I want honest, short answers from all of you on this to gage where I stand. I had a bad day last week and have not done any work since but had a meeting today which has kick started my motivation again.
However, I want to know from you the longest time span you have had where you have not picked up a pen or book or written on computer? (P.S. This doesnt include arranged time off or holidays, simply when you just havent done any work when you should have)

B

had a bad week myself last week for family reasons..so didn't get any done from last Tuesday till yesterday and definitely finding it dificult to get into the routine again.

A week is nothing - I had a bad summer where I didn't really achieve anything for around 2 1/2 months

Ah Sixkitten,

When you say didnt really acheive much, you mean you still did some work but didnt get very far with it yes?

I am very interested now in finding out how long people have gone without working. In my case, it seems like I have WASTED 6 months because the work i have been doing isnt relevant. However, this is different from simply not going work.

I think the longest I have gone without doing any work what so ever would be in the region of 10 days! This would have been during a very low moment in my PhD life! (But im determined to not let this happen again!)

B

I think about 2-3 weeks where all I did was play internet games on my pc.

Oops.

I know this is different (and probably not what you're asking!) but I've gone without work for about 8 working days (exc weekends) now, but its cos I'm also doing teaching, and with delivering a lecture, seminars and now marking, I'm starting to feel very frustrated, as my actual PhD is whithering on the vine. And while teaching is good experience etc, its not what I'm actually here for, and makes it all the more difficult when i do get back to my PhD, which will be some time next week....

bazzab - I read around 5 articles and didn't get anything out of them

If you're counting absolutely no work whatsoever (not even random reading), I've probably gone around 3 weeks

Two Months, but I am doing MD and not a PHD and I am not in the UK.

Like, I handed in my First Year Report on June 1st, had a viva on the 12th, went to the World Cup and returned on July 12th, waited for my fieldwork to be negotiated and didn't do anything serious until September.

Taking that much time off and you can still finish in 3-4 years!?

It was suggested to me by one of my supervisors that I only take 2 hours off on Christmas and the rest of the day should be spent writting papers. So needless to say, the longest time I spend away from my research is a weekend everyonce and a while... And conferences if those count.

Lol sugar_student! That 2 hour comment was a joke, right?

If it wasn't, I sure hope you told your supervisor where he/she can stick his/her Christmas tree.


You don't have to be a martyr to successfully complete your PhD.

several months after a close family member died and three weeks time after time. Still I hope to finish within 3 years:)

sugar_student

my supervisor says that if you really, really are very motivated you write up a PhD in 3 months;) So, why to work more? But he also says that 5 hours a day and free Sunday should be allright.

Sugar_student, I really feel sorry for you. From posts of yours which I've read recently, you seem to be a complete slave to your work, and that's about it. I'd imagine that if everyone else had it like you do, there'd be almost no-one doing a PhD. Surely it's too much?!

Verdy, is your supervisor taking the piss?