http://www.abdsurvivalguide.com/News/dissertation-part2.html
by Rachna D. Jain, Psy.D.
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THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE(tm)
Devoted to practical steps for completing
your doctoral dissertation.
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SUMMARY:
Ben's Note--A key for finishing a dissertation and
for long term professional productivity is knowing how
to play the "mental game". This is particularly important
when we are stressed, down, or have just absorbed
a blow. Here we describe more approaches
for caring for ourselves and handling dissertation stress.
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. Ben's Note
2. Self Care in the Dissertation Process, Part II
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1. Ben's Note
==============================
Dear ABDSG Reader,
Last month I described my experience this
spring of dealing with prostate cancer. (For
a copy, send any e-mail--it can be blank--to
juneabd@mentorcoach.com). The response
I received was tremendous. That issue, perhaps
because it was heartfelt, seemed to connect
with ABD readers around the globe. Some of
you are heroic cancer survivors yourself. Others
in equally touching notes shared your own reactions
to my story. Thanks to all of you who wrote.
Your letters meant a lot! (And yes, I continue
to be healthy, 100% cancer free, and to feel
grateful.)
In this issue, we return under Rachna Jain's
guidance to the issue of self care during the
dissertation journey. Taking care of ourselves
and knowing how to play the "mental game"
of staying loose and productive under stress
is a key lesson in the road to long term
academic productivity.
Hope you are having a great summer.
Warm wishes,
Ben
P.S. You may have developed your own, powerful
strategies for self care and stress management.
If you would be willing to share your stories, just
e-mail them to me and I'll share them with our
entire community. (In your e-mail, let me know
if I can use your name, department, and
university.)
==========================================
2. Self Care in the Dissertation Process, Part II
Rachna D. Jain, Psy.D.
==========================================
This is the second in a series of articles dealing with caring for
yourself while working on your dissertation. (For Part I, visit
http://ecoach.com/News/042701.htm).
It is important to tap into all of your social, emotional, and
intellectual resources to complete this next phase of your academic
career. I hope these tips and hints will aid you in feeling happier and
being more productive.
1) Remember that your dissertation is a choice. Sounds simple, but
sometimes remembering this can be very powerful. It might allow you to
move from feeling overwhelmed and helpless to recognizing your capacity to
make this choice and follow through on it. There is nothing worse than
feeling "forced" to do something, so try and change that feeling if you
can.
2) Remember that, at any time, you can choose something else.
This applies to deciding not to do the dissertation, but, also, to the
idea that you can choose how you feel about something. In psychology, this
fits in with the technique of "reframe" in which you find another point of
view on the same situation. In my practice, we call this "The Third
Option", which allows us to consider various choices for the same
problem. It's great for increasing creativity, too.
3) Be as open as is comfortable about your feelings of stress, fear, and
being overwhelmed. Express these feelings-in your journal, or to your
coach or other support system, and get them out of your way.
4) Don't deprive yourself.
A friend of mine went through the initial phases of the dissertation
process and set all these weird limits on herself, like "I won't get my
hair cut until I finish the first draft". Keep in mind, now, that she was
no-where close to writing that draft, and her hair annoyed her
constantly. It was the one main feature of our conversations, aside from
the dissertation. This sounds really silly, but it highlights how
depriving we can be of ourselves and for no reason- the length of my
friend's hair had nothing to do with completion of her dissertation, aside
from the fact that she was living with pointless daily annoyance. She was
wasting away energy and intellect over something unrelated-and, at the
same time, depriving herself of something that would have made her feel
good.
You'll be glad to know that she finally "got it" and had her hair cut at
the next possible opportunity. :)
5) Don't jam-pack your schedule with "musts", "shoulds" or "have
tos" Leave time for "whatever".
Too often we fill our lives and schedules with too many activities or
responsibilities and find ourselves rushing from one "have to" to the
next. You'll find that your life runs more smoothly when you can leave
room for the unexpected-things that run over, run late, or otherwise don't
happen as planned.
6) Ask for help when you need it.
A friend, family member, or coach can be a great source of support and
help. Don't be afraid to reach out for help-more often than not, you'll
actually get it.
There is no extra credit for going through this process alone.
7) Consider using a daily affirmation.
This will remind you to slow down, live in the present moment, and
convince your subconscious to get on board and work with you to meet your
goals.
When creating an affirmation, it is important to make them clear, as short
as possible, and to use the present tense.
An example would be "I meet my goals with ease." NOT "I wish I could meet
my goals with ease."
One to try: "Today I think with clarity, write with ease, and accomplish
without strain."
That version was helpful in graduate school, and I use a variant on it
now, as I work to build my professional practice. It helps to remind me
what I'm striving for, and feels pretty good to say out loud.
Finally, continue to have faith and confidence in yourself. You can do
this.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About Rachna D. Jain, Psy.D.
Rachna is a licensed doctoral level psychologist in private practice in
Columbia, MD. She has just begun a coaching practice focusing on life
enrichment for young professionals and those in transition. Areas of focus
include personal coaching, life balancing/integration, relationships, and
time management/organization. She is available to coach ABD'S on
self-care, interpersonal concerns, and management/organization of the
dissertation process. She can be reached by email at drjain@ai.net, or via
her web site at http://www.maximalhappiness.com.
=============
BEN J. DEAN
=============
Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University
of Texas at Austin and is a psychologist in private
practice in Bethesda, Maryland.
In addition to his clinical practice, Ben loves
to train professionals to become virtual coaches.
(If you would like to see Ben's *other* free
newsletter, you may subscribe at:
http://www.mentorcoach.com/)
Ben lives in suburban Maryland with his wife
and two children.
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CONTACT INFORMATION
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Ben J. Dean, Ph.D
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