Edition#6: Handling Procrastination During PhD Journey
Because 'I’ll start tomorrow' has already missed too many deadlines.
Hello,
How have you been? How’s the work been flowing lately? Steady, scattered, or somewhere in between?
If you have been following the last few editions, we have talked about managing extracting & managing feedbacks and what starting a PhD looks like.
It’s 1.5 months since this little newsletter has started. Since then, from a quiet corner of the internet it has grown to being read in 28 countries with new subscribers joining every week. Thank you for being here, for being a part of this shared journey:)
This tender journey continues to remind that these conversations matter. And I am so glad you are here for them.
If any of my earlier posts resonated with you, this week’s newsletter might hit close too because we are talking about something almost every researcher wrestles with (but rarely admits out loud): procrastination.
Not the light kind, where you scroll for five minutes and bounce back. But the heavy kind where your work feels too big, your thoughts feel too foggy, and even opening a document feels like a task. Sound familiar?
This isn’t about productivity hacks or rigid schedules. It’s about gently understanding how we can return to our work with more compassion and less pressure.
Procrastination is not a flaw in your work ethic; it’s often a silent sign from your mind asking for clarity, rest, or reassurance. In the long, very long journey of PhD, there are days when momentum flows, and days and weeks when even opening a document feels impossible.
And you hope for some divine force that could rekindle your inner self to pick up your dissertation work where you left it once upon a time! ✨
Only if procrastination during PhD journey could be avoided! Nah..Not possible as long as we are humans.
Can we do something about this thing called ‘procastination’! Absolutely yes😊
And why you need to do something about it?
...because PhD journey is not meant to be infinitely elastic & can’t stretch it forever.
This post isn’t here to push you to remind you that it is okay to pause, to begin again, and to find gentle ways back to your work without guilt.
📙 Avoid Over Enthusiasm early on (For Beginners)
Start your journey slowly, relish it, craft it, set the right foundation. Don’t set unrealistic targets for yourself for early months. Slowly settle and get absorbed into new journey. Don’t drain your energy reservoir early on.
📙Staying Consistent more important than making big strides
Read something every day to avoid disconnecting with your work. Don’t feel like reading? Add a paragraph or two to your draft.
The moment you disconnect with work, you create space for anxiety induced procrastination.
📙 Strive to maintain interest and stay invested in your topic
As much as carefully, thoughtfully picked topic you may have, there would be phases when you will not feel motivated to move forward.
It will take effort to rekindle that flickering motivation. try to attend a conference or two in that field, get on top of the game, recall why you chose this topic in first place!
📙Take planned breaks
Don’t wait for burnout to take breaks. Rather take planned breaks to avoid burnout.
📙 Stay connected to your supervisor
Build a cordial relation with your supervisor early on and connect regularly. Losing connect with your supervisor is the most effortless way of breaking chain of accountability and to get into loop of procrastination.
📙Deal with difficult stages of PhD head on
The much-anticipated challenges in data collection, analysis, figuring out methodology can be speed breaker at times. We end up sitting on them rather than navigating them quickly. Sooner we navigate them, the more it feeds into your confidence!
You cannot entirely avoid procrastination given this is one academic marathon spanning close to half a decade or more.
Acknowledge it to be as natural as it can get.
Accept it, manage it and cut it short.
If this note spoke to you, hit reply and share that what does procrastination look or feel like in your PhD life? Would love to hear your version of it, or how you're learning to work through it, your way.
If you think this post can be of help to someone you know, how about sharing it:)
Also, if you are new here, well… I write about the unspoken challenges, emotional, mental, and very human side of doing a PhD in my newsletter Decoding the Doctorate. It’s now read in 28 countries and growing with every shared story. If you were shared this article, you can subscribe below to receive it directly in your inbox. I send out weekly edition every Wednesday at 6 PM.
Wishing you a calm & focused week ahead:)
Warmly,
Mridul