Moms, Mats and Manuscripts
door Ksenia Volkova Tomaz
Nieuwste aflevering
E48 - “There is never a right time to have kids in academia”…
E48 - “There is never a right time to have kids in academia”…
Over deze podcast
Moms, Mats and Manuscripts is a podcast hosted by Ksenia Volkova Tomaz, a former molecular biologist, yoga teacher and mindset coach for scientists, and mom. This is a space for honest, unpolished conversations about the parts of academia and ambition we don’t talk about enough.
Here, we explore the mental and emotional load of being a young scientist or high-achieving woman: the pressure to constantly produce, the identity crises, the inner critic, the fear of slowing down, the guilt around rest, the invisible labour of motherhood, and the messy process of redefining success on your own terms.
I share personal stories, science-backed insights, and yoga-psychology tools to help you navigate burnout, self-worth, boundaries, and the overwhelming push to “do more.”
Think of this space as a friend's couch, where you can have a cup of coffee, relax, exhale and be seen.
Afleveringen
De nieuwste 20 van 46 afleveringen
- E48 - “There is never a right time to have kids in academia”: career, motherhood and choosing what comes first · 1 u 6 min · Aflevering 48Catarina Nabais, scientist, mom of two, and former academic, joins Moms, Mats and Manuscripts to talk about leaving the traditional academic career path, finding her place in…
- E47 - “I had a panic attack": becoming a mom as an assistant professor (with Dr Liz Berry) · 1 u 3 min · Aflevering 47Dr. Elizabeth Berry, Assistant Professor at New York Medical College, returns to Moms, Mats and Manuscripts pregnant and really honest about all of it: the panic attack over…
- E46 - Due dates & deadlines: pregnancy in the last year of a PhD and figuring out who you are after (with Dr Katerina Danezi) · 1 u 21 min · Aflevering 46In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I sit down with my friend Katerina Danezi. Katerina finished her PhD with a baby on her hip, literally. She wrote 330 pages of her…
- E45 - Not lost - becoming: matrescence, postpartum recovery, and radical rest (with Munirah Razak) · 1 u 24 minAfter an emotionally challenging birth and a postpartum recovery marked by chronic pain, relationship breakdown, and identity crisis, my guest Munirah Razak, a yoga teacher…
- E44 - From PhD to parenthood: on identity, becoming unapologetic and letting go of control (With Dr Lauren A. Mason) · 1 u 3 min · Aflevering 44What happens when you try to build a career and a family at the same time? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Lauren Mason - research scientist, higher education consultant, and…
- E43 - From vague goals to real life: A seasonal reset (and what I'm learning along the way) · 29 minWhat if the problem isn't that you're bad at goals... it's that the way we're told to set them is kind of broken? In this solo episode, I'm sharing how I've been doing…
- E42 - Freelance career after leaving academia: freedom, insecurity and finding balance · 1 u 12 min · Aflevering 42In this second part of my conversation with scientific writer and science communicator Sónia Gomes Pereira on Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, we move beyond leaving academia and…
- E41 - Academia wasn't worth my life: Leaving academia, not-so-alternative careers and redefining success · 45 min · Aflevering 41In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I’m joined by scientific writer and science communicator Sónia Gomes Pereira to talk about the moment she realised that the…
- E40 - Leaving academia without burnout (with Dr Ana Amaral) · 1 u 11 min · Aflevering 40The story of our today's guest, Ana Amaral, challenges the typical "I left academia because I burned out" narrative. With a biochemistry PhD, postdocs at Cambridge and Karolinska…
- E39 - I thought I'd be further ahead by now · 23 min · Aflevering 39Four years into self-employment, almost two years of this podcast... and instead of feeling settled, I’ve been sitting with a lot of mixed emotions. In this birthday reflection…
- E38 - When you're ambitious but exhausted: a gentle approach to goals · 28 min · Aflevering 38Struggling with New Year’s resolutions, goal setting, or motivation as a PhD student, academic, or ambitious parent? In this solo episode of Moms, Mats & Manuscripts, I talk…
- E37 - New Year, new podcast (kind of) · 15 min · Aflevering 37Welcome to the new chapter! In this solo episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I share what’s changing on the podcast in 2026 and my vision for the year ahead. I talk about the…
- E36 - (S3E16) Starting a family in academia: a conversation on fears, ambitions and the myth of perfect timing (with Dr Asya Martirosyan) · 1 u 31 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 36In this honest and beautifully chaotic episode, Dr Asya Martirosyan joins me once again for a vulnerable conversation about starting a family in academia: the fears, ambitions…
- E35 - (S3E15) Science, startups, and sanity: finding balance while wearing many hats with Dr Asya Martirosyan · 1 u 18 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 35In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, Ksenia sits down with Dr Asya Martirosyan to explore the highs and lows of life in academia, the pressures of PhD and postdoc…
- E34 - (S3E14) Speak up: A conversation on finding your voice and confidence with Emma Gaskin · 1 u 3 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 34Public speaking, whether in a conference room or on stage, can feel absolutely terrifying. For many scientists, it’s part of the job, yet few of us are ever taught how to really…
- E33 - (S3E13) Becoming the mentor you needed: a conversation with Dr Liz Berry about mental health, mentorship and changing academic culture · 1 u 4 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 33What makes a great mentor, and how can we create a healthier, more compassionate academic culture? In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, we talk with Dr Liz Berry…
- E32 - (S3E12) What 2 years of motherhood taught me about life, work and growth · 33 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 32In this solo episode, Ksenia is reflecting on two years of motherhood and the 7 powerful lessons it has taught her about life, work, and growth. These are not just parenting…
- E31 - (S3E11) You can't fail at rest: a solo reflection on letting go of "perfect" self-care · 30 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 31Do you ever feel like rest and self-care have become just another task on your never-ending to-do list? In this solo episode, Ksenia wraps up her 3-part series on rest and…
- E30 - (S3E10) Rest as rebelllion: a solo reflection on how rest is an act of resistance · 28 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 30In this episode, Ksenia is diving deeper into the idea that rest is an act of rebellion. We've all been there: the pressure to constantly hustle, especially in fields like…
- E29 - (S3E9) The courage to slow down: a solo reflection on finding your pace in a world that won't stop rushing · 28 min · Seizoen 3 Aflevering 29What if slowing down was not a weakness, but a skill? In this solo reflection, Ksenia talks about how she went from constantly rushing (and feeling like rest was something she…
