Out of interest, what's the longest period you have spent out of the phd due to things like lack of motivation or confidence (I don't really mean planned breaks or illness as such)? I've just spent two weeks doing nothing through a total lack of motivation (well let's be honest, I could probably say I've spent the past 7 months doing nothing very useful due to lack of motivation :$), but then all of a sudden I get a week or a few days of interest and I'm off - and then nothing again.

6 months in first year!

I go through similar periods.

That is why it is very important to take time off now and again and have other interests. epsrc recommend 6-8 weeks off a year

I would get very very demotivated during my PhD ( which I eventually dropped out of ) and on a few occassions didnt bother going into work. I really just couldnt do any work.

I dont know about anyone one else, but I found living in halls to be rather depressing because my college has mostly international students who for the most part are happy to stay in their rooms and talk to nobody...

Hello,

I am new to this forum, 31 years old doing a part-time PhD in the same department I work in as a technician. I'm in my 6th (and hopefully final) year now.

I stopped for about 1 year in year 3-4 due to lack of motivation and stress. Back on now, one paper submitted (fingers crossed) next paper in draft stage and third paper skeleton and results ready and another idea for 4th paper. Hope that will give me enough ammo to finally convince my supervisor (I am his first PhD student) that I am ready to submit.

I'm under too much time pressure and consequently too anxious to slack off for long spells at a time - but lot and lots of days and parts of days.

i usually take two weeks off after each submission. i submit monthly. i find that i need the time to recover, otherwise i can't keep up and easily get depressed and fall ill - stress related illness. when i get back to work am usually cheerful and full of energy to do more work.

to rjb203:
where are those international students coming from? usually foreigners are more willing to socialize, as they have not many friends yet.. I am always international as I get my degrees in different countries.. and local guys seem to be exclusively talking to their old friends..

As an "international student" I have found that other international students seem more out going than the non-international students. I am not sure what this is about. That said, non international students seem to warm up once you get to know them a bit. It can be exhausting though to deal with unfamiliar people and things ( such as the post office turning into a kebab shop), and sometimes its exhausting interacting with other foreign students from a vast array of cultures and mother tongues. There are times I am glad to go back to my room, close the door, and just relax, and do blissful N O T H I N G.

Longest would be about 9 months - eek!!! Basically I transferred in March 07 and from then onwards was completely lost - I didn't manage to really get it together until around last Christmas and now I am (fairly!) motivated again.

I didn't actually stop working at any point - I just crawled along at a snail's pace because I really, really, REALLY didn't like what I was doing. I am still doing the same thing but I have sort of set it in a slightly different perspective - both in my head and in my thesis - which helped a lot.

Also, around last October or November I thought about leaving but decided to stay, rather than throw away two years work - so there is no point in going over that decision again and again - I have decided to stay and now it is just a matter of getting on with things, which is kind of motivating... most of the time!!!

I think that a lot of people go through this, maybe even the majority - so don't worry too much about it!

Also, this might help... During that whole period of 'non-motivation' I spent a lot of time looking back and berating myself for how little I'd done. I eventually realised that this is pointless. As I like to say 'draw a line under it'... Ok things haven't been going great but just forget it and move on. Try to look forward instead and think of even one thing that can move things along a bit - and then just do it!

And the next time you have a bad day or week - like me this week unfortunately - just pick yourself up, dust yourself off and promise yourself that next week will be better Sorry if that is some cheesy advice but it works for me lol

Am really enjoying this thread... I am in a slump at the moment! Have been for about two months. It is depressing but this thread has made me feel much better. Generally I sit at my desk every day and although I think I have done nothing, I read bits and bobs, research my fieldwork placement, learn some of the language I need to know, research conferences... I try and do something, this stops me from feeling totally useless! Generally though I really wish I could get on with my chapter but I have a brain-block on it. Only for the moment I hope... Twill be fine am sure - the looming deadline will take care of that!! My mate reassured me that doing a PhD is as much about how you cope with the ruts and periods of demotivation as the ideas in themselves... I like this advice and hope you do too!

My first year seems so long ago I've almost forgotten. But for various reasons I did not get much done - and all I did could have easily been done in 6 solid weeks.

I feel exactly the same way - I look back on what I've done and kick myself for taking so long to do it when it could have easily been done in a couple of months. Then I get annoyed with myself for the times I've spent day dreaming/staring into space/time-wasting on the internet etc etc. I think we all go through periods when we can't face doing any work and feel completely demotivated. I guess most people get through it and move on - I find I have weeks when I feel very motivated to work (like this week fortunately!), and weeks when I just can't be bothered and feel terribly stressed about the whole thing. So I would say don't worry, it's very common and you'll get there eventually! And yes, breaks are good too, even a few days of doing no work at all.

I am in my first year and due to my subject I am having to do all my data collection before the end of 2008 (well the majority) is out and I feel exhausted as I am too worried that if I take a break I will miss out on something! We had a family bereavement and that put a hold on things so now I feel like I can't take a break! Althogh I will go a day without doing anything but that general entails me mouching round the house reading a couple of sentences, putting the book down, feeling guilty, browsing the internet for ideas and doing nothing concrete. I think I need to plan in time off and actually make it real time off!