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Mental fitness

Fitness is more than physical health alone. An equally important aspect is mental fitness. Mental fitness refers to fitness of the mind. Situations may arise during your PhD track that lead to you feeling less strong. Potential difficulties are listed and what you can do about them are listed below.

Are you harassed at work?

Unfortunately, harassment or bullying are common  within organisations. Harassment is when a person is humiliated, intimidated, or threatened. This has serious consequences, both for the health of the victim, and for co-workers who are witnessing it. To find out what you can do, read the Harassment at work brochure. You can also contact the Confidential Adviser on Undesirable Behaviour in cases of (sexual) intimidation, aggression, violence and discrimination. Together with the adviser, you can look into possible solutions to the problem in an atmosphere of absolute confidentially. One option might be to submit a complaint to the special complaints committee set up for this purpose. 

Are you stressed or at risk of a burn-out?

When PhD candidates are subjected to stressful situations for a long period of time, they run the risk of developing a burn-out. A burn-out means that a person is unable to function for a long time –not only at work, but also at home. Stress can be caused by high task demands, too little autonomy at work, harassment by co-workers or supervisors, or undesirable behaviour within or outside the organisation. If you experience stress at work, or if you worry that you may be headed towards a burn-out, seek help now! You can, for instance contact the University doctor (available for both employed and contract PhD candidates). Anything you discuss with the doctor will remain confidential. He or she can help you find a solution that suits your situation.

Contact the University doctor

The University doctors never divulge information without your explicit permission. The University doctors at the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) department can be contacted via telephone number 071 527 8015. You can also use the online form (Dutch only). The University doctors are available for both employed and contract PhD candidates (i.e not for external PhD candidates).