One of the first words that many children learn is "no" - as a safety mechanism mostly and to protect them but sometimes it doesn't stop there and we say no to an awful lot of things that we are actually fully capable of! So, on today's episode, I am exploring the art of saying yes. I will talk about creating opportunities by putting yourself out of your comfort zone and rise to the occasion. I still have a hard time saying yes sometimes, but it's a process and an exciting one at that! So...

I love the ocean and open water swimming is really something that will make you feel alive! So on today's episode I'll explore open water swimming - part 2 (or swimming in the ocean in the winter...). It's gotten cold, which means less people are less out and it gets darker much sooner, so there is a few extra precautions to take! As always, with any physical activity, consult with your medical doctor or GP before engaging in the activity! Anywhere you get your podcasts!

I cannot tell you how many times I was asked to finish (or start) a task and had absolutely no clue what to do or how to do it and it sometimes made me doubt my own ability to do anything and with that all the small voices came creeping in that I may not be good enough to do this, that, or the other. In this week's episode I explore how you can deal with these situations and how you make sure that you are well equipped to complete your work responsibilities and also - how to find help when...

Have you ever looked in a room and thought to yourself, "whoa, everyone looks the same here"? Be it the way people dress or behave or where they come from... It can make you feel really isolated and really lonely, especially when you feel like you may not fit in! For most of my upbringing that is exactly what I felt like - just a bit on the outside but I learnt how to be comfortable with that uncomfortable feeling and tried my best to make sure that others wouldn't have to feel the same. But...

Sometimes I find myself stuck in a rut and everything just becomes way too much and does not feel fulfilling at all, be it a personal routine, a personal relationship, a professional relationship, or the place you work at... And of course, sometimes I wonder if I should just stop it all and walk away and start something completely new some place else but I learnt through my personal relationships, that the best thing you can do is make an active decision about being present and choosing to be...

I've been told countless times that reading academic papers is boring and dull - especially new students are often overwhelmed by the world jumble that is thrown at them for them to make sense of it all and it is exhausting! In this week's episode I'll share some tips and tricks on how to read academic papers, journals, government papers, or any scientific reports effectively and how you can get the most out of the papers without having to spend hours and hours trying to decipher what is...

We have all been in a situation where we knew we had to make a good first impression or we met someone who did not make a good first impression. It's not rare that the first impression may not be the best but you end up being great colleagues or friends. But how do you prepare to meet someone new and how can you make sure that you leave a good first impression? I don't have any one-size-fits-all solution but maybe a few tips that may help!

Have you ever wondered why there were so many academic conferences and who attends all of these? And also - why do academics go to all of these? In this week's episode we explore academic conferences, why they are important, and who should attend them, and when to maybe not to attend...

When I was younger, I loved the idea of going to the circus. In fact, I don't actually think I went all that often, but it was one of these magical experiences in my mind. It was never about the animals, but what I absolutely loved were the people and their ability to do things that just seemed so outlandish to me. Especially aerial acrobatics - hanging on silk ropes, catching themselves, climbing up again, flying through the arena - it always seemed so magical. So, naturally, I thought, why...

These days it sometimes seems like everyone is a specialist - but what about all of us (including me) who are generalists who like to know a little bit about everything? There is a place for all of us in this world! In this week's episode, I explore what a generalist is and how they operate and why you should maybe also consider a generalist approach to whatever you do. I also talk about specialists and why we need their skills to even consider being a generalist!

I absolutely love any water-based activities, no matter how terrifying they seem to some and believe me, this week's episode has some terrifying moments in it. I recently joined the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) on one of their sailing trips on the Celtic Mist. This was my second time around and it was very different from two years ago. So tune in, know that no humans or animals were harmed during the course of this experience, and enjoy!

Have you ever received feedback and thought to yourself - what on earth was that? Well, I've been at the receiving end of that more times than I care to remember and there was a time in my life where I would have taken any feedback as a critique on my personal being. And of course, when you feel like someone is attacking you, you will never be able to actually listen to what they are saying (if in fact what they are saying has any merit). But, it turns out, that when you give constructive...

