• 3-minute read
• 15th December 2016

A PhD Survival Guide: 5 Tips for Staying Sane During Your Studies

Studying for a PhD may be one of the hardest things any student can take on. After all, when else do you work for four years on a single project that occupies your every waking moment?

Combine that with teaching and trying to maintain some kind of a social life, and you have enough on your plate to feed a family of four for a month (so to speak).

As such, we’ve come up with five crucial tips to help you stay sane throughout your studies.

1. Know Thyself

It was good advice in Ancient Greece, and it still applies now. Specifically, though, we recommend learning to recognise when you’re feeling stressed. Look out for:

• Feeling like you always have too much to do
• Feeling inadequate or that you might be ‘found out’
• Difficulty concentrating on work
• Physical and mental exhaustion
• Headaches, muscle pain or irritability

If you work out what triggers these feelings, moreover, you can take steps to avoid stressors.

2. Eat, Sleep and Exercise

Many a PhD student has fallen by the wayside after convincing themselves they could survive on a diet of nothing but coffee and wild-eyed determination. But eating well, getting plenty of rest and exercising regularly are all vital to being a happy, healthy student.

3. Don’t Take It Personally

Nothing feels quite like having an early draft of a dissertation chapter savaged by your supervisor. But try not to let criticism go to your head: instead, realise that they’re being critical because they want you to do well and produce the best work you can.

As such, if you get critical feedback, use it to make your work stronger. Time spent plotting revenge, by comparison, is rarely very productive, even if it feels good sometimes.

4. Don’t Suffer in Silence

If you’re struggling with either your work or stress, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even if your supervisor isn’t always available, you can talk to other academic staff and fellow students about your work. And friends and family can provide much needed moral support.

5. A Sense of Perspective

Finally, remember that there is life outside of the PhD bubble. Your work is important, sure, but the sky won’t fall in if you take some time off and keep a sense of perspective.

In fact, you might find you become productive if you do let yourself relax and indulge other interests unrelated to your academic work. Try volunteering if you want to feel like you’re using your time off productively. You’ll feel far less guilty than if you just binge on Netflix!