I woke up at 5am, and forced myself to stay up!! but i bribed myself that i could watch 10minutes of an episode of criminal minds (my favourite show) and now i am going to do an hour work and then rest for 10minutes.

my aim:
1. describe cluster analysis for 16 patients.
2. set a deadline for aim 1. 8.00am. if i don't get it finished *tough* i have to move onto a new aim.
3. take a 10minute break *away from my desk* for every hour i am sat at my desk.
4. take a nap sometime between 12pm-3pm.
5. work in 15minute bursts and take a 2 minute break.
6. *pretend/act* that i am enjoying my work and that it is interesting
7. think of one thing that i am grateful for.
8. my "worry" time is scheduled for 10pm-10.15pm - anytime i start to worry i will tell myself STOP and focus back at the task at hand
9. check email at 10pm. and not at all before then.

also i suggest maybe allocate yourself a "worry" time. say around 9pm, and anytime during the day you start to stress or panic, tell yourself STOP and remind yourself you can "worry" at the designated time, for 15minutes.. and also it really helps to write things down that worry you. the actual act of writing it out, helps it to stop going around in your head. so if you start to panic. write what is making you panic., and then tell yourself you can then "worry" about it at the designated time.

also feel free to log on here, at 9pm or whatever time at the end of the day and list all the things that worry you. it doesnt matter if everyday its the same thing that worries you. what matters is that you write it down and it then has less power over you.

Hey Girls!!
Angie. thanks so much. and i sympathesise with having to do read a boring book! cant be easy. maybe tell yourself you *only* have to read for 15minutes, and you can then take a couple of minutes break and do something you do enjoy. or i read in dale carenegies book try to make it interesting somehow have a competion with yourself. see how many notes you can make in 15minutes and how pieces of information you can understand, and then try to *beat* the record next time. or he suggests *pretend* its interesting and your enjoying reading it. apparently acting, can sometimes fool yourself. try it. i am going to try it today aswell. lol


TG - enjoy Mamma mia!
i know what you mean about panicking, i do that ALOT. and freeze and cant do anything.
glad you like the mindmap! its so much fun.

so dont beat yourself up . forget about the past few days. today is a FRESH start. start from today onwards.
just do 15minutes of work. and take a break and continue this way until you get the momentum going.

its completely possible to writing scared. you dont have to get unscared to write.

try downloading a mindmap. (they let you use it for 30 days for free mindjet.com) i've had lots of fun making mindmaps and tracking my progress during the day, for every 15minutes of work i do, i can make a note of it, and add it to the my "productive time".

also concentrate on ONE task at one time. dont think about anything else in your thesis. remind yourself you will deal with that later.

you can do it! you are so nearly there!!

but this is the time the demons can catch up with you.. as Joan Bolker states. she writes how on more than one occassion with a person who has less than 95% left to do of her thesis states "i've decided not to carry on with this project" what you're feeling is completely normal.

also anytime those thoughts creep into your head and affect your concentration whilst you are doing a task , just make a note of it quickly and then remind yourself again that you're schedule to worry at 9pm.

also work in very short times. i work in 15minute spurts. i then take a couple of minutes break, and also take a break for 10minutes for every hour you work. just stretch out on a couch or something for 10minutes.

just do a little bit at a time.

Hi K, aww I understand how that feels, I too have panicked and stressed so much that i have not been able to do anything.

what i found useful is to set aside a "worry/panic" time.
say for example, at 9pm-9.15pm. that can be your "worry time" until then during the day, you are not allowed to worry, think or panic.

anytime you start to worry or feel anxious, tell yourself STOP and tell yourself that you will worry or feel anxious at the designated time at 9pm.

and then at 9pm, sit there and do all the worrying. i know it sounds absurd. but it actually worked for me. try it out.

sorry for all the posts!! i guess me abstaining from checking emails and this forum and posting on it, has made me go abit overboard.

anyways that's my little break over. back to studying...

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you will be suprised in how in even as little as 15minutes, you can gain new knowledge, insight, or accomplish a certain amount of writing/editing.
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also i learnt about the cornell note taking system.
which is in 3 parts:
part A: write your notes while you're reading your textbook.
part B: write your own questions concerning the notes
part C: read part A notes and ask yourself questions from B - and then write a small summary of the notes.

the point is to be active in your reading. keep asking questions, and you will be more alert.

another thing i learnt about is the KWL method
which consists of having a sheet of paper with 3 columns:

column 1: what do you Know (write down what you know right now (or i changed it slightly for us phd writers - write down current stage of section of your chapter)

column 2: what do you think you Will learn (write down what you would like to know, what you hope to get out of doing a particular thing)

column 3: what did you Learn (write down what new knowledge you've learned).

i have also started a log sheet. where i set my egg timer to a specific time, usually 15minutes, because that's my concentration span. and then in the 2nd column i write what i need to do. and then when the buzzer goes off, i have to put my pen down, and in the 3rd column write down EXACTYL what i did during those 15minutes.

and you know what, it actually feels good to see it.
and then i take a couple of minutes break.
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and you know what. it actually works. i've managed to control my worry thoughts, which is really negative fantasy. and its becoming less. because i remind myself that NOW is not the time to worry that i am scheduled to worry at 9pm. i know it sounds funny, which actually helps. and then at 9pm, spend 10minutes worrying. and then stop. instead of worrying affecting your concentration and sucking up your productive time, allocating a specific time for it, actually helps and controls it, and makes sure you dont waste time worrying.

i've also made myself a worry mindmap. where i put things that begin to make me worry. and i read, you should set aside a specific time in the day to do all your worrying. it shouldn't be just before bed, and it should be after you are done with your days work.

i also read NOT to check your email AT all all day. and leave it till after you have finished working. as a simple email can waste hours of time, if its the wrong email (aka email from a supervisor that leaves you falling into dispair)

so i've allocated checking emails, and worrying for the evening.

like for example say to yourself, okay between 9.00pm - 9.10pm, i can spend 10 minutes worrying.

and anytime during the day whilst you are studying, if a worry thought comes into your head, write it down, and then tell yourself STOP you will worry about it at the designated time.

but ever since i installed it, i have been able to focus and concentrate better. whenever a thought pops into my head like "oh no i still have to do X for section XX for chapter Z - i quickly go to my mindmap for chapter Z , and make a note of it, and if i really am worried, i set myself a day/time for when i should work on it"

that way its written down, and my brain doesnt keep reminding me. and i know its safe that its written and i can see to it at a later stage.

i also learnt how its NOT good to multitask, concentrate on one task at a time, which includes not checking emails or blogs or whatever. for 15minutes only do the task at hand.

and it's ideal that its a 30 day trial, as i am aiming to get the bulk of my thesis done within a month, well that's the plan!

but there's a student special light package for about £50 expensive i know!