by Shivani Joshi, the newest member of the Mental Health Research Incubator Team, who joined the retreat on only her second week!
The retreat was ‘…hugely productive, upskilling, confidence-building and a wonderful opportunity to meet a community of like-minded researchers.’
Participant
When the train pulled in at Didcot Station, the typical commuters were joined by an additional group of passengers – twenty Mental Health Researchers. Equipped with pens, paper, laptops, and plenty of excitement, they arrived to take part in the MHR Incubator’s first Annual Writing Retreat, running from 9th September to 11th September.
Our participants spent three days writing and socialising in the historic Charney Manor, situated in idyllic Oxfordshire countryside. The Grade I listed building provided a tranquil backdrop, offering scenic views, countless cosy nooks to work in, and a delicious menu of food and drink. As a result, participants were able to completely focus their attention on their writing goals and wellbeing.
Overall, the retreat was a great success, with participants making strong progress on their papers, developing their skills in writing further, and establishing new networking links. We’re incredibly grateful for all the helpful feedback shared by our participants and are excited to implement their suggestions to make the next retreat even better.
Read below, for a detailed deep dive into each day’s activities.
Some of the gorgeous views of Charney Manor
Day 1 – New beginnings
Our first welcome event brought everyone together with the chance not only to network, but to connect with – and reflect on – their own experiences with writing. Participants shared their own personal motivations towards writing, as well as the frequent hurdles they encountered. With endless unanswered emails, life commitments, and the thrill of new research, finding the energy and motivation to revisit old projects and develop papers was often a challenge.
Excited to carve out the time to write, they also discussed their apprehension towards revisiting an old piece and the worry that they ‘wouldn’t naturally get back into the zone’. This was a common worry expressed, highlighting the importance of providing researchers dedicated time to focus on writing, without the constraints of other priorities.
Each researcher shared their goals for the retreat and a short introduction to the themes of their work. Our group had a diverse set of research interests, ranging from the role of inflammation in depression and cognitive function, to the use of nature-based interventions to help young people’s identity and mental wellbeing.
Following a delicious dinner, we were treated to an informative talk by Professor Cathy Creswell on writing strong academic papers. She reflected on the personal nature of the writing process, outlining the importance of blocking out time, frequent breaks, and planning. Our participants then added their own personal writing tips, such as the use of body doubling (working in physical proximity to other people) to stay accountable or scheduling their writing for the most creative periods of their day.
The talk received very favourable reviews, with one participant remarking, ‘I found this session really productive, with a lot of learning. I think there are definitely some changes I can make to help my writing.’
Cathy’s talk on ‘Approaches to Academic Writing’
Day 2 – Putting pen to paper/laptop
The morning saw our participants connecting with nature and wellness, with group walks, runs, and stretches. They explored the surrounding countryside, as well as the grounds of Charney Manor, before beginning the first writing session. In classic British fashion, the weather swayed between cold showers and the occasional ray of sunshine!
There was a total of four writing blocks (six hours of writing). Each block was scheduled around coffee and food breaks to allow for rest and the opportunity to network. With a variety of study spaces, each offering its own perks, participants were able to easily find the best place for their headspace.
In the evening, those interested attended the voluntary Peer Writing session, dedicated to receiving feedback on a short section of their writing. Participants outlined the strengths of the piece, in addition to areas for potential exploration, and explored the clarity of ideas and arguments.
The Peer Writing session proved beneficial for several of our participants. ‘…It really helped me identify issues with my introduction’s structure,’ expressed one individual. Another individual noted that their peer’s different research interest allowed them to pinpoint areas needing more contextual background.
For those not quite at the point of wanting feedback, this period served as an additional writing slot to develop their paper.
Although the weather hindered our plans for an evening bonfire, our day finished with free social time. We learnt new card games and continued to establish connections.
The dining hall of the 13th century manor house
Day 3 – Wrapping Up
Our theme of connecting with nature and the body continued, with group walks and runs. The third day contained two writing slots, in addition to a group reflective session. Warming sunshine opened the outside patio as a popular place for writing and coffee and tea breaks.
During the reflective session, participants outlined the next steps for their writing and evaluated their goals for the retreat. They discussed areas of success, any difficulties encountered and what their next focus would be. Many participants reported that they had tried several of the techniques suggested in Cathy’s talk with positive results. One particularly popular technique was composing the line of argument in the introduction in up to 10 bullet points, in order to really underscore the paper’s aim.
During the goodbyes, our participants discussed potential areas of collaboration with one another, and exchanged contact details, with promises to stay in touch.
The patio provided a sunny place to work!
Conclusion
For many Mental Health Researchers, writing and wellbeing can often be set aside in favour of other research commitments. The MHR Incubator’s first ever Annual Writing Retreat successfully addressed that, providing three days exclusively dedicated to writing, without the presence of distractions.
One participant noted, ‘I completed what usually would’ve taken me two weeks’. Others drew attention to the inspirational environment, expressing that ‘it’s amazing to be in this environment of other researchers: people with different research interests but shared similarities all writing together,’ or that they ‘loved the environment’.
The retreat was a hugely enjoyable and successful experience, partly due to the enthusiasm and dedication of our participants – thank you!
Our team also want to thank the lovely staff at Charney Manor for their support throughout the retreat, and their wonderful menu (the chocolate pudding on the second day was especially a hit).
Furthermore, we would like to thank Cathy for her brilliant talk, Bea Shelley and Emily Lloyd for organising such an incredibly informative and useful retreat, and our funders, for their support. The Mental Health Research Incubator Writing Retreat is funded under the NIHR’s Mental Health Research Initiative via NIHR Research Infrastructure.
Watch this space to be the first to know about upcoming retreats! We’ll also be sharing some of our favourite tips from Cathy’s talk, shortly.