How to Stay Sane While Writing a Thesis

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How to Stay Sane While Writing a Thesis

• Presented by Annette Stevenson
• Student ASSIST 6773 2897
• Building C37 between the Deli Café and
  newsagent up top

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What today will aim to cover

• Identify your study goals as well as the
  strengths and any weaknesses that you bring to
  your study
• Rollercoaster of peaks and troughs
• Procrastination traps
• Overcoming the dreaded writers block and
  feelings of isolation
• How to manage your time and to minimise stress

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Me and My Post-Graduate Study

• 1. My long-term goal(s) for my study is
• 2. The strengths I bring to studying are
• 3. The things that are impeding my study are
• 4. My good coping strategies are

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Research Thesis Rollercoaster (Elphinstone
Schweitzer, 1998)

• Normal to have highs and lows
• From excitement to sense of failure in a week
• 3 ds depression, doubt, desperation vs
  enjoyment and elation
• The self-saboteur
• The obsessive-compulsive side of you
• The anti-social you
• Post PhD blues

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High Dependency on Supervisor (Elphinstone and
Schweitzer, 1998)
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Medium Dependency on Supervisor (Elphinstone and
Schweitzer, 1998)
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Low Dependency on Supervisor(Elphinstone and
Schweitzer, 1998)
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Common doubts(adapted from Elphinstone and
Schweitzer, 1998)

• Ive picked the wrong topic
• Re-read proposal, review reasons for discarding
  other topics
• The data are all wrong
• Be open to results going either way and testing
  hypotheses
• I cant write anything
• Make writing a routine. Some writers block is
  normal
• The end is so far. I will never finish
• SMART goals (specific, measurable, attractive,
  realistic, time-framed

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Common doubts cont

• This isnt good enough. It should be perfect
• No such thing as the perfect thesis. Not your
  final work. Have other strings to your bow.
• Ive left something out
• Maintain perspective. Clear rationale. Project
  boundaries.
• Im not up to this. Im not good enough.
• Progress journal. Identify strengths.
• Why am I doing this? Why am I putting up with
  this pain?
• Revisit why you took this on. Identify internal
  and external sabouteurs. Support people.
• If I finish this, I will never write another
  thing
• From burnout to book, article, etc. Visualise
  completion.

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Study Spirals

• Downward spirals
• 1. Action (set a goal and didnt make it)
• Feeling (frustrated)
• Thought (This is frustrating)
• Action (set another goal and didnt make it)
• Feeling (anxious)
• Thought (Why bother?)
• 3. Action (not bothering, avoiding)
• Feeling (unmotivated or anxious)
• Thought (I could fail. I am failing)

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Study Spirals cont

• Upward spirals
• Action (set a minimal goal and make it)
• Feeling (feel in control of work)
• Thought (Ive achieved something)
• Action (set another goal and make it)
• Feeling (energised and motivated)
• Thought (I am getting there)
• Action (Achieving goals and doing well)
• Feeling (in control, motivated, happy,
  energised)
• Thought (I am going to finish this. Im passing)

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Staying motivated

• Remember that tenacity, endurance and motivation
  are important attributes
• Keeping a journal, or a web log blog
• Acknowledge and celebrate your progress
• Stay connected dont isolate yourself. Join
  postgraduate peer support groups
• postgrads_at_une
• http//blog.une.edu.au/natressociety/
• http//blog.une.edu.au/deassist/
• http//blog.une.edu.au/deassist/
• http//www.une.edu.au/library/eskillsplus/ -
  online program for postgraduate students
  (research, literature, endnote, career)
• eSkills Plus Meeting Place a social space for
  UNE postgraduates
• Attend seminar/discussion groups
• Peer support and/or supervisory groups (formal,
  informal?)

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Procrastination Styles

• Perfectionist, dreamer, worrier, defier,
  crisis-maker, over-doer (Grant and Greene, 2003)
• How do I feel about the task that Im putting
  off now?
• What are the advantages of starting this right
  now?
• What are the disadvantages of leaving it until
  later?
• What excuses am I making for not doing this task
  right now?
• Will it kill me to do it for a few minutes at a
  time?
• How can I break the task down into manageable
  sections?
• What reward can I give myself for finishing it?
  (Grant and Greene, p. 83, 2003)

