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Mrs Mummy PhD

Journeys of Becoming...

The MMPhD Planner

Download your printable MMPhD Planner today!

Get My Mrs Mummy PhD® Planner

Hey Mama, as my sons would say… I’ve got something super-cool for you!

If you’ve been looking for a simple, printable planner to help you get organised, then you’ll absolutely love this.

If you’re like me, you are always meaning to get those goals and plans down on paper but never quite get around to it!

Instead, you probably carry them around in your head and wonder why you’re feeling overwhelmed. So here’s your personal invitation to brain dump them onto our Mrs Mummy PhD® Planner!

It’s your sign to finally close all those brain tabs you’ve been leaving open.

Let’s make a start today and make it good!

The MMPhD Planner is a date-less, print-at-home planner designed for busy Scholarly Mamas® like you! It’s designed to help you plan your goals, and organise your time more mindfully and intentionally, by incorporating self-care, gratitude, time-blocking, prioritising, meal planning and more!

We all know there is more to Scholarly Mama life than our PhDs, so this simple but handy printable planner will help you manage some of those other hats you wear!

The Mrs Mummy PhD® Planner now lives within the Resource Hub inside our Scholarly Mamas® community (The COLLECTIVE). You’ll find it within the Ultimate Scholarly Mama® Printable Bundle located there.

Remember, these are our journeys of becoming!

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Meet Mrs Mummy PhD®

Hey! I'm Dr Michelle Gibbs and this little corner of the internet exists to help ambitious Mamas like you, achieve your life and academic goals without sacrificing what matters most. If you're juggling family, career, academia and everything else in-between, then it's time to say 'yes' to savouring the moments that truly matter, while doing what sets your heart on fire! So Mama, are you in? Fabulous! These are our journeys of becoming :-)

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In this raw and honest moment from the podcast, Dr In this raw and honest moment from the podcast, Dr Milensu Shanyinde @workacademicmum opens up about the invisible weight so many mothers in academia carry—but rarely speak about.

Juggling her PhD and work life, navigating pregnancy and raising two young daughters during a global pandemic, Milensu talks candidly about the guilt, the overwhelm, and the internal tug-of-war between ambition and motherhood.

If you’ve ever felt stretched too thin, questioned your choices, or wondered if you’re doing enough—this episode will hit home for you.

Listen to the full guest episode on the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast for more on Milensu’s journey, the lessons she learned, and the quiet strength behind her success. 

Tune in to also find out the one thing she wish she had while she was navigating PhD life and motherhood simultaneously. 

What I really love about her story isn’t only how she was able to see her PhD through to completion while juggling all the things, but also how she managed to land the leadership role of her dreams in her post-PhD era. 

Listen to the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast wherever you get your podcasts! Tune into my IG stories for a fun bonus clip from the episode!

Remember Mama, these are our jounreys of becoming 🦋

#phdmama #workacademicmum #scholarlymamas #podcast #resilience #theresilientrise #phdjourney
Mama, don’t be distracted by doubters👇🏽

…because your journeys of becoming and purposeful outcomes will always speak for themselves, even if you’re also a Mama!

You’ll have a quiet, peaceful confidence about you that speaks volumes 🗣️

You see, for me, delayed was never denied because I knew there was no ‘standard way’ of navigating a PhD journey. Being a Mama before I began this journey and growing our family further during my PhD enhanced my journey in ways I can never explain… it was definitely not a hindrance or barrier to my success. 

Was it harder? You bet! 

Did it take me longer? Yes, it did. 

Would I do it again? I’m not sure 🤔 

But was it impossible? Clearly not!

What I realised, is that I had to hold the belief in who I was and get clear on my why, because I was enough and so are you! You are more than your PhD.

Follow @mrsmummyphd for more of you’re a Mama doing a PhD and juggling all the things.
Here, we’re turning “I’m overwhelmed” into “I’m enough”. Join us @scholarlymamas 

These are your journeys of becoming 🦋

#phdgraduate #throwback #2024 #journeysofbecoming #scholarlymama #phd #mrsmummyphd #scholarlymamas #youareenough♥️
I nearly quit my PhD more than once... Not becaus I nearly quit my PhD more than once...

Not because I couldn’t do the work—but because I was exhausted, isolated, and felt like no one understood how hard it was to keep holding it all together.

These five truths could’ve saved me so much guilt, self-doubt and second-guessing.

Swipe through if you’re:
– Juggling all the things and writing your PhD thesis during nap times
– Wondering if you’re too behind to finish
– Feeling like both a horrible Mama and PhD student who is always in survival mode

If this sounds like you, you are not broken. You’re just juggling a whole lot alone—without the village/support you deserve.

💬If this hits home, DM me 'WELL' and let’s get you connected, refocused, grounded again, and back on track—without burning out.

