The End (of the PhD) is Nigh Part 2: How to look after yourself
In the second installment of this blog, I want to talk about the importance of looking after yourself in the final stretch of your PhD: how to make your well-being a priority, and the importance of self-care. Self-care is a skill that is still very much a work-in-progress for me; but just because something doesn’t come naturally doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. If you, like me, have a small voice in your head yelling “this is self-indulgent nonsense!” tell that little voice to pipe down. You are important and looking after yourself, in whatever form that takes, is important too.
Self care doesn’t have to be anything specific: it is about finding something that nourishes you and allowing yourself some space to do that. Try your hardest to build this into your days and weeks. There are free, wee things you can try to build into your day to give you some space.
Meditation
Meditation can help you focus, reduce stress, and sleep better. Headspace has ten-minute mindful meditation sessions, by a guy with a nice chilled out voice (I’ve tried apps where the voice was so annoying it just stressed me out more). For something even shorter, here’s an article on meditation basics along with 1,4 and 10 minute mindful breaks.
Yoga
You may feel too time or finance restricted to go to a class: but a few minutes of stretching and breathing will help your focus and reduce writing induced shoulder and back pain. I tried to do Yoga with Adriene’s 5 minute stress fix at the middle and end of every day. Stretch that writing-weary body!
Fill your head with something completely different
When you’re writing up, it can feel like your head is entirely consumed by your project and it’s important to find something else to fill your head for a bit. I got super into podcasts about things completely separate from my research. I learned about the Supreme Court (More Perfect), the queer community (Nancy, Queery, LGBTQ&A) general interesting chat (RadioLab, This American Life, Invisibilia) and some things to make me laugh (PYHT, 2 Dope Queens). I discovered that watching cooking shows is really relaxing (nothing that bad can go wrong in a cooking show!), and that sometimes you have to embrace good, trash TV (Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99 Jane the Virgin). Running, reading, cooking, any and all activities that give you some headspace from your research are highly recommended.
If you don’t need the internet, turn it off
If you don’t need the internet for your task, close that browser. It is distracting, it lengthens your work time, and switching between tasks and tabs is fatiguing. Install Forest on your phone and browser if you need an extra incentive.
Take some time off
You cannot write all the time. This is a monster marathon of writing, and time away doing other activities is needed. Decide on a writing schedule that works for you (e.g. Monday — Friday, 9–5) and stick to it.
Try to make time every day to get out and do something that is non-PhD related. It might be hard to prioritise this time or recognise it as important but it is. Even if you are working a long day, to know that you have an hour or so to go outside and switch off it will help sustain you in the write-up period. If you’re at a city-based University it can be hard to find quiet, green space, but if you can make regular time to visit a quiet space to be surrounded by nature, it can be really calming.
On top of this, try every week to have a complete day off — that means no checking emails on your phone, no reading papers. You’re more than your PhD and you need time to remember what other things you like doing!
Look after your mental health
This might be a stressful time of pressure, transition, and uncertainty. If you feel you need it, explore your University’s support options and find out whether they offer counselling or mental health mentors.
Academia can be a really hard place to be: there’s a lot of working alone which can be lonely, and often means you only see other peoples successes (their papers published, their grants funded) while not seeing their failures, which can make you feel rubbish. If you’re having a really hard time, chances are the people around you are or have experienced something similar. Try to be honest about how you’re feeling — it will help you feel a bit better, and it also might help someone else.
Try to eat sensibly
It can be difficult to drag yourself to the supermarket, and to think about meals. Don’t forget to eat, and if you can, try to make cooking a joyful experience. It is important to nourish yourself (and if this includes eating a packet of cookies to get you through a bit of writers block, to cheer you up, to celebrate, or for no reason at all, go for it).
Ignore viva horror stories
These stories are repeated because they are exceptions to the rule. Your viva will be intellectually challenging — and you probably want it to be — it’d be a let down if after all that time it felt easy. You know your material better than anyone — and you might even enjoy it.
Plan something lovely for when you hand in
Handing in your thesis is a huge moment to celebrate. It might feel like the beginning of the end, because you still have your viva and possibly corrections to do too, but it is the biggest achievement. If you can, plan to take a proper break when it’s in. Go and stay with some friends, have a minibreak, or refuse to get out of your pyjamas for a week, turn off your phone, and binge watch all of Netfix. You do you — you’ve earned it.
Remember how far you have come
The fact that you’re at the writing up stage means you’ve achieved such a lot. It can be hard to remember, but writing the thesis is only a small bit of the overall PhD and you’ve got through most of it already. You can do this last bit too!
Every PhD experience is different, and these are just a few things that worked for me. I hope sharing this with you is helpful, and that your writing up is as relatively pain-free as it can be.
Sincerely,
Catherine