The fear of missing out (FOMO) is that feeling you get when you at one place but wish you were some place else and while you are in that place, you are unable to enjoy yourself or really take in what is happening. While most of us think of this in the context of being invited to two parties at the same time, it's something we actually experience every day in our personal and professional lives. For instance, when you signed up for a webinar but are not paying attention to the webinar because...

When I was 14, I made the decision to become a fashion designer/seamstress, thinking that I found my calling and that one day I would be the next Vivian Westwood. Spoiler alert: that didn't quite happen (yet?!). I worked in a theatre for about 4 weeks, clocked 38.5 hours per week and made a whopping 168 euros (not per week - that was one month's salary!). But I took a few moments in this week's episode and reflected on what I learnt in that job and how important it was to understand that...

As we are all taking a few much-needed days off, it is important to reflect on how you take leave! You may have heard the buzzword "ecotourism" thrown around quite a bit, but what does that actually mean and how far do you have to travel to really be an ecotourist? Turns out, not that far at all! Join me in this week's episode where I talk about ecotourism, what that means and how you can make sure that you travel environmentally-friendly and eco-conscious. 

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where a tiny voice in your head told you that you don't have the skills, experience, or knowledge to participate in a conversation? Did it ever feel like anyone else around you knew much more and was much better equipped to respond to questions and make comments than you? Has this ever held you back in speaking your mind, applying for a job, or just feeling good about yourself? You may have a case of imposter syndrome and let me tell you, we've all...

My image of surfers is quite stereotypical - carefree, lots of abs, and salty hair... Turns out, I was half right. In this week's episode I explore the ins and outs of surfing, talking about the board itself and what you should do in theory to be able to stand on a board... P.S. if it sounds like I am demonstrating the steps on how to surf, you are absolutely right, that is exactly what I was doing, although nobody could see it and I was talking to myself...

Being beach-smart is important - in this week's episode I'll discuss rip currents and how you can stay safe in the water. As with any physical activity, please consult your GP or medical doctor before engaging in any physical and/or water related activity. Disclaimer: I use riptide and rip current interchangeably, as I am sure many of us do. However, they are not the same thing and no matter how much I reminded myself to call it rip currents, the habit succeeded... A riptide is a tidal...

As the weather's heating up (and with that the urge to go to the ocean becomes stronger), I want to explore snorkeling with you! It's one of my favourite ocean-related activities because you don't need much experience, all you need is a snorkel and a mask and you're good to go! So on this week's episode I'll walk you through snorkeling for beginners, an easy guide to get you comfortable in the water and make sure you know what to do when your mask fills up with water! Please consult with...

Innovation has become a buzzword and while we all have ideas what innovation means and why it's important, on this week's episode I did a deep-dive on the theory of innovation and why so many governments and policymakers strive to be innovative.

As we are moving towards warmer months and warmer waters, I wanted to take a second and talk to you about blue health. It's a new and interesting concept looking at the benefits humans can get from interacting with the ocean.

I love being in/on/at/by the ocean, so a couple weeks ago, I tried a new way of enjoying the marine space - through sea kayaking. I took a 2-day-course a couple weeks ago and what started as a fun excursion quickly transitioned into a nightmare of hand-eye-coordination resulting in very sore muscles and a somewhat painful sun tan... So, quickly summarised: a successful excursion. As with anything active, please consult with your doctor before undertaking any physical activities.

Sometimes I find myself in situations where I am somewhat lost. I know what I do is important and I typically can remember why I started to begin with, but when you loose sight of what is important, it becomes difficult to really make sense of it all. To avoid that utter confusion, it is important to ground yourself - find something that makes you go out of your own head and come back to what really matters. For that, I call my parents and we talk about anything for hours on end - you may do...

Have you ever felt completely misunderstood or thought you knew exactly what you and your partner or colleague were talking about and then learnt that you couldn't be further from the truth? Misunderstandings like that make life very difficult and challenging when they don't have to be! On this week's episode I explore the power of language and definitions and why this is such an important way to create trust and build a long-lasting workforce but how it can also create barriers for new...

When I was in school, my math teacher always used to say, "what you learn in this class will be usable in your other classes". That never made sense to me - was I supposed to calculate how many words per hour someone could write in class? It wasn't until much later that I understood the real lesson - the ability to take something I learnt in one context and use that knowledge, and the skills acquired in a completely different context. Transferable skills - as we like to call this learning...