Ph.D. students are high achievers that always aim for ambitious goals. Whether it’s coursework or research, pursuing Ph.D. is consistent, high-level work and it doesn't even end when you graduate. You want to and should have to keep a positive mindset, which is vital to maintaining work productivity and wellness in the later years. The following are life hacks that I use to maintain my mental well-being when embarking on my Ph.D. program.
Set your working hours
One thing I learned from last year is to treat your academic study like just another job. You want to set working hours and try to follow it. For instance, I tend to work 8:30 am - 5:30 pm on weekdays and leave evenings for my own time. I used to study longer than I am supposed to. When taking a step backward and thinking about the reason, I think most of the time it was not because I have more of a workload than other students, but because of the perfectionism that always made me work on polishing articles and other trivial stuff which should not be spent much time on. Also, I procrastinate from time to time because I always think there is plenty of time and I deserve a five-minute break, so instead of responding to work emails I will just click on summer sales ads from Urban Outfitters and end up shopping for 20 minutes. Inefficient time management like this made me stare at the screen for so many hours from day to night that I almost burned myself out. After realizing that, I started to limit my working hours and use time as efficiently as I can. Last term I always planned in the morning about what to do today and tried to get it done by 5:30 pm, which gave me a better work-life balance than before.
Develop a hobby and don’t let your work define you
Many of our Ph.D. students started the program with high goals to succeed in academia but then came across a repeated failure of research and a loss of confidence. However, failure is an essential part of the journey, and we need to embrace it. One thing I learned from last year is to separate academic failure from your self-worth. There are plenty of ways to identify yourself, such as what you love, what you dream of, and who you cherish. In addition to your academic career, you could also be known as a father, a gardener, or a cyclist. That’s why I developed a hobby to find another way to define myself. The hobby can give you a sense of accomplishment when you spend time on it and find you are improving day by day. Also, many research failures are only a temporary state and can change at any moment. You can put the failed research aside and work on another project and someday the resolution might be around the corner. Like John Lennon said, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it's not okay, it's not the end.”
Have connections with people
Having connections with people can make you feel less lonely and thrive academically. For students who are in the social science field like me, talking with people from different backgrounds can also increase creativity and spark fresh research ideas. You can chat with close friends frequently, attend social events and workshops on campus, or join a club that you are interested in, like sports, anime, or chess (I was surprised to learn there is a Go Club at U of M). If you want to find a partner, there are speed friending events or dating apps. Sometimes connection doesn’t have to be in person. What’s most important is to have a connection with people who value and respect you and give you positive energy. You don’t want to be friends with someone who makes you suppress your personality or someone who keeps bragging about how well their research is going when you are worried about yours, which will make you feel worthless and even sadder.
Overall, life is a journey, and so is completing a Ph.D. program. I hope we can all enjoy it. I will start my second academic year this fall. I do enjoy my research, working with creative, intelligent colleagues and professors, and having inspiring discussions with them. I am sure you will find things that make you wake up excited and cheerful every day.
Written by Meng Wang
Summer Orientation Peer Advisor
Graduate Student
China
No comments:
Post a Comment