Episodes 135
Avg. Duration 20m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.9 (30)
Since Oct 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
87%
Hosting
rss.buzzsprout.com

About This Podcast

The Academic Imperfectionist combines philosophical analysis and coaching insights to help you dump perfectionism and flourish on your own terms. Your host is Dr Rebecca Roache, a coach and Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of London.

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Recent Episodes

#134: Defeat perfectionism with one weird trick

Jun 04, 2026 24m Transcript

Yeah, okay, clickbaity title, but I really do want to share with you a helpful way of reframing perfectionism that I've been thinking about recently. Perfectionism happens when our lack of confidence…

#133: Academia is just a job!

May 21, 2026 24m Transcript

Do you ever worry that you're not serious enough for academia? That you're constantly playing whack-a-mole with hiding your many frivolous and unimpressive traits as you try to convince everyone that…

#132: Backpacks, bias, and your unrealistic summer plans

May 07, 2026 21m Transcript

You know how, when teaching finishes for the summer, you feel all-powerful and end up vastly over-estimating how much you'll be able to get done before the new academic year? And, have you ever…

#131: Your binary thinking is trying to tell you something

Apr 24, 2026 31m Transcript

Binary thinking is that horrible all-or-nothing approach that holds us back by convincing us that any positive change we consider will inevitably lead to disaster. You know the sort of thing: 'I…

#130: The bonkers mental gymnastics of your writing anxiety

Apr 09, 2026 28m Transcript

We all know how hard you have to work to sit down and write. You'll do pretty much anything to avoid it. Have you ever noticed, though, that avoiding your writing is no less exhausting than just…

#129: The hidden burden of decision fatigue

Mar 27, 2026 24m Transcript

Are you frustrated with yourself because you just can't get on with the work you care most about? Do you find it easier to make progress with emails and marking than to get your writing done? Is your…

#128: Professor Katrien Devolder on why you're wrong about laziness

Mar 13, 2026 1h 6m

Is it bad to be called lazy? Prince Harry thinks so: in his memoir, he suggests that it's better to called racist than lazy. But even if you wouldn't go that far, I'm willing to bet that you care…

#127: Professor Polaris Koi on why self-control is not what you think it is

Feb 20, 2026 1h 17m

Be honest. You're here because you think you completely suck at self-control, aren't you? You're constantly disappointing yourself, and it's getting you down. The people around you seem to be able to…

#126: Why you should care about emotional frailty

Feb 06, 2026 23m Transcript

You know what frailty is, and you definitely want to avoid it. But have you heard of emotional frailty? No, of course not - I've just made it up. But if you've ever felt like you're completely…

#125: Your moral gerrymandering is hurting you

Jan 23, 2026 34m Transcript

You're a good person. You try to be a good friend, a good colleague, and a good neighbour. You care about other people, you pull your weight, and you don't let anyone down. But, sometimes, you feel…

#124: Dr Dana Klisanin on wild willpower and drawing resilience from nature

Jan 09, 2026 1h 16m

What comes to mind when you think about willpower? Discipline? Self-denial? Overcoming your weak, useless, lazy self? Exhausting, right? Thankfully, there's another way, and this episode's guest is…

#123: What do you have to brag about?

Dec 19, 2025 23m Transcript

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your willingness to say nice things about yourself? How about your willingness to point out your own failures and shortcomings? If the first number you came…

#122: Write it down, make it happen

Dec 05, 2025 32m Transcript

Do you get up every day and tear around trying to get stuff done, and yet still end up feeling overwhelmed and frustrated at your lack of progress? There's something very simple - so simple, in fact,…

#121: Is your self-improvement self-rejection in disguise?

Nov 14, 2025 22m Transcript

I know how committed you are to self-improvement. Self-improvement is a good thing, right? Well, it depends. If you're motivated to improve yourself because you don't like yourself as you are, then…

#120: Professor Wendelien van Eerde on the science of procrastination

Oct 17, 2025 1h 7m

If you thought you knew everything about procrastination, prepare to be humbled. Professor Wendelien van Eerde is a psychologist who has spent her entire career understanding procrastination,…

#119: All about coaching

Oct 03, 2025 29m Transcript

What's coaching, what's the difference between coaching and therapy, is a coach going to tell me what to do, what happens in a coaching session, how many coaching sessions should I have, how often…

#118: The Academic Imperfectionist origin story

Sep 19, 2025 27m Transcript

Ever wondered how your Imperfectionist friend here got from academic philosophy to coaching? Lots of coaching clients have asked this over the years, so here I am, with an episode to bring you up to…

#117: Intervention for inept time management

Sep 05, 2025 33m Transcript

Do you massively over-estimate how much you can accomplish in any period of time? Do you struggle to work out how long it's going to take you to complete a particular project? Friend, same. Don't…

#116: Procrastination is a bad idea

Aug 22, 2025 28m Transcript

If only you spent more time working and less time procrastinating, your life would be so much better. Right? Friend, I know how you feel, but it's not that simple. Some forms of procrastination…

#115: Who cares about achievement?

Jul 25, 2025 22m Transcript

Do you ever feel that, unless you achieve the things you think you should be achieving, you'll cease to exist? That you'll fade away, become invisible, fail to be a fully-realised human? If so,…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does The Academic Imperfectionist have?

The Academic Imperfectionist has published 135 episodes since October 2020, covering topics in Education, Health & Fitness.

Is The Academic Imperfectionist still active?

The Academic Imperfectionist is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 20m.

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