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Procrastination Stoppers

• Warm up your mind
• Be specific about what you are avoiding
• List advantages and disadvantages to doing or not
  doing the task
• Challenge the part of you that doesnt want to do
  the task
• Plan tasks in advance
• Visualise yourself completing the task
• Do a mental warm up revision, brainstorming,
  etc
• Swiss cheese technique do anything related to
  task
• Set yourself goals
• Set time limits
• Review progress, learn from mistakes
• Record progrss/achievements on wall chart, in
  journal, etc
• Salami technique break task into steps do one
  at a time
• Aim to spend 10 min a day on unpleasant tasks
• Contract with others what you want to achieve

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Procrastination stoppers cont

• Make physical changes
• Stretch, change posture, exercise
• Attractive and inviting work environment
• Go to distraction free place
• Work alongside someone who works well
• Have a sounding board
• Stay positive
• Dont look at decisions as right vs wrong most
  decisions have pros and cons
• Replace negative thoughts such as I cant, I
  wont
• Visualise self completing task
• Pretend to be the well-organised
  non-procrastinator
• Say no to requests. Be assertive. State your
  needs.
• Ask for help

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Hints for Pushing Through Writers Block

• Drafts for your eyes only at first
• Dont wear critical and creative hats at the same
  time
• See writing is an evolutionary act
• Proofreading vs rewriting with critical hat on
• Copy editor for final draft
• Write about anything get creative juices
  flowing
• Speak, verbalise, have conversations about your
  ideas
• Mindmap your ideas
• Mental warm ups revising drafts, chapters
• Be physical
• Change physical environment
• Carry a notebook
• Focus on the smaller chunks vs bigger picture
• Do something creative
• Write how you feel about your thesis (unblock
  emotions)

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Time Management Exercise

• Think about areas in your life in terms of time.
  Do you give each area of your life your preferred
  proportion of time or would you like to
  re-balance the way you allocate your time?
• NB 7 x 16 waking hrs/day 112 hrs
• 70 hrs 63
• 35 hrs 31
• 20 hrs 18
• 10 hrs 9

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Time Management Exercise cont

• CURRENT
• ....0 ACADEMIC WORK
• ....0 HOME DUTIES eg housework, shopping,
  showering, cooking, etc
• ....0 RELATIONSHIPS WITH SIGNIFICANT OTHERS eg
  things we do to enhance our relationships with
  those with whom we are very close
• ....0 SOCIAL eg things we do to meet people,
  enjoy friends extended family
• ....0 PERSONAL eg things we do for ourselves
• ....0 OTHER eg paid employment

• PREFERRED
• ....0
• ....0
• ....0
• ....0
• ....0
• ....0

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Time Management The Central Skill

• Yearly planner set deadlines for each step
• Reading - define general area
• Reading - designing study (have just in case
  time)
• Reading - collecting data (asap)
• Reading - analysing data (computer hold-ups)
• Writing - rough draft
• Editing to final copy stage
• References/Appendices
• Proof-reading
• Printing and Binding
• Hand in Time!

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Minimising stress

• Physical (body)
• Exercise
• Yoga
• Diet
• Sleep
• Emotional (feelings)
• Talk to significant others
• Writing
• Asserting needs
• Humour
• Cognitive (thoughts)
• Positive self-talk
• Improving concentration
• Communication
• Social interaction
• Behavioural (actions)
• Time management
• Holiday time during candidature
• Negotiating supervision contract/arrangements

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Organising Yourself

• Read down the list of statements, ticking those
  you feel apply to you. Alter statements so that
  they apply to you better. Note down any
  reservations or differences you have.

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Organising Yourself cont

• I dont think I work as hard as I could
• I couldnt tell you how many hours I put in last
  week.
• I often seem to leave things like essays/writing
  till the last minute.
• I find it hard to get down to work.
• I dont seem to be able to stick at a task (like
  reading through a chapter) for very long.
• I think that others do more than me.
• I dont find it easy to talk to others openly
  about how much work Im doing.
• Im never quite sure what Ive got to do next.
• I sometimes take ages to get going.
• Im not sure whether Im doing enough or not.
• I tend to flit from one task to another.
• I seem to work better in some places than others.
• I work rather irregularly, putting in lots of
  time one week and practically none the next.
• Im generally behind, sometimes several weeks
  behind schedule.
• There is no way I could do all the work Im
  expected to.
• Im not sure I always do the most important
  things first.
• Im not sure Ill be able to keep going right to
  the end of this course.
• I dont have any sort of long-term plan for my
  work.

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Source - http//web.missouri.edu/kleinp/images/ca
rtoon_diss_def_small.gif
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References

• Grant, A. and Greene, J. (2003) Coach Yourself.
  Cambridge, MA Perseus Publishing.
• Elphinstone,L and Schweitzer, R. (1998) How to
  Get a Research Degree A survival guide.
  Australia Allen and Unwin.