the worst thing is when fellow phd students in their first year ask you when you are submitting. they live with the fantasy that doing a phd is a linear process in which everything goes smoothly. what do you say to them?

thinking a lot about whats coming after the PhD has been a huge impediment for me. take every day as it comes (i know, easier said than done!) is the only way forward (i am trying to convince my self that it is at least...)

yes, all the time. one of the things that i do is that i stopped going to the library as i would end up with piles of books that i thought i needed and ended up returning them without even cheking the contents.

i agree about the low self esteem and the contradiction about people with low self esteem doing such a demanding thing. could it be that we are trying to compensate the feelings of weakness and the fear of failure by trying to do something that is considered so prestigious?

i tend to believe that i am. i have always been an underachiever at school, university etc so been accepted for a PhD represented something of a revenge to all those who havent understood my special emotional needs (low self esteem, fear of humiliation etc). but then is it worht it? will i actually take any revenge or maybe continue trying to make a point which doesnt need to be made?

i had a block for around ten months! it happens to everyone i think apart from the very few people who seem to have been born or raised with the ability to write accademicaly. breaking down things is the best possible advice although as said by others its easier said than done.
i suffer from perfectionism as well and i know its not nice so i know how it feels.
good luck

yes, i can see the point. however i think that things are not black or white. you can enjoy something and at the same time moan about it. it comes down to personal experiences. i for one have always been a very anxious person so it comes as no surprise that it affected the PhD as well.

keep your objectives realistic is the most useful advice. it seems that you are going in the right direction anyhow.

hi,
having tried both going to the university for teaching/working and working from home i would definetely reccomend the former. when i stopped teaching i would only work from home which lead to some really bad results.however, one needs to think of the practicalities since not all universities offer adequate facilities for phd students.

hi all,
i am a current EU PhD student and am very happy to have found this site. at last a place where people discuss about the issues that concern me. anyway, after some years of doing the staff (the phd) early this year i had a massive anxiety/deepression crisis which is still ongoing but milder. i am trying to reorient my priorities and try to take my mind out of the phd because i saw what it can do to you. anyone had any similar experiences?
anyway, glad to be here