Head Space

Calm productivity for academics

No longer active

This site is now an archive of my previous work. I have moved all my ongoing writing to https://michael-rowe.github.io/home-michael/

Author: Michael Rowe

  • Mustafa Suleyman (2023) The Coming Wave

    Mustafa Suleyman’s “The Coming Wave” examines the control challenges posed by advanced AI and synthetic biology. The book argues that containment of these technologies is critical, as they risk amplifying inequality and require global coordination. For academics, it emphasises developing complementary skills, ethical engagement, and using AI strategically to enhance rather than replace human expertise.

  • Avoid information overload with an effective knowledge cycle

    A systematic knowledge cycle helps academics transform information overload into meaningful scholarly output. The process involves purposeful capture, regular processing, deliberate connection-making, and consistent creation. Rather than processing everything perfectly, this approach converts selected information into valuable insights through intentional research, note-taking, and writing practices that compound over time.

  • Academic stand-up meetings

    Academic stand-up meetings, borrowed from software development, offer a practical solution to meeting overload in universities. Participants stand and briefly answer three specific questions about progress, current work, and blocking obstacles. These focused sessions typically last 15 minutes maximum, creating valuable time and mental space for deeper meaningful academic work.

  • Build an academic prompt library for AI using templates for common tasks

    Learn how to create and maintain an academic prompt library to streamline your administrative tasks. This practical guide shows you how to start a personal collection of pre-written, tested prompts that reduce cognitive overhead and create space for meaningful work, helping you develop sustainable systems for academic productivity.

  • Stop using email as a to do list

    Using your email inbox as a to do list seems convenient but creates a chaotic system where other people’s priorities dictate your workflow. Learn how to separate email communication from task management with a simple approach that helps academics regain control of their daily priorities.

  • Designing learning spaces for deeper student thinking

    Moving beyond equating teaching with telling, this post explores how academics can design learning spaces that encourage active thinking. Learn practical strategies for creating environments where students engage deeply with ideas, transforming passive listening into active learning while making your teaching more sustainable and fulfilling.

  • I am not my h-index: Rethinking scholarly impact metrics

    Academic metrics like the h-index can drive unhealthy behaviours and distance us from our core purpose as scholars. While these traditional academic metrics provide comfortable validation, creating meaningful impact often requires looking beyond citation counts to measure how our work benefits real people outside academia.

  • Quality over quantity in academia: Balancing institutional demands with sustainable practice

    Discover how embracing academic productivity through quality over quantity can transform your work life. Instead of constantly expanding workloads, learn to focus on meaningful impact, sustainable practices, and deeper connections. Doing less, but doing it better, can lead to more valuable academic outcomes.

  • Schedule personal time first, work second

    Most academics make the mistake of scheduling work first and trying to fit life around it. Discover why reversing this approach is key to achieving better academic work life balance. Learn how prioritising personal commitments in your schedule can lead to more focused and productive work hours.

  • Online courses for academics: Start the year with calm productivity

    Discover how sustainable academic productivity can emerge from small, intentional changes rather than dramatic overnight transformations. Head Space offers practical guidance for academics seeking to build calmer, more focused workflows through its courses, now available at 25% off for new newsletter subscribers this January.

  • Using a “do not do” list for work-life balance during breaks

    Breaking the cycle of using academic breaks to catch up on work? Create a “do not do” list instead of a to-do list. Learn how to maintain academic work-life balance during breaks by setting clear boundaries, avoiding work email, and embracing genuine rest without guilt. Your future self will thank you.