Introduction
When you’re a PhD student, there’s a lot of stress. There’s the stress of getting research done, of writing papers, and of managing your time.
But there’s another kind of stress that can get in the way of all that: self-inflicted stress. And that’s what we’re going to talk about today—how to manage your own stress as a PhD student so that it doesn’t get in the way of your productivity or cause you unnecessary anxiety.
Staying On Your PhD Track
When you’re in grad school, it can be easy to lose track of your goals. It’s easy to start thinking about the next step, or to focus on the task at hand rather than the bigger picture.
But staying on track is important. You might not realize it now, but a PhD is an investment in yourself—one that will pay off in ways you can’t even imagine at this moment.
To stay on track, we recommend that you:
- Keep a running list of your long-term goals—and review it regularly.
- Take time to reflect on how far you’ve come and how far you still have left to go.
- Check in with a mentor every so often (or someone who has gone through what you’re experiencing).
Your Advisor Should Be Your Biggest Advocate
Your advisor is there to help you, and they want you to succeed. If you have any concerns or problems, don’t be afraid to talk about them; your advisor will be glad that you did.
Asking for guidance from your mentor can be intimidating if you’re a new PhD student without any experience managing stress. But just remember: this is their job. They’re trained in the art of guiding their students through the PhD process. If at any point along the way, they feel like they need more information about how things are going with their mentees (or even if they just want a general check-in). There’s no need to hesitate before reaching out and asking questions or seeking advice (even if it feels awkward)
This doesn’t mean that communication should only go one way — you should also take some time now and then to check in on how your advisor is doing, too. You could ask about what kinds of projects he/she has been working on lately, see if there are any new challenges he/she might need help solving. Then offer up resources such as articles that might be useful for his/her work… whatever seems like a good idea at the moment.
Establish A Routine And Structure
To manage stress as a PhD student, it is important to create a routine. Good routine, structuring, managing daily stress and setting goals are essential and useful things to do when pursuing a PhD. I suggest starting with exercise and setting aside time for breaks. Things like going outside or taking walks, drinking water and getting enough sleep. One of the most essential things to do is set goals for each day. Good eating habits will keep your body in a good state as well.
Invest In Your Mental Health
Stress can be a real problem for PhD students, but it’s critical to know that there are ways to manage it. When you’re in the thick of it, it’s easy to forget that self-care is not just a buzzword — it’s also a necessity. You need to take care of yourself before you can be fully present for your work. Here are some tips on how to stay mentally healthy while pursuing your PhD:
- Eat well and exercise regularly. Exercise provides a way for people to de-stress from their everyday lives, so make sure you’re getting enough activity each week. And don’t forget about eating healthy meals at home or around campus if there aren’t any healthy dining options available near where you live or work.
- Don’t ignore signs of stress; take advantage of resources available on campus (such as counseling services) if needed. Remember that everyone feels sometimes stressed — and no one expects perfection from themselves. It’s perfectly fine if sometimes things get stressful during PhD research; this doesn’t mean anything is wrong with either your work habits or mental health. But it might mean that now would be a good time to consider taking some time off so as not let stress build up too much over time instead.
Try To Stay Physically Active
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s important to try to stay physically active. Exercise provides a way to reduce stress, and can help you better manage your time as a PhD student. A short walk around campus or at least taking the stairs instead of an elevator will get your blood flowing and keep your mind off of the things that are causing stress for you.
If possible, try to do something physical every day, even if it’s just going for a walk through the neighborhood or doing some stretches at home before bedtime. It doesn’t have to be strenuous — anything that gets your heart rate up will help improve both mental clarity and mood.
Make Time For Fun And Friends
Managing stress as a PhD student is an art form. Stress is a fact of life, and it’s not going away. But you can manage stress in your own way by making time for fun and friends, getting outside and doing sports, taking care of yourself by eating well and sleeping well. Maybe it’s time to take up a new hobby or start an exercise routine — whatever makes you feel better.
Proactive Stress Management
As a PhD student, you may be required to juggle a number of responsibilities and tasks. This can make it difficult to stay focused, and can lead to stress. There are two ways to think about stress management: proactive and reactive. Proactive stress management involves creating a plan before you get stressed out and sticking to it, while reactive stress management is taking steps after the fact to deal with your current level of stress.
When you’re proactive about preventing your own stress levels from getting out of control, you’re basically putting a plan into place for when things go wrong or when unexpected things happen. This can include everything from setting up a regular meditation practice or journaling routine to having healthy self-care habits like eating breakfast every morning or going for walks at lunchtime.
As far as paperwork goes, have an organized system for keeping track of deadlines and assignments so that everything stays straight in your head (or on paper). You should also keep track of any health issues that might cause you problems in the future — like allergies — and make sure they don’t interfere with studying or other responsibilities as much as possible.
Manage Stress as a PhD Student
When you’re a PhD student, it can be hard to stay calm. You have to deal with the immense pressure of writing your dissertation, dealing with professors, and working on research. It’s a lot to handle!
That’s why we’ve put together a guide for managing stress as a PhD student. We hope it helps.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to manage stress as a PhD student. You may not be able to eliminate it entirely, but that doesn’t mean it has to get the best of you. Take some time to review these tips and make sure you have a plan in place for when things start to get tough.
If you are feeling overwhelmed or like you need more support than we’ve provided here, talk to your advisor or department chair about how they can help.