do to support my team?” I was pleasantly surprised by this, and I think its encouraging that some managers are asking about it. But what can you do to look after the mental health of your team?

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Let's talk about Impostor Syndrome

  Mike Simpson
  Self-Care
617 words
Let's talk about Impostor Syndrome

Have you ever been working on a project and felt like you didn’t deserve to be there? Chances are, you have experienced impostor syndrome; a feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy that is common in the research software community. But is there anything we can do about it?

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Task Management for Humans as Self-Care

  Mike Simpson
  Projects
578 words
A photo of five people receiving a prize below the 2024 Collaborations Workshop logo.

I’d been looking for ways to support mental health in the research software community, but I was struggling to find practical solutions. Then, a surprising idea emerged from a conversation at the SSI’s Collaborations Workshop in 2024.

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Working from Home

  Mike Simpson
  Self-Care
855 words
A photo of a desk overlayed with the text

Working remotely has become part of most of our lives since the events of 2020. Working from home has its own challenges for our mental and physical health, so I’ve compiled a list of tips to look after yourself while working remotely.

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How Writing Saved My Life

  Mike Simpson
  Self-Care
458 words
White text in a black box on a blue background. Text reads

Yes, I know, it’s an over-melodramatic and clickbait-y title. But it is definitely true that writing about my experiences enabled me to process what I’d been through and allowed me to finally recover after years of struggling with depression, anxiety and insomnia.

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My Backstory

The Text

I became a father in April 2020, a few weeks into the UK’s first COVID-19 lockdown. The challenges of being a new parent while holding down a job during the chaos and uncertainty led to a severe decline in my mental health and, ultimately, to burnout and an anxiety attack.

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