Learn how to combat stress and isolation in research environments with tools, insights, and support that remind you: you’re not alone, and you’re not the problem.

You show up. You do the work. You meet the deadlines. But somehow, it still doesn’t feel like enough. You can’t remember the last time you had a meaningful conversation with anyone. Feedback is rare, recognition even rarer. You’re not sure if you’re doing well or just staying afloat. When you finally leave the lab, you carry the weight home with you.

If this sounds familiar, this isn’t just your story. It’s a story shared quietly, across campuses and across time zones. In research, a lab can seem supportive on the outside, while still leaving its members disconnected, anxious, and overworked. A study by Hyun et al. found that 45% of graduate students had an emotional or stress-related problem during the past year, and more than half (58%) had a colleague with a similar problem.1 In addition, 46% of graduate students felt overwhelmed frequently or all of the time.1 Other studies have also found that about 75% of graduate students reported being stressed or very stressed.2,3

This piece is for you: the undergrad wondering if it’s just you, the graduate student second-guessing your confidence, the postdoc trying to smile through exhaustion. Let’s talk about the kinds of lab environments researchers find themselves in, why stress and isolation are so common, and how to start making space for something better.

When the Lab “Seems Fine” But You’re Struggling

There’s a quiet dissonance that creeps in when everything looks fine on the surface. The people are smart. The work is meaningful. You are part of something that’s supposed to be exciting and pushing the boundaries of your field. But despite all that, you feel like you’re going through it all alone.

Sometimes it’s because support is passive. Maybe you’re in a big lab where feedback is rare, or a small one where you feel micromanaged. Other times, it’s the culture: there are no shared check-ins, no clear mentorship structure, no moments that bring the team together.

So you keep going, busy, tired, uncertain.

What Isolation Feels Like

Isolation in research isn’t always obvious. It’s subtle. It’s when you hesitate to ask a question because you don’t want to seem behind. It’s when your only interactions are transactional: handing off data, clarifying edits on your manuscript, or updating a presentation slide.

You might be surrounded by people, but still feel entirely alone. When that feeling lingers, that silence starts to take a toll. You wonder if anyone else feels the same. You start questioning your abilities, your place in the lab, and whether you even belong in academia at all.

The Weight of Stress You Can’t Name

Research is a competitive, high-pressure, and demanding field, so not surprisingly, it’s common to experience high levels of stress, both acute and chronic.

Stress in the lab isn’t always about a looming deadline or a failed experiment. Often, it’s about what’s not said:

  • Unclear goals
  • Mixed messages from supervisors
  • Constant comparison with other lab members
  • A pressure to perform without room to grow

This kind of stress creeps in slowly. It shows up in your sleep patterns, your sense of self-worth, and your willingness to try new things. Over time, it becomes part of the lab environment: normalized, expected, invisible. But these pressures can lead to both physical and mental health consequences.4,5

How We Got Here

No one sets out to build a lab culture that leads to burnout or isolation. But it happens when academic culture normalizes stress, overwork, and silence, that struggle is part of grad school, and that asking for support is a sign of weakness.

Unfortunately, this also happens because most principal investigators (PIs) were never trained to lead. They were trained to publish, to secure funding, and to be independent. Mentorship, communication, and team building weren’t part of the curriculum. As a result, many researchers inherit a system that treats emotional well-being as irrelevant or optional.

A recent Nature survey (2019) of 6,300 early-career researchers found that 36% of graduate students had sought help for anxiety or depression related to their studies, while nearly 40% felt their supervisor lacked adequate mentorship skills.6 In another study, Evans et al. reported that graduate students are six times more likely to experience anxiety or depression than the general population.7

But here’s the thing: this culture can change. One day, you might be in a position to help shape that change by mentoring your own students and setting the tone for your own lab. The cycle only continues if we keep repeating it. Culture isn’t static. It’s built moment by moment, in the way we speak to each other, in the policies we advocate for, and in the small daily decisions that shape what’s considered normal. You don’t have to fix the system alone. But by choosing not to normalize disconnection, you’re already helping to reimagine what research could feel like.

What a Healthy Lab Actually Feels Like

A healthy lab isn’t just “nice.” It’s safe. It’s consistent. There’s mutual respect. In a healthy lab, you don’t have to fake understanding. You don’t have to prove your worth daily.

You have access to clear expectations, regular feedback, you have someone to talk to, you know your contribution matters, and you feel supported and collaborative. Healthy labs have structure, but they also have flexibility. They honour boundaries. They recognize that people are people. That rest matters. That research takes time.

