Stop, pivot, go in the opposite direction! Three ways to increase your PhD productivity
PhD productivity is a funny thing. I have come to the conclusion you often have to move in the exact opposite direction of where your instincts are telling you to go. Hence today’s motto: Stop, pivot, go in the opposite direction! If you want, you can add a ‘breathe’ in there as well…stop, breathe, pivot, go! Maybe you’re familiar with the following ‘loop’: PhD progress is slower than you might like, deadlines real or imaginary are approaching, you are getting overwhelmed by the amount of work you still need to do, you start feeling bad about it, and yourself, PhD [...]
Read MoreHow to Write a Happy PhD
Behind the scenes I am preparing for the next live sessions of the Stress-Free PhD Programme. This means I’ll be running the course with a live session at the beginning of the week, where you can ask questions (and I’ll answer them!) to get the most out of the programme. The programme is designed to help you write your PhD in fewer (and happier) hours a day. This can be done! But it takes a few steps, some of which are to do with a shift in mind-set (we’ll be going against the conventional wisdom of working longer hours is [...]
Read MoreHow to Work in Waves, or the Key to PhD Productivity
Behind the scenes I am preparing for the next live sessions of the Stress-Free PhD Programme. This means I’ll be running the course with a live session at the beginning of the week, where you can ask questions (and I’ll answer them!) to get the most out of the programme. The programme is designed to help you write your PhD in fewer (and happier) hours a day. This can be done! But it takes a few steps, some of which are to do with a shift in mind-set (we’ll be going against the conventional wisdom of working longer hours is [...]
Read MoreHow to Handle Stress in Academia
Behind the scenes I am preparing for the next live sessions of the Stress-Free PhD Programme. This means I’ll be running the course with a live session at the beginning of the week, where you can ask questions (and I’ll answer them!) to get the most out of the programme. The programme is designed to help you write your PhD in fewer (and happier) hours a day. This can be done! But it takes a few steps, some of which are to do with a shift in mind-set/ the way you think about the PhD, some of which are practical [...]
Read MoreSuffering from PhD Overwhelm? Break it Down
I've written about the PhD monster before. It comes out of the shadows to haunt you, and looks over your shoulder telling you "this is too hard", "you'll never finish this project" and in general completely clouds your judgement. It makes finishing the PhD seem like a completely elusive goal. No matter your good intentions, it will steal your energy, and cause you to topple over in overwhelm. The reality is: writing a PhD is doable. Finishing the PhD is doable. You can do this. So how to put this monster in its place? How to shrink it, do you [...]
Read MoreThe A-Z of the PhD Trajectory: A Practical Guide for a Successful Journey
The PhD trajectory is a bit of a black box, and the way academia is set up, it often stays that way: stumbling around in the dark. This week I’m talking to dr. Eva Lantsoght, who has just published a book that aims to demystify the PhD process. A good idea, if you ask me! For many of us the academic world is a foreign one when we start a PhD, and for most of us it takes a long time before we 'get' how it all works, how to play the academic game. I have come across one book [...]
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