The benefits of science communication on social media

At the very beginning of my scientific career, when I was still learning how to properly hold a pipette and set up a Schlenk line, I connected burnout with office corporate jobs. Moreover, I was convinced that with enough motivation and endurance, burnout could not happen to me. However, after moving to a new country to begin my PhD, my research projects and academic performance became a part of my identity and I started judging my success by how many positive results and publications I produced.

About two years into my PhD, one of my main projects got stuck. I remember the moment when the feeling of guilt, shame, loneliness and impostor syndrome kicked in. I was alone in the lab late in the evening, integrating chromatograms of yet another unsuccessful set of biocatalytic reactions. Week after week of inconclusive results, teaching duties overlapping with courses, and late nights in the lab combined to make me doubt my decision to pursue a PhD. There and then, all I felt was alone. I was preparing myself to quit.