As I look back as a third year PhD researcher, it has made me realise a lot about how I feel about life and the things I really care about. It has also heightened my awareness of the reality of doing a PhD, based on my experience. I wanted to share these with you in case you are considering such an experience or perhaps some of these things you might resonate as a PhD researcher.
Maintaining detachment
Throughout previous jobs, I have found it challenging to build confidence to engage with the work just enough when it is tough, over completely disengaging with it and just not caring to avoid stress. Looking back at the PhD journey, I realise it has been an experience to help with not becoming so emotionally attached to my work. I feel less ‘switched on’ and not feeling as if I have to be doing something all of the time. This has been through engaging with the things I feel are most important to me and to get the project done. What I have learned is that maintaining detachment is one of the most important things I can take forward. It has helped me to deal with my perfectionism, allow me to realise I am enough, and not allowing PhD related to work to consume my thoughts when I have downtime. This does not mean I am not dedicated to my work or that I do not care about it. It has considerably helped with my stress levels and overwhelm and therefore sustain my health to be able to stay on this journey so far…and hopefully I will complete the PhD.
Office day jobs and the reality of 9-5
The 9-5 grind is something I have always struggled with being disabled. In a previous job, I remember it being brought up that I had left work too early, even though I was tired and had done all the work I could do for on those days. I have never agreed with this attitude of just staying at work for the sake of waiting until your hours finish. I don’t believe in rushing work, but I also find that dragging it out to fill ‘set’ hours, really isn’t beneficial to many people unless your work really does require it. I hope that more people can encourage a flexible working environment that promotes this kind of realisation, and that flexible working is also different for each individual too.
PhDs can be 95% desk work
In my experience doing interview-based data collection, with the ethics applications, planning, recruiting and writing up, the actual data collection really has been about 5% of the PhD. While it is the gold of what you are working with, this realisation has felt very demoralising. As someone who needs to move a lot too, I didn’t realise this reality until the last few months or so. This is something to consider when looking at the methods you will be using in your research. Can you find a project that isn’t just a topic you are passionate about, but the methods you will be using help you to thrive too?
The one thing
Having that one thing (or a couple of things) that you really love or brings you joy outside of the PhD has been a life saviour for me. Music came back to me in a huge way over the past year or so after having started to return to loving it after a period of avoiding it. Enjoying other things and making time for something other than your PhD initiates so much guilt in new researchers, but quite honestly, this has been the best thing for my mental health and maintain perspective when times feel really tough, and doubt sets in.
These reflections are something I really hope I have the confidence to take forward into future opportunities that I am part of. I have realised how much my PhD experience has shaped what I really value and have had to learn to prioritise in order to make this journey sustainable. Whatever stage you are at with yours, I hope you are able to find and make ways of working with yourself and others in a way that serves you.