Do you ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day? For many graduate students, PhDs, and early-career professionals, time scarcity feels like the biggest obstacle to building a sustainable and fulfilling career.
This week on Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD, I talk with Michelle Niemeyer — speaker, coach, and former attorney — about her journey through burnout, a life-changing health diagnosis, and how she created The Art of Bending Time, a framework to help ambitious professionals stay sharp, productive, and energized without burning out.
Michelle shares her story of going from a high-performing but burned-out lawyer to building a career where she connects the dots between work, life, and purpose. Along the way, she offers powerful insights and practical tools that you can use right away.
🔍 In this episode
Why traditional time management strategies often don’t work for PhDs.
The hidden costs of multitasking and how to regain focus.
How to protect yourself from burnout by nurturing sparks of joy in your day.
Why “work-life balance” is a myth — and what to aim for instead.
- Two practical tools: the Clarity Exercise and the SWORD Analysis for aligning your goals with your values.
Whether you’re finishing graduate school, considering a career pivot, or already working outside academia, Michelle’s insights will help you rethink how you spend your time and energy so you can thrive both personally and professionally.
Tune in now! 📱🎧
See the resources section below for Michelle’s links!
This episode’s resources:
Thank you, Michelle Niemeyer!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Michelle, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Michelle Niemeyer a thank you message on Linkedin!
Click here to share your key take-away from this interview with David!
You might also like the following episodes:
Lexi Reid – Healing and Reinventing Your STEM Career
Özgun Ünver – stopping Burnout in its Tracks
Gertrude Nonterah – Keeping Balance in Graduate School
Sylvie Lahaie – Navigating Stress in Graduate School With Neuroscience