Plagued by Stress and Anxiety? You’re Only Human
No-one would dare propose that the undertaking of postgraduate studies, which requires extensive research and academic writing is a walk in the park. Yet, we seem to raise an eyebrow at those who crack under the pressure. Regardless of being more informed and enlightened than ever, we still judge those who succumb to the adverse pressure of academic performance. I’d like to take this opportunity to have an honest conversation about mental health. I wish to thwart the idea that depression and anxiety, in particular, are symptoms of weakness. Or that either of these states of mind is in any way abnormal. Have you ever met a person who has not had a depressive episode? Or experienced anxiety? Me either. “Mental health is a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stressors of life, can work productively and fruitfully…
How to have a Meaningful Relationship with Your Supervisor
In my coaching practice I’ve learned that over and above the constraints of time, the biggest challenge students face in their thesis writing year is managing a fulfilling relationship with their supervisor (Super). Many of my clients experience feelings of dread at the thought of those scheduled meetings. And, they often leave these meetings feeling less motivated, more overwhelmed and as if their Super’s input or lack thereof didn’t address relevant issues, let alone add value to their work. Your relationship with your Super is key whilst writing your thesis. Here’s some advice on how to foster and nurture a more meaningful relationship. Take Charge Although your Super is a highly esteemed academic and deserving of your respect, remember that in the end, the successful completion of your thesis is your responsibility alone. This means that you are in charge and should take an active approach when managing this key…
8 Technical Tools to Help you Kick Thesis Writing Butt
Many students who are facing the daunting task of writing a thesis or a dissertation immediately get stuck into doing the necessary research. This process can lead to hours and hours going down rabbit holes on the internet, ordering books from Amazon and collecting articles. You need to figure out when “enough is enough”. At last, the day will come when you finally feel ready to start putting the words down. It is at this stage, when you must put bum-in-chair and write, that a whole new set of challenges may start derailing the writing process. In my experience, this is when you start losing hours like coins in a casino and begin to feel severe pressure. You want to try and avoid these obstacles at all costs. It is vital that you set yourself up for optimal productivity and success by acquiring and mastering the necessary tools to make…
Thesis Writing. 7 things you can do when you lose the plot
Unlike achieving a bachelor’s degree, post grad studies often demand a dissertation or thesis component and the transition from student to researcher is demanding. Not only do you have to learn, you also have to do your research independently to answer your thesis question. Furthermore, you have to organize your findings in an academic paper worthy of publishing. Writing a thesis is a lot like eating an elephant: You have to tackle it in bite size chunks. If your mindset is focused on The Thesis, in its entirety, you will feel overwhelmed and grow anxious by the enormity of the task ahead. That is why project managing yourself and having a structured approach to how, when and where you’ll spend the time writing your paper is vital. READ: Project Manage Yourself to the Finish Line But even the best laid plans can go haywire, because, well, life happens. This is…
5 Ways to Reframe and Manage Impostor Syndrome
“They made a big mistake admitting me into this program.” “Any day now they are going to realise I’m not really that good at my job.” “I don’t belong here, I’m not as clever as all these people. I’ll be found out as a fraud eventually.” “It was just luck and good timing that I landed this position.” These are just some of the most common thoughts that plague high achievers who suffer from Impostor Syndrome (IS). While IS is not officially classified as a psychological disorder, it is an affliction which targets many ambitious and successful individuals who are climbing up the ladder in their careers. The struggle comes from being unable to internalise success coupled with a fear of being exposed as a fraud. There are three defining features of impostorism. Feeling that other people have an inflated perception of your abilities. A fear that your true abilities will be…
(Don’t) Just Do It. Understanding the stages of change.
How make a lasting change to reach your goals. Understand the 6 stages of change.
The New Year’s Resolution is Dead…
…Long Live the New Year’s Resolution! You might have heard the phrase: The King is Dead! Long Live the King! This means that the (previous) king is dead and we wish the (new) king a long life. It also indicates that there is never a time without a king. Enter the ye olde new year’s resolution. It’s been a trend in recent years for people to publicly declare that they don’t do new year’s resolutions. Are you one of them? I’m of the opinion that while the first of January resolution might not be fashionable anymore – goal setting, planning and working towards personal and career growth is a big deal to individuals who live consciously. On one level it makes sense to ditch the idea of making resolutions if the past has taught you that you are more likely to fail than succeed. But there is a big difference…
How to Survive #ThesisLife over the Holiday Season
If you intend to graduate in March 2019 and your thesis submission deadline is somewhere between now and then, you know what I’m about to tell you: You’ll have to work on your thesis over the festive season. Of course, it is tempting to simply take the December holiday period off and pick up your academic study in the new year. But, while the idea of fitting in thesis writing between sun-downers, year end functions and family get togethers may seem an impossible task, it will be well worth the effort to get organised and do as much as you can without sacrificing an entire month of progress. Simply put: make peace with the fact that you will have to give something up to fit in your work. More on sacrifice here. Then be pragmatic and start planning in sessions that you will dedicate to your thesis between 1 December…
Your Work Space: Terrific or Toxic?
You might not pay much heed to your thesis studying environment. A desk. A laptop / computer. A chair. That’s all you need, right? Wrong. One of the first areas I believe you should pay attention to when embarking on the thesis writing component of your degree is your study space. After all, it’s the starting block of this marathon you are running. Your physical environment needs to be conducive to thinking and writing. Your thesis writing work space should motivate you to take action and get things done. Author Roald Dahl had a strict daily writing routine, but what is most interesting is the workspace he created for himself. He physically removed himself from his home and took refuge to a small garden shed at the back of his property which he called his writing hut. It was a tiny room with little more than an armchair and a…
What is a Thesis Coach?
Research suggests that many postgraduate candidates fail to earn their degree because they do not submit their thesis. And, many more suffer prolonged periods of serious stress related to years of delay in completing their research. Would a Thesis Coach help? In my view, a Thesis Coach focusses specifically on postgraduate students, specifically those navigating the thesis phase of their qualification. A Thesis Coach provides the following services through individual one-on-one coaching sessions: Coaching to evaluate the client’s highest priority values to understand and determine the level of commitment to their topic choice. Usually, a specific highest value drives the topic choice, which in turn, drives and motivates the process towards thesis completion. Coaching to incorporate proven and practical project management techniques for goal setting and planning. This will support the client to establish control over their own process and to manage work/life/thesis balance. Coaching to ascertain the most effective routine/s…