Are you exhausted, overwhelmed, or questioning your place in academia? This week on Beyond the Thesis with Papa PhD, I sit down with Lucia Juarez, PhD – academic coach and creator of the SmartPhD system. Lucia’s personal story—from burnout and motherhood during her PhD to designing a holistic productivity system—offers a powerful roadmap for finishing grad school with more clarity, confidence, and joy.
Lucia opens up about moving across continents, facing impostor syndrome, and the mental load of juggling parenting and research. Her turning point came with redefining productivity and reclaiming time using tools like the Pomodoro technique, mindset shifts, and intentional rest. We explore how graduate students can manage their time and energy, and why finishing “faster” doesn’t mean rushing—it means working better.
What you will learn:
How to adapt productivity tools like Pomodoro to your real life
Why mindset is key to academic confidence
How motherhood transformed Lucia’s academic identity
- How to finish your PhD without sacrificing your wellbeing
🎯 Your dissertation doesn’t have to cost your health.
📱🎧Tune in.
See the resources section below for Lucia’s links!
This episode’s resources:
Thank you, Lucia Juarez!
If you enjoyed this conversation with Lucia, let her know by clicking the link below and leaving her a message on Linkedin:
Send Lucia Juarez 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:
Özgun Ünver – Stopping Burnout in its Tracks
Paul Yachnin – Current Challenges in Graduate Education
Gertrude Nonterah – Keeping Balance in Graduate School
Sylvie Lahaie – Navigating Stress and Anxiety in Graduate School