“When I need a boost, I turn to the music I grew up with”

Mind to Mind is a new interview series featuring members of the EPFL community who discuss how they look after their mental health. For this first episode, EPFL President Anna Fontcuberta i Morral stepped up to answer our questions.

How would you define stress?

Stress often arises when things slip out of our control, whether in our personal lives or at work. Sometimes the only option is to accept that we can’t control everything. But when we can act, it’s worth giving it our all, which lets us regain a sense of inner calm. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Managing stress is a skill we start learning in childhood and then hone through experience. Every challenge makes us stronger. And, slowly but surely, we become better equipped to handle increasingly demanding situations.

What tends to cause you the most stress in your role as president?

I find that situations involving values and trust tend to be the most energy-sapping. Every value matters, but respect is the one I consider fundamental – respecting every person’s dignity and lived experience, without judgment. Excellence is just as important, both in the standards we set for intellectual rigor and in our determination to make a real impact on society. In everything we do, we aim to do our very best for others.

Looking back on your first year as president, where have you grown the most?

I’ve learned to separate comments people make about the presidency from those about me as a person. When people refer to the presidency, they’re talking about the role. Praise is directed towards the position rather than the individual holding it. Making that distinction has become more natural over time. It takes practice, but it helps you approach the role with a clearer mind.

How do you recharge and maintain a sense of balance?

I’d point to three things. The first is family and close friends – making sure I spend enough quality time with them. As president, that means scheduling those moments well in advance and treating them as non-negotiable. The second is my physical health. I stay active by running and doing yoga, and I try to make sure I get enough quality sleep and set aside proper rest time. The third is how we work as a team – fully trusting each other, having open conversations, talking through our disagreements, and delegating and organizing our work effectively. My team feels like a second family. We rely on the trust between us to move our work forward together.

How long have running and yoga been part of your life?

I’ve been running since I was 15. Yoga came later, when I was around 30, because I realized I needed to do more to take care of my body and mind. The way I approach yoga has changed over the years. These days, I work with a coach I’ve known for many years. She runs Zoom classes for me and my husband every Friday morning. It was a routine we started during the Covid-19 pandemic. We’ve stuck with it since then, because it isn’t always easy for me to attend classes in person. The sessions are recorded so I now have a whole library of videos. Sometimes I practice for 45 minutes, sometimes for 20. But I try to do yoga at least three times a week.

Do you feel the difference? Right away, or over time?

If I miss a few sessions – even for a single week – I notice the back pain and hip pain almost immediately. And then I end up at the physiotherapist, which means time wasted. So skipping yoga doesn’t actually save me any time.

What advice would you give to students starting at EPFL?

I’d advise them to find joy in what they’re doing. Leaning can be demanding, but it should always be a source of pleasure. Curiosity gives us the energy to keep going. It’s also important to pace yourself and to rest when fatigue sets in. Taking care of yourself means understanding that everyone recharges differently – through music, dance or something else – and making space for what lifts you up. When you’re young, you have plenty of energy and you don’t always notice the warning signs of burnout. It’s important to recharge and protect that energy.

What kind of student were you?

I’ve always had a hyperactive streak, juggling lots of things at once. Alongside running, I sang in a choir, which meant traveling to another city twice a week for rehearsals that often went on until 11 pm. I slept less then than I do now, but at that age I didn’t need as much sleep. I’ve also always been a very social person. Even though there were no student clubs where I studied, my classmates and I organized lots of activities and outings together. I still have very fond memories of those friendships.

What helps you get through those tougher moments?

When I need a boost, I turn to the upbeat music I grew up with. It can range from Bon Jovi to Franz Ferdinand or Arctic Monkeys. It’s quite an eclectic mix.

What brings you the most joy at EPFL?

I’m extremely proud of our students and of the School’s vibrant student club scene. Some of them are simply about shared passions, while many are also about helping others. Take S4S [Students for Students], for instance, where current students welcome newcomers, show them around EPFL and help them settle in. It’s a great illustration of how members of our community look out for one another.

What do you hope will come out of the values statement initiative launched this year?

I hope it will bring out the soul and identity of EPFL.

And what does that soul look like to you?

I see EPFL as a vibrant, constantly changing community of people driven by extraordinary curiosity and an appetite for learning. Many people here want their work to make a real difference in society. I’m excited that we now have the chance to reflect on that together, as a community.

Speaking of contributing to society, which EPFL initiatives come to mind?

Right now, I’m particularly proud of Apertus. Together with colleagues at ETH Zurich, we developed the first transparent, ethical AI language model. It’s a step toward strengthening Switzerland’s digital autonomy, leaving us less reliant on outside parties whose agendas differ from ours. What makes it even more meaningful is that the initiative came from the ground up. A group of people had the courage to take on this ambitious challenge. If you’d asked me at the start, I might have doubted it could be done. But they proved it could. That’s the EPFL mindset: making the impossible possible.

What could be done to improve well-being at our School?

What strikes me today is how the psychology of young people is changing. The new experiences they’re growing up with are changing how their brains develop and giving rise to new questions around mental health. I want their time here to be a formative step – one that lets them learn in a calm, healthy way as they prepare to embark on the next chapter of their lives.

How do you stay connected to what’s happening on the ground?

I often speak with students from AGEPoly and from my lab, and I take every chance to talk with professors. When people reach out with ideas or feedback, I try to make time to meet them. It’s essential to keep the channels of communication open.

Do you have a final message?

Physical and mental health go hand in hand and require a daily effort. Our needs change over time. Checking in on them regularly helps us keep our body and mind healthy.