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sunny Lifestyle tips for a scientific career

Are you looking for the sun at the end of the scientific tunnel? Read about transforming concepts and get tips on how to improve your scientific day. Because we all want you to be at your best when doing your experiments.

Please be aware, that improving your day means something completely different for everyone and what helps you might not do the same for someone else. This is why, the Sunny Scientist takes a holistic approach and gives you various tools to transform different parts of your life. From those, you can choose what works for you and what you want to focus on.

Your choice.

Project management and lab organisation

Collect your quick notes, thoughts, ideas and bookmarks in your Sunny Intray and go back to them when the time is right. Use this free template for Notion as a starting point for efficient task management.
Bring your research to the next level by planning and structuring your experiments digitally. Track your scientific progress with visual comparisons and share your protocols and results easily with your collaborators.
Organise your research papers and link them to your notes, ideas and thoughts. Cross-references between papers and to the publishing journals help you categorise publications and keep track of the progress of your field.
Learn how to use Notion for project management and research planning. Organise your tasks, duties, orders and research output and structure your days better. Contact me now for a free consultation to achieve your research goals.
As scientists, we often work on multiple projects at once. We organise the different research experiments that we’re conducting, applications for jobs and grants that we’re writing and the conference talks that we’re preparing. In between these major projects, smaller tasks, ideas and new publications come up that need to be taken care of, integrated and read. Often, these slip through since we’re so involved in the big projects without an efficient way to collect and organise the “small stuff”. To unload your mental chaos, an Intray is an efficient tool to manage projects and keep smaller tasks, new ideas and quick notes in one place. When you have the mental capacity, you can tend to these items, ensuring you’re on top of your research projects and deadlines.

Scientific careers

It became evident that researchers need to have a compelling online presence, best in form of a great research lab website. This can showcase ongoing research projects or lab activities. Here, we will look at how best to highlight your research to attract new lab members and help society.
Organise your grant writing applications to strategise your research tracks and funding opportunities. Thanks to a distraction-free and minimalistic design, the Sunny Grant Application Tracker serves as your grant writing workspace and idea generator for new research projects.
Follow the progress of your job applications to accelerate your scientific career! Use the Sunny Research Position Application Tracker as your digital administration hub for Notion and launching pad for a career in research.
Would you like to amplify your impact through effective science communication but don’t know how? Book a personalised science communication coaching with me and I’ll answer your questions related to a potential career shift or to better understand the fields of science communication and science writing.

Personal growth

Organise your books in the free Sunny Library and keep track of your notes and ideas about them. Use this free digital bookshelf as a Notion template and starting point for an extensive Archive Library.
As scientists, we are often faced with moving cities or even countries every few years, long hours in the lab and a competitive environment. These circumstances can lead to increasing feelings of loneliness for many researchers. To combat loneliness and lead a happier life, communication and relationships within the scientific community are helpful antidotes. Here, we look at how effective communication and nurturing strong relationships not only improves your mental well-being and productivity but also advances science.
Scientists are naturally curious about not only their own research topics but also the whole world around us. By reading popular science books, you get to learn and grow while giving your brain some time to relax. Find your next leisure book and make more sense of the world around you.
As scientists, we are often regarded as logical thinkers who rely solely on established facts and data. While these features are certainly needed for scientific success, this perspective undermines the role that creativity plays in research. Throughout history, we have seen that scientific progress is naturally driven by imaginative thinking, intuition and the courage to challenge existing theories. In this article, we will discuss that by nurturing creativity in the lab, scientists can harness their full potential and push the boundaries of human understanding.

Physical and mental health

The academic environment can be very competitive and uncertain, taking its toll on the mental health of many scientists. Practicing meditation is one way to disconnect from a stressful work environment and calm your mind. Try our free meditation recording to ease your mind and focus on what is important.
When we're too deep into our academic mindset, we sometimes forget why we chose this path. We might forget about our passion or motivation of doing science. Here, we will show you three efficient ways to reconnect with yourself and your academic passion and motivation.
Two things are often missing in academia: security and stability - or so one might think. By focussing on your own inner power, you'll soon realise that you have both stability and security within you. One way to unleash that inner power is through self-awareness and mindful meditation. Learn how to let go of external validation and start using your own inner strength.
When facing challenging situations, we often listen to our inner critics that may prevent us from succeeding. However, by becoming aware of these inner voices, we can learn to overcome them and do better. Practicing mindfulness and meditation will get us one step closer to focus and success.
Meditation allows you to focus on what is most important: finding your inner strength, motivation and passion. Only if you’re clear about these topics, you can be your best version and work on your research projects without mental distraction. With 4 audio files, the Meditation Medley aims to help you get to the bottom of yourself and identify your energetic core.
When working in the lab, scientists often forget to take breaks and end days completely exhausted and drained. But just by implementing short energising breaks into our lab routine, we can improve productivity, creativity and efficiency. Find some smart ways to combat exhaustion and become a sunny, more productive researcher.
Within the past few years, colouring books became popular again amongst adults. Many people embraced colouring as a meditative and relaxing activity to calm their minds and resolve stressful lab days. Here, we will look at what stress does to your brain and how meditative activities, like colouring, help you calm down, give your brain a much needed break and deal better with emotional and personal challenges.

Science and sustainability

The intelligent lab of the future is digital. Yet, not many lab-based scientists make good use of the digital tools that are available for their daily lab tasks. Here, we will explore some electronic lab management systems that can help your lab become more modern, efficient and green. From saving research papers electronically to sharing digital protocols with collaborators, we all can do our part to release the burden on the environment with digital lab tools.

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