Time and self management
Dr. Vira Bondar (EPT-?hub, ETH)
Hugh Kearns (Flinders University, Australia; ThinkWell)
Dr. Ariane Orosz (external page Sanatorium Kilchberg, external page IAP ZHAW)
- Online seminar "Sleep and recovery" (only in fall semester)
Dr. Ariane Orosz (external page Sanatorium Kilchberg, external page IAP ZHAW)
- Online workshop "Neurobiological bases of stress and stress management" (only in spring semester)
As a doctoral student, you face numerous demands on your time. Often, you find yourself switching roles between being a student, researcher, teacher, and other duties. Sometimes, all these responsibilities can pile-up, overwhelming you.
This short workshop aims to increase your awareness of how you allocate your time and provide strategies to enhance your self- and time-management skills.
The workshop is conducted by Dr. Vira Bondar. Vira co-founded and leads the EPT-hub, an interactive space which supports Teaching Assistants of introductory physics courses in their teaching duties and beyond. Vira is also doing particle-physics research in the Department of Physics at ETH Zurich.
This workshop is exclusively available to current and prospective doctoral students of ETH Zurich.
Registration
Date: Monday 9 March 2026
Time: 10:00 - 11:00
Online (ZOOM)
external page Registration "Be the master of your time!"
Procrastination, perfectionism, over-committing. Sound familiar? Learn how to identify your own patterns, find out what might be behind them, and work out what you can do to tackle them so that you can get your thesis finished.
In this workshop we will discuss:
- What is self-sabotage?
- The down side of self-sabotage
- Defeating self-sabotage
- Over-committing: it's enough already
- Procrastination: I'll start when I feel like it
- Perfectionism / writer's block: It's not a Nobel prize (sadly!)
- The ultimate defeating SELF-SABotage tool
- 20 excellent excuses for not starting work on your doctorate.
Registration
Date: Thursday 26 February 2026
Time: 9:30 - 11:30
Online (ZOOM)
Are you a doctoral student struggling with anxiety, stress, or self-doubt during your doctoral journey? This workshop is designed to help you understand the sources of anxiety in academia and equip you with practical tools to manage it effectively.
You will learn about the psychological foundations of anxiety, discover evidence-based coping strategies, and explore ways to build resilience and self-confidence. The workshop might be a first step to develop healthier habits, boost your well-being, and thrive in your PhD life.
The workshop is conducted by external page Jasmin Bucher (external page Psychological Counseling Services UZH & ETH).
This workshop is exclusively available to current and prospective doctoral students of ETH Zurich.
Registration
Date: tba
Time: 15:00 - 17:00
Location: ETH Main Building (R?mistrasse 101, 8092 Zurich), room HG F 33.5
Registration "Building resilience: coping with anxiety in the PhD journey": closed
Healthy sleep is essential for both our physical and mental health, as well as for good performance. During sleep, our bodies undergo regenerative processes, while our brains consolidate newly acquired memories. Healthy sleep is also crucial for processing and regulating emotions.
In this seminar, Dr. sc. ETH external page Ariane Orosz (external page Centre for Stress-Related Illnesses, Sanatorium Kilchberg and external page IAP Institute of Applied Psychology, ZHAW) will provide relevant information for understanding sleep and address the relationship between stress and disturbed sleep. Most importantly, the seminar will equip participants with practical and effective strategies for establishing healthy sleep habits and achieving restful sleep.
There will be a Q&A session in the second part of the session.
This seminar is exclusively available to current and prospective doctoral students of ETH Zurich.
Registration
Date: tba
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Online (ZOOM)
Registration "Sleep and recovery": closed
Unexpected occurrences, difficult tasks and heavy workload characterize everyday life and work – especially as a doctoral student. In order to manage these challenges, we need our stress response. This two-hour workshop conducted by external page Ariane Orosz, Dr. sc. ETH (external page Centre for Stress-Related Illnesses, Sanatorium Kilchberg; external page IAP Institute of Applied Psychology, ZHAW) demonstrates how stress helps us to adapt to demanding situations and – if engaged for too long – how stress can result in maladaptive processes affecting body, mind and feelings. This workshop illustrates the neurobiological mechanisms of our stress response as well as our “anti-stress systems”, and provides practical inputs on how to transfer this knowledge into everyday life in order to keep balance, strengthen stress resilience and cultivate well-being.
ETH Zurich offers a broad range of counseling for students and doctoral students, who are in an extraordinary or complicated situation in life. In addition, you can find the links to several platforms with information about mental health and possibilities to connect and exchange.