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"Those who succeed are well-grounded people who have seen success and believe they can do it too. They are not the type of people who worry too much or are easily intimidated," says Virginia Tech professor Michael Hochella.

The challenges are both logistical and emotional, and if training and productivity are compromised, scientific careers can be derailed.

The trouble is that if you start off without much space, your ability to produce good science is seriously compromised.

"Friendships and work relationships have different social norms, and workplace friendships are fraught with fragility and ambiguity," says organizational psychologist Rachel Morrison.

"Laughter is highly relevant to scientific inquiry because it creates a safe and playful atmosphere for intellectual development." --David Sloan Wilson

Work-related stress is an insidious health hazard, especially for workers who, like scientists, take their work very seriously.

Small chunks of dedicated time can help relieve the stress endemic in scientific lives.

September brings inevitable but manageable stress for scientists in academia.

Working longer hours doesn't necessarily mean getting more done.

Workplace gossip may have its positive effects, but it needs to be handled with care.

Dropping off an infant at daycare is very stressful for new mothers returning to work.

On returning to work, new mothers can minimize stress and maximize productivity by adapting to their new and different circumstances.

Everyone feels a bit nervous from time to time, and a little anxiety can improve performance -- but excessive anxiety can be disabling and derail careers.

When a scientist is confronted with a colleague who is struggling with personal problems, there are no easy answers.

A growing body of research and experience suggest that individuals possessing personal resilience are more likely to overcome career roadblocks.

"As I look back at my busy life, I would not have been happy giving up either—career or family," says Margaret Dalzwell Lowman.

"Attention is our way of devoting a limited resource (our time and energy) to the most important information. By almost any measure, productivity hinges on this most basic of skills," says G. Andrew Mickley, professor of psychology.

By making concessions to her supervisors and by working hard to keep her own frustrations in check, Barbara was ultimately able to complete her doctorate.

"Conflict over science and issues can be beneficial to productivity and development. Conflict over working styles and personalities can be destructive," says John Baldoni, an Ann Arbor, Michigan, management consultant.

"I'll admit to occasional heavy use of both alcohol and marijuana when my experiments go bad, my relationships suck, and my car needs new brakes and tires, but do I have a problem with it?" says postdoc B.