Hi,

I have stopped progressing for the last 3 months because of stress and depression and lack of confidence in my self, abilities and my PhD.

I have been trying to start again, but I guess I am still lacking the organisation and motivation as I don't know where to start to compensate and catch up (I am now thinking of the time pressure more than everrrrrr)

BUT WHAT I REALLY KNOW FOR SURE IS THAT i REALLY WANT THIS PHD SOOOOOOOO BADLY and willing to do my best to do it?


Any one suffered the same, but 'recovered' and had a new strooooong start?(up)
I would really appreciate any experience, advice or idea to re-organise my life and re-focus on my PhD work

Thanks

======= Date Modified 24 Jan 2009 09:24:43 =======
You should talk to your supervisor about it, before more time slips by and you feel even more crap about the whole situation. If it looks like you've lost too much time to be able to catch up, it might be possible for you to have an 'official' break from it, though it would depend on the circumstances and your supervisor's agreement, within your uni regulations. I had some periods of serious illness during mine and a temporary suspension of studies was agreed with the uni so I could get better. It had to be supported by my GP though. It took a while to get back into my PhD afterwards as I'd lost about a year altogether and couldn't remember where I was with it, but it's all been fine since then. If you have health problems that affect your ability to work then a PhD is a real struggle, and you sound like you need a break. Arranging this is out of your hands as a student though, which is why you really should talk to your sup to find a way forward. Good luck.:-)

Your university should have a counselling service and I recommend that you use it if you are not in counselling already. It is very easy to get stuck like this. Most of my first year disappeared like this and my sup and I briefly discussed intermitting but I felt I needed to push on. What we should have done was intermit retrospectively.

After a spell like this you don't usually just suddenly work at peak efficiency - take one small step at a time. Write an agenda with something small to get done every day and work up. Depending on your relationship with your sup - that is something you could discuss and come up with a realistic set of objectives to ease you back into working.

Hi
firstly you said you want to do this so that is a good start - have been stopping and starting since I started - agree that you should discuss this with supervisors and making an agenda is good too.

try writing a timetable for the next week, then 2, 3 weeks to build yourself up into a pattern and set yourself some goals.

Also make sure that you take regular exercise - this will lift your endorphins and make you feel more positive - 20 mins walk a day is enough to get you going - you can always take a notebook on a walk to record an inspirational moment and if it doesnt come then you will at least know that you have done yourself some physical good. It will also help with your energy.

dont be too hard on yourself and you will get there

I took a 5-month official medical break in 2007 so had to come back from that. Also I regularly have long periods due to long-term illness where I can't make much progress (luckily I'm part-time) and have to pick things up again.

My best tip for restarting effectively is to make a list of things to be done, both big and small, and start picking off the ones that look most appealing. Take it carefully, but if you start to make small progress it will grow and then you'll be able to do more and more as time goes on.

And stop worrying so much! It doesn't help. And do speak to your supervisor about things.