Wendy Nicholls

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT WENDY NICHOLLS

Is this you? You\'re a dedicated academic who\'s trapped on the treadmill of competing demands. 🥱 At work, you project competence. At home, you\'re exhausted, checking emails at dinner and working late into the night. 🧑‍ The job you signed up for—vibrant discussions, groundbreaking research, intellectual collaboration—has been replaced by endless meetings, emails and administrative tasks. 🤹 Your research has become something you squeeze in between other responsibilities. Your wellbeing has become an afterthought. You\'ve tried setting boundaries, explored productivity systems, and attempted self-care—all abandoned when workload intensified. You\'re not failing—you\'re caught in a system where 62% of academics work over 40 hours weekly and only 1 in 5 works a standard week. I can help. I work with academics to help them manage the treadmill of competing demands so they can reconnect with their identity and purpose. After over 20 years in UK higher education—from PhD student to Reader, from leader to burnout and beyond—I understand the unique pressures you face. I\'ve been there: working at 3am, checking emails beside my sick child, writing during maternity leave, and existing on the thread of hope that change is just around the corner. It was only after leaving my full-time academic role that I saw how unreasonable these expectations are—and how possible change can be. I\'ll help you: 🫂Reframe your relationship with your academic role. Create practical boundaries that withstand real-world pressures Identify your non-negotiables and protect them regardless of workload Reconnect with what originally drew you to academia or support your thinking and next steps if it is time to leave. My coaching programmes provide the structure and accountability needed for lasting change, starting with a comprehensive mapping of where you are now and where you want to be. Coaching programmes start from £499. Payment plans are available. Message me to discuss how we can create a sustainable academic life that honours both your professional contributions and personal wellbeing. Remember: You work as an academic. You are not your job.