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Mrs Mummy PhD

Journeys of Becoming...

Breaking Through: 7 Practical Tips for Overcoming A Creative Block

September 16, 2024 · PhD & Beyond

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Struggling with creative block during your PhD, Mama? Discover 7 effective strategies to reignite your creativity and make progress in your research. Perfect for Scholarly Mamas® juggling academia and family life.

Conquering the New Academic Year as a Scholarly Mama®: Your Ultimate Guide to Success

September 9, 2024 · PhD & Beyond

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Discover practical tips for Scholarly Mamas® to thrive in the new academic year. Learn time management strategies, self-care techniques, and how to balance family life with academic pursuits.

Travelling with Kids: A Simple Scholarly Mama® Guide

September 8, 2024 · Love, Family & Lifestyle

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Discover practical tips for travelling with kids as a Scholarly Mama®. Learn how you can blend family adventures and academic responsibilities while creating lasting memories.

“Mama, Take a Break!”: The Power of the Reflective Pause

July 29, 2024 · Personal Growth & Wellness, PhD & Beyond

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Is it time to take a break, Mama? In the whirlwind of academic pursuits and family life, Scholarly Mamas often find themselves running on empty, desperately needing to take a break but feeling guilty at the mere thought. If you’re juggling a PhD programme, research deadlines, and family responsibilities, the idea of pausing might seem impossible. However, taking a break—specifically, a reflective pause—could be the game-changing strategy you need to navigate these challenges and emerge stronger. Let’s explore this in this blog post.

PhD Mum Guilt: 10 Effective Ways To Quiet It

July 22, 2024 · Love, Family & Lifestyle, PhD & Beyond

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Navigating the complex world of academia while raising a family can be an overwhelming experience for many mothers. The constant juggle between research deadlines, writing, and family responsibilities often leads to that pervasive feeling known as “mum guilt.” This emotional burden can significantly impact both personal well-being and academic progress. As someone who has lived through this experience, I want to share my story and offer practical strategies to help you manage mum guilt effectively.

Feeling Unfulfilled In Scholarly Mama Life? This Old Saying May Be A Timely Clue

May 27, 2024 · Love, Family & Lifestyle, Personal Growth & Wellness, PhD & Beyond

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Are you feeling unfulfilled as a Scholarly Mama®? In this post, we will explore some key strategies for rediscovering purpose, investing in all life areas, and creating fulfilment in your life.

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Meet Mrs Mummy PhD®

Hey Mama! I'm Dr Michelle Gibbs and this little corner of the internet exists to help ambitious women like you, achieve your lofty goals without sacrificing what matters most. If you're juggling a family, career, scholarly journey and everything else in-between, then this space is for you! It's time to flourish on purpose, with less hustle and more harmony. So Mama, are you in? Fabulous! Let's begin. These are our journeys of becoming :-)

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It’s the becoming, the growth, the evolution…👇🏽 T It’s the becoming, the growth, the evolution…👇🏽

This kind of freedom is priceless✨

To know oneself, to know one’s worth, to be able to embody grit & grace without the grind, to have clarity of purpose, to transform one’s PhD Motherhood journey it into something incredibly purposeful and beautiful… they offer the kind of joy that no one can take away.

So the next time you feel like you can’t do this without unpardonable sacrifice or without losing yourself in the process, remember that you can still pause to BE and success can still be yours regardless of the many other hats your wear.

Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋
Growing up on a tiny Caribbean island, I had big d Growing up on a tiny Caribbean island, I had big dreams as a little girl, but there were no guarantees because options were limited.

Fast forward several decades and that little girl moved countries twice, married her high-school sweetheart, became an RD with 5 degrees, including her PhD, and had 3 amazing sons (+2 angel babies).

But it wasn’t all a walk in the park…

My PhD was the hardest thing I’d ever done, especially as wife and mother. Honestly, there were many moments I wanted to give up — nights when the weight of it all felt heavy, and the finish line felt out of reach. I often questioned if I could really see it through…

But then… there was him… My husband, my anchor, my ride or die guy — the quiet strength who held me when I wanted to let go. When I doubted myself, he reminded me who I was. He carried what I couldn’t, so I could keep pursuing my career dreams.

And then there were our 3 boys — their laughter, their little voices, reminding me why I started in the first place. They were my reason… my strength… my heartbeat through it all.

There were tears, prayers, and moments of doubt — but love kept me steady, faith kept me grounded, and family gave me purpose. I realised that love and ambition aren’t opposite ends of the spectrum, but they’re threads that can weave together into something extraordinary.

Because at the end of the day…
what is success if you have no one to share it with?

