Doing a PhD is a strange experience. After all, there aren’t too many situations in which you’re expected to pour your heart, soul and several years of your life into a single project, never mind while also holding twice-weekly seminars with hungover undergraduates.
Perhaps this is why most PhD students feel like they’re going slightly mad (I suffered my first ever panic attacks during mine). But if PhD stress is getting you down, take comfort in the fact there are things you can do to make life easier.
Be Aware of the Signs
During a PhD, stress starts to feel normal, so it’s important to be aware of the signs:
- Constantly feeling like you have too much to do
- Feelings of inadequacy
- Inability to focus
- Feeling out of control
- Worrying about being ‘found out’ or not deserving to do a PhD
- Physical and mental exhaustion
All of these, along with other stress symptoms, are signals that you might need a bit of a break.
Eat, Sleep and Exercise
Nobody pulls an all-nighter on nothing but coffee and donuts quite as casually as your average PhD candidate. Needless to say, no matter how busy you might be, skipping sleep, meals and exercise in favour of another few hours in the library is not a good idea. You will be more productive and happier if you are healthy, well rested and well fed.
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Critical Feedback Isn’t Personal
As much as your supervisory meetings might leave you on the verge of tears, try not to take critical feedback personally. If your supervisor is demanding it’s because they want you to do well – not because of some unstated vendetta – so you can probably shelve those plans for revenge. Take a little time away from your work, then come back to your supervisor’s comments. You’ll probably find they’re more useful than you first thought.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help
There’s never any need to suffer in silence. Your supervisor might not always be available to field questions, but you can always ask someone else in your subject area. Likewise, if you don’t feel like you can talk to your supervisor about personal issues, talk to another member of faculty, friends or family.
Letting Go
Ultimately, the most important thing you can possibly have while studying for a PhD is a sense of perspective. This isn’t to say that your studies aren’t important (they are!), only that there’s more to life than a doctorate. Taking a day off isn’t a crime. And the world won’t explode into a terrible ball of flame if you don’t get everything done as soon as possible. In all probability, you’ll find yourself feeling much more productive after some time off.