Solutions for PhD Despair??
I am not sure whether it is the cold weather or the fact that I am over half-way through my PhD now (three out of six years) but I am feeling the full force of PhD Despair e.g. the feeling that I will never get it finished, it is a complete waste of time and nobody will read it anyway.
I am sure that most PhD students will feel like this at some point in their research.
I was therefore wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to how to combat the feelings of despair? The weirder and wackier the better. I am finding that because I made some ridiculous new years resolutions, such as giving up chocolate, I have narrowed my options somewhat on the 'cheering myself up' front...
And so this post is not completely miserable, some things I have tried recently which have cheered me up:
Going to the gym (surprisingly effective)
Painting my nails bright yellow
Mooching round charity shops
Reading a trashy novel
Watching Hollyoaks (or any other trashy TV)
I am sure that most PhD students will feel like this at some point in their research.
I was therefore wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to how to combat the feelings of despair? The weirder and wackier the better. I am finding that because I made some ridiculous new years resolutions, such as giving up chocolate, I have narrowed my options somewhat on the 'cheering myself up' front...
And so this post is not completely miserable, some things I have tried recently which have cheered me up:
Going to the gym (surprisingly effective)
Painting my nails bright yellow
Mooching round charity shops
Reading a trashy novel
Watching Hollyoaks (or any other trashy TV)
Comments
Hang in there! I haven't personally used it yet, but there is http://www.phinished.org which offers a forum for PhD students, mutual encouragement, support, tips and tricks for all sorts of things related to PhDs. I'm guessing its pretty US focused, but maybe there are pointers to similar forums for other places.
I also find it helpful to think about the dissertation as the final end-all-be-all. It's just another (somewhat daunting) step towards a career pursuing interesting questions.
Now back to writing my proposal instead of reading blogs....
Imagine you're the celebrity presenter at a conference, and give a little speech. (you can get excited about your topic again, or get recharged on why it mattered to you so much when you began)
Pretend you're being interviewed by the NY Times (or Rolling Stone Magazine) to talk about your work, and how you got through your dissertation. (re-adjusting your perspective to a future point, where the PhD is over and has been wildly successful, can help trip your brain into feeling as though it's totally doable again.)
Volunteer with small, rowdy children and try to explain what you do to them. (their questions, disregard, and ultra-strong senses of self will keep you humble)