That PhD began as my dream — but it became our journey. Built on faith, held by love, and made real by the people who never let me forget why I began. 

So if I could go back to childhood me, I’d let that little island girl know that though it wouldn’t be easy, her dreams were 💯possible. I’d let her know that these will be her journeys of becoming 🦋

Tag all the @scholarlymamas who need to know that their dreams are possible too!

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #journeysofbecoming #phd #scholarlymamas #phdmama #purposefulsuccess
If you’re in the throes of PhD Motherhood, this me If you’re in the throes of PhD Motherhood, this message is for you! 

Keep going Mama, cheering you on all the way to Dr [you]!

Secret to success: being intentional about your Scholarly Mama life!

Sometimes being intentional looks like taking breaks for rest, recovery and recharge. Sometimes it looks like embracing the new and shelving what isn’t working for you any longer. Sometimes it’s embracing the stillness of deep work or quiet reflection. 

Here are three questions to ask yourself when you’re in the trenches of the juggle struggle:

1.	What does success look like for me in this season, and am I giving myself permission to embrace it?

2.	What can I release — habits, expectations, or pressures — that no longer serve the woman I’m becoming?

3.	Where can I create small pockets of stillness to reconnect with my purpose and joy?

Which of these questions resonates with you most right now? 

Drop your thoughts in the comments — and tag another Scholarly Mama who needs to hear this today.

These are our journeys of becoming 🦋
"I met myself..." These were Dr Noni's words afte "I met myself..."

These were Dr Noni's words after an 8+ year PhD journey—one that led her from rejection and redirection to unexpected transformation.

This latest episode (Episode #121) is a powerful reminder that the academic path isn’t just about degrees or titles—it's a journey back to oneself.

If you’ve ever felt like your story doesn’t “fit” the traditional academic mold, this one is for you.

Remember, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#SelfDiscovery #PhDMotherhood #ScholarlyMama
What happens when your dream of academia meets the What happens when your dream of academia meets the reality of motherhood—and somehow, both lead you back to yourself?

Tune into my guest episode this week with a Zimbabwean-born academic, Mama, and creator who’s walked an extraordinary path: from being rejected by master’s programmes to earning two undergraduate degrees, securing a prestigious scholarship, and finally finishing her PhD after 8+ years—all while raising her daughter.

We get into the hidden struggles of finishing a PhD as a Mama, and how the long academic journey became, more than anything, a journey back to self.

If you’ve ever felt lost in your research, torn between identities, or like you’re carrying too much alone—tune into an extordinary story of a Scholarly Mama’s journey.

Tune in now wherever you get your podcasts, and don’t forget to subscribe, share, and tag a fellow #scholarlymama who needs to hear this.

Remember Mama, these are your journeys of becoming 🦋

#PhDMotherhood #WomenInAcademia #SelfDiscovery #PhDJourney #MamaAndScholar #PhDLife #SelfDiscovery #PhDLife #BlackWomenInAcademia #PodcastForMoms #MotherhoodUnfiltered #ScholarlyMama #PhDRealTalk
You’ve been trying to do it all — be the perfect s You’ve been trying to do it all — be the perfect scholar, the present mama, the one who “proves them wrong.”

But experience has taught me that overachieving is not the same as thriving. It’s often survival mode in disguise leaving you on the brink of burnout.

But you can trade hustle for alignment. You don’t have to earn or prove your worth — you already have it within you. You don't have to just survive this journey, you can thrive without sacrificing what matters.

Swipe through the slides for a timely truth check. Remember Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #phdmom #finishwell #academicburnout #overachieverrecovery #authenticscholarship #restisresistance
“Balance” is a beautiful word… but a terrible stan “Balance” is a beautiful word… but a terrible standard.

For purposeful @scholarlymamas, life isn’t about keeping everything perfectly weighted — it’s about honouring the seasons as they ebb and flow, clarifying priorities, and remembering that you are allowed to matter in the mix.

Forget chasing balance. Let’s talk about rhythms, integration, and just being enough.

Which part of this resonates most with you? 

Share below.

Remember Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #fromoverwhelmedtoenough #podcaster #journeysofbecoming
If you’re a Mama doing a PhD, you’re going to want If you’re a Mama doing a PhD, you’re going to want to listen to this episode with Dr Blessing Adeniyi from @thephdrace 

If you’ve listen to it, share your top highlights in the comments! 

If you haven’t yet, listen to Episode 118 on the @mrsmummyphd podcast! 

Mama, these are our journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #thephdrace #journeysofbecoming #gradschool #phdjourney #jugglestruggle #success
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