Strengthen your Mental Well-Being

Preventing permanent stress

To help you with a healthy work-life balance andpersonal stress management, the university regularly offers workshops on

Work-Life Balance
Work-Family Balance
Time Management
Stress Management
Tension Release and Relaxation

Please search the Graduate Academy's qualification programme (in the Category Communication, Leadership and ManagementExternal link), and the programme of the Division for Staff DevepomentExternal link.

If you would like a flexible training tool, you can also use the online self learning programme "Stress im Griff" de (in German), provided by the university's staff development division in cooperation with AOK.

Connecting with other doctoral researchers

You can connect with other doctoral researchers and postdocs through the Graduate Academy's workshopsExternal link and events.

The Doctoral Council DR.FSU provides a number of opportunities to meet other young researchers, i.e. at the regular's table DocTable or at the frequent barbecue events called "HotDocs", as well as a variety of in online meetings and events.

Exercise, sports, and healthy eating

Yoga in paradise park
Image: Anne Günther (University of Jena)

In the university sports programme you will find a variety of different sports offers, from Aerobics to Volleyball and more. Everyone is invited to participate!

In addition, there are special health-oriented sports offers for employeesExternal link of Jena university.

An overview of further offers of the university on the topic "physical activity" can be found here de (in German). There are also various offers and information on the topic of healthy eating by the Staff Development department.

Making critical decisions

Women's head surrounded by questions marks
Image: istockphoto.com

Do I go through with my doctorate or do I quit the project? Do I maybe need another research topic or another supervisor? Should I stay in academia after the doctorate or not?

For critical decisions, it can be helpful to talk to an external person who looks at these issues with broader experience and from a different perspective. In the doctorate counselling and in the career counselling for doctoral candidates and postdocs, you can get support for your personal decisions around your PhD and career.

Taking a positive view towards your professional future after the PhD

The Graduate Academy offers you various orientation opportunities for your career path after your doctorate and supports you in making a good transition.

Workshops on Career Planning and ApplicationExternal link, for example "Academic Career – Pros and Cons" or "Plan B – How to find your Career outside Academia"
The Career Day or Career Week in late Autumn, providing information and workshops for young researchers (you will find the announcement here)
Career Mentoring for STEM Doctoral Candidates with mentors from industry and society
Rowena Morse Mentoring Programme for female doctoral researchers during the final phase of their PhD
Career Counselling for doctoral candidates and postdocs

Managing Conflicts

Two conflict parties and a mediator
Image: istockphoto.com/Andrii_Yalanskyi

In the qualification programme of the Graduate Academy (category Communication, Leadership and ManagementExternal link) you will regularly find workshops on conflict management as well as on effective communication.

In cases of conflict with your supervisor or your team, you can contact the Graduate Academy's doctorate counsellor for initial advice. There you will also find the Ombudsman's Office of the Graduate Academy, which can help with conflicts between doctoral candidates and supervisors. For conflicts around good scientific practice and scientific misconduct, you can contact the university's confidants.

If you would like general conflict moderation or mediation, you can contact the Staff Development Division.

Further contact persons in cases of conflict can be found in the Staff Council de, the Equal Opportunities Office and the Diversity Office.