#phd #gradschoollife #phdlife #workingmum #scholarlymama #mumsofinstagram #academiccoach
"I can't tell you how many failed grant applicatio "I can't tell you how many failed grant applications I have had in the past year. They've been quite a few!..." she said. 

This was a conversation I had last week with a very senior colleague... 

It was a powerful moment of exchange.... 

She went on to share how many unsuccessful grant applications she'd had in the past year... 

I also shared similar experiences of 'failure'...

The wins and successes we've had have been amazing but the failures have definitely stung HARD!

Two researchers, very different on paper...
And yet... 
The level of shared understanding between us was profound.
The shared experience of 'failure' was normalised.
The effort was valued and appreciated.
The mutual support was beautiful.

We both felt seen, heard and understood.

But we both left that call inspired and motivated to not give up!

And so, here's the thing.... there is so much power in these conversations.

Sometimes you may never know the impact that a mundane interaction / mutual exchange can have, but I believe these conversations are so needed - not to champion mediocrity or diminish standards of academic excellence, but to normalise unsuccessful attempts, to celebrate effort and intention even when they don't lead to the desired outcome, to help us realise the potential for personal or professional growth and to motivate us to keep going.

Want more? Tune into Episodes 85 and 86 of the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast whereever you get your podcasts! 

These are our journeys of becoming 🦋

 #mrsmummyphd #scholarlymamas #scholarlymama #reframefailure #celebrate #youareenough #keepgoing
Are you holding onto a previous version of yoursel Are you holding onto a previous version of yourself that no longer exists? I’ve recently sat with this thought… the reflections were powerful.

Here’s what my brain offered:

As a Mama juggling all the things, you’re allowed to use your PhD to design the life and career of your dreams, even if it looks different from what others expected of you or what you once thought it would look like yourself!

It’s okay if the current version of you is not the same version of you that got you to where you are. One may align with what is expected, the other may align with who/what/where you need to be in this season of life…

You can absolutely chart your own path without losing the skills you’ve accumulated over the years! A mindset of career creativity & design is the best gift you can give yourself while on the journey…

Join me on my brand new broadcast channel and let’s talk about this and more!

These are our journeys of becoming 🦋

Follow @mrsmummyphd and @scholarlymamas for more!

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #journeysofbecoming #scholarlymamas #gradschool
Here’s how a plot twist brought clarity…👇🏽

She finished her PhD... She chased the dream…

But when she became a Mama, this quiet question kept popping up:

Is this really the only way? 

Dr Paulina Cossette gave everything to academia—until she realised it was costing her too much.

So she decided to edit the script!

In choosing a new path, she discovered something powerful: There’s more than one way to honour your education, your ambition, and your role as a Mama.

You do have options… and the best thing you can do for yourself, if you aren’t sure if academia is for you post-PhD, is to learn more about the options available to you!

Check out Ep 113 of the Mrs Mummy PhD® podcast to hear the full interview.

These are your journeys of becoming🦋

#scholarlymama #mrsmummyphd #journeysofbecoming #phd #scholarlymamas #gradschool #phdjourney #redefinesuccess
What happens when motherhood and the academic drea What happens when motherhood and the academic dream collide?

In today’s powerful episode of the @mrsmummyphd podcast, Dr Paulina Cossette @acadiaediting shares how she left her tenure-track grind to build a life she loves, without completely abandoning the skills she gained during her PhD journey.

Tune in to the podcast today for her story of:
✨ Redefining success
✨ Letting go of academic guilt
✨ Building a life beyond academia

A must-listen for Mamas who are craving more work-life harmony and are considering a new path forward post-PhD. Always good to gather information on what options are available to you.

These are your journeys of becoming 🦋

#academiclife #momlife #redefinesuccess #womeninacademia #podcast #phd #postphdcareeers
I know it’s hard to remember this👇🏽 …es I know it’s hard to remember this👇🏽

…especially when you’re buried deep in the throes of PhD life, but if there was a single word of wisdom I’d offer to anyone embarking on this journey in 2025, particularly as a Mama, it would be this…

Your PhD is not who you are, it’s also not something you get… is something you do and that’s it. It’s just one of many seasons of your life. You don’t owe it your entire identity.

The journey can so easily become all-consuming but as a Mama, be careful not to let it take over your whole life and identity too. 

You’re more than your PhD. 
You’re more than your titles. 
You’re more than your accolades. 

You deserve a life that reflects that…

You can do your PhD well and thrive in other areas of your life that matter too. No need to put everything and everyone on hold.

I enjoy helping @scholarlymamas reclaim their identity beyond their PhD so they believe that they are smart, purposeful and whole… 

…come join us if you need this reframe.

Because these are your journeys of becoming 🦋

#scholarlymama #scholarlymamas #phdjourney #iamwhole #morethanaphd #mrsmummyphd
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