Most importantly, they invest in your future. They don’t just rely on your work but help you grow, so your career doesn’t end when the project does.

What You Can Do, Even If You’re Not in Charge

You can’t fix a lab on your own and you shouldn’t have to. But there are small, meaningful steps you can take to protect your well-being and start creating change from where you are:

Reach out to a peer. Start the conversation.

  • Ask for a check-in. Even once a month is better than none.
  • Reflect on what you need. Write it down. Clarity starts with yourself.
  • Advocate for yourself. PIs aren’t always aware when something’s wrong, so voicing your experience might bring more support than you expect.
  • Speak to someone outside the lab. A mentor, counselor, or advisor.

Sometimes, the best thing you can do is simply name what’s happening. Because silence protects the system, but honesty can start to shift it.

Coping with Stress in Practical, Real-Life Ways

Research is demanding, and while you can’t always change your lab environment, you can build habits that make stress more manageable and less overwhelming.8,9 Recommendations to tackle stress:

  • Reset your nervous system: Deep breathing, stretching, or guided meditations can help signal safety to your body.
  • Move regularly: Whether it’s a gym workout, a walk between classes, or dancing while you’re alone in the lab, movement helps your brain process stress.
  • Structure your time: Use a planner, block out focused work sessions, and avoid overbooking. Don’t forget breaks.
  • Set realistic goals: Break tasks into smaller parts. Focus on one thing at a time. Celebrate progress.
  • Learn to say no: Saying no to tasks that either don’t help you move on your path, or you’re not willing to do. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, communicate this and set your boundaries.
  • Protect your sleep: Wind down early. Minimize screens before bed.
  • Eat to sustain yourself: Don’t skip meals. Try prepping a few things in advance so food doesn’t become a stressor.
  • Talk to someone: Whether it’s a friend, lab mate, or therapist, sharing what you’re feeling is powerful.
  • Keep doing what you love: Hobbies, nature, creative outlets, or time with people who make you feel like you. They’re essential.

Managing stress isn’t about becoming perfectly balanced. It’s about creating just enough steadiness so you don’t lose sight of who you are beyond the research.

Conclusion

If you’re feeling isolated or overwhelmed, it’s not because you’re not cut out for this. It’s not because you’re too sensitive or not smart enough or not “tough” like others. It’s because research culture wasn’t built with your well-being in mind. But that’s starting to change.

At PositionScale, we believe that better labs lead to better research. This starts with creating spaces where people, not just projects, can thrive.

You deserve to be supported, seen, and heard. If your current environment doesn’t offer that, it doesn’t mean you don’t belong in research. It means research needs to do better.

References

  1. Hyun, J. K., Quinn, B. C., Madon, T., & Lustig, S. (2006). Graduate student mental health: Needs assessment and utilization of counseling services. Journal of College Student Development, 47(3), 247-266.
  2. Oswalt, S. B., & Riddock, C. C. (2007). What to do about being overwhelmed: Garduate students, stress and university services. The College of Student Affairs Journal, 27(1), 24.
  3. Kernan, W., Bogart, J., & Wheat, M. E. (2011). Health-related barriers to learning among graduate students. Health Education, 111(5), 425-445.
  4. Yaribeygi, H., Panahi, Y., Sahraei, H., Johnston, T. P., & Sahebkar, A. (2017). The impact of stress on body function: A review. EXCLI Journal, 16, 1057-1072.
  5. McManus, E., Haroon, H., Duncan, N. W., Elliott, R., & Muhlert, N. (2022). The effects of stress across the lifespan on the brain, cognition and mental health: A UK biobank study. Neurobiology of Stress, 18, 100447-100447.
  6. Woolston, C. (2019). PhDs: The tortuous truth. Nature, 575(7782), 403-406.
  7. Evans, T. M., Bira, L., Gastelum, J. B., Weiss, L. T., & Vanderford, N. L. (2018). Evidence for a mental health crisis in graduate education. Nature Biotechnology, 36(3), 282-284.
  8. Allen, H. K., Barrall, A. L., Vincent, K. B., & Arria, A. M. (2021). Stress and burnout among graduate students: Moderation by sleep duration and quality. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 28(1), 21-28.
  9. Can, Y. S., Iles-Smith, H., Chalabianloo, N., Ekiz, D., Fernández-Álvarez, J., Repetto, C., Riva, G., & Ersoy, C. (2020). How to relax in stressful situations: A smart stress reduction system. Healthcare, 8(2), 100.