100 Days 2 Go
Until I submit my PhD thesis!
Until I submit my PhD thesis!
And now I feel guilty because I didn't work on my PhD thesis at all today (apparently it was a slightly awkward time to start my blog). However, today is Easter Saturday and we have come away to the coast to celebrate Easter with my family (hence the pretty pic of the beach!).
On the topic of guilt, PhD will always be there making you feel guilty. "Work on me" it will say constantly...... "Don't forget me" .... "Where are you?". it can actually be pretty annoying to be honest. So it is important to find a balance between work and rest. And one thing I have learnt during the past five years is to be present when I rest (or have time out from my thesis) .... or at least try my best to be. I am lucky to have training in mindfulness, so I work on being present when I am with my family, friends, or chilling out e.g., on a run. PhD can take all your brain space even when you are not working on it, so it is important to tune into what you are doing when you are doing it and tune out of PhD when you can. You can go for a 20km run and think about a chapter or paper and not notice anything around you e.g., the scenery. You can also be with your loved ones and not be with them because you are distracted by PhD stuff. I have worked on this - because believe it or not, my loved ones ARE more important than you Mr PhD, and I want my loved ones to like me after I submit. So I would recommend training in mindfulness might help if you struggle to tune out, but maybe you are already good at that. So no work for me today. Do I feel apprehensive about that? - slightly. But I try to appreciate the day at the beach with my family and will endeavour to work hard/harder tomorrow when I return from the beach.
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Hello!
So I thought I would share my last 100 days of my PhD thesis in a blog. Now, I have never blogged before, but thought this would be a good way to document the journey and share it with those who might be interested, and to normalise my antics with those who might have a similar type of deadline. My colleague suggested this blog might be a procrastination tool - she might be correct..... My PhD progress is currently on-track. I have drafted 5 of 8 chapters, and have 3 more chapters to complete. I have a lot of collaborators to work with - with is a blessing and a curse - especially when trying to consolidate their feedback. Polishing stones is how I describe the editing process ..... so much polishing! So you might think someone at the end of their PhD would be somewhat-clever - think again. I have problems with word finding, name finding and focus. I seem to be muddle-headed and distracted. I have a very exaggerated startle response and jump at pretty much anything. I am sure my IQ is lower than when I started. I know heaps about my PhD topic at least ..... Oh, I forgot to mention I have been loosing things, accidentally stealing things (including my colleagues food from the fridge - which I though was mine) and thrown out food i.e., a lunch that belonged to others. Super embarrassed about that event. Oh wait - I am super focused at 3am - when my brain tells me about what references I might have forgotten or another sentence I could add to my literature review - not particularly helpful brain! There are two main indicators I am using to show how I am coping with my thesis. My weight (bad news folks - if you are a comfort eater you are in trouble) and my running (which I am doing - even if I am super slow at the moment). The food struggle is real. I can continue working as long as I have food in my mouth ..... not the best strategy, but that is what I do to keep getting through my workload. So essentially I am saying I am a total epic gumby at the moment, and this is likely to get worse in the next 100 days..... so enjoy my antics and bring it on! |
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