Hi, will keep this short, at some point today I started to feel really low about my entire PhD, I'm struggling with my lit review, there's a horrible atmosphere in the office and I seem to get a lot dumped on me, more so than others in my position. So far I've conveyed the impression that I can deal with everything being asked of me, but I don't think I can. Any advice would be appreciated. Many thanks.

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In addition, I drink liqueur or wine and eat junk food almost on a daily basis because it makes me feel better for about 10 minutes, a quick-fix I suppose (and also because I don't have the energy to cook proper food after being at work all day), I can't get motivated to exercise either because I feel so drained, and so I am gaining weight and losing self-esteem as my appearance changes. Breaking the cycle seems so difficult.

Hi Manfred,

Sorry to hear that you suddenly feel like you're struggling. If you read around the forum, you'll see how often the PhD journey is compared to a roller-coaster ride - frequently one that involves weight gain! I'm in my first year, too, and while I still feel happy and in control of my progress, I'm very aware that this could change at any week.

The lit review is always going to be a struggle - the very nature of the task is to take a huge chunk of material and succinctly analyse it to fit your research bill. It's an overwhelming task, but keep in mind that your lit review will evolve over time, so the important thing now isn't to write/research all the literature perfectly, but to jump into the pool and start wading around.

As for the exercise/food issue, you seem to know yourself that it is just a question of make a conscious decision to change your habits. It is so comforting to reward your hard work with junk food - some days it is the only think I have to look forward to! - but I try not to keep any in my apartment, so that the energy required to go buy some suddenly makes eating the healthier stuff in the fridge seem a bit more appealing! As for the exercise, I try to do 30 minutes of gym/exercise dvd five times a week. I write my chosen days/times in my diary, so that I will feel guilty if I decide not to do it. I have done this for several years and it works surprisingly well for me. As you've probably heard, it takes 21 days for a behaviour to become a habit, so keep in mind that the first 3 weeks of lifestyle changes are the hardest. Don't despair, you and your problems are common and you will overcome them. (up)

Manfred, the other thing to do is to start saying 'no' to the extra things that are dumped on you. Do them if you really benefit, it helps your PhD OR just because you have a bit of time and are happy to help the person asking but don't just do them because you've been asked. If you are a helpful sort of person, people will ask you all the time but it is healthier and you are ultimately happier if you set some boundaries around what your role is in the office and as a PhD candidate. Good luck

:-)

I have completed my first year, and the little advice I can give you is to make a daily schedule that helps you produce work AND keep you happy and healthy.
So, on the first year I read a lot:
1. If the office is distracting, move to the library for at least 4 days a week. Write 500 words per day. You will edit them later.
2. I don't socialise with the people in the office, and they all hate me, but I can live with that. The fights started when they were happily chatting/ eating/ gossiping next to me trying to concentrate. Moreover, I rarely make friends from work, as I am obsessed with my privacy.
3. Don't read much on general things, focus on your specific topic, and keep detailed notes, so you can compare similar papers. Focus mostly on papers that will form your research/ same approach to your research. Plan now what exactly comparative tables / graphs you want to produce for the lit review, and keep notes towards this direction.
4. Take writing courses in the uni.

Regarding your personal well-being

1. Do some excercise. I prefer exercising in the morning, as it wakes me up... I never study well in the mornings anyway. Find something that you enjoy doing, for me it is swimming. It can be yoga or similar, I definetely ecommend something with breathing exercises as it really calms you down.
2. Sleep well. That means you need to go to bed early, and wake up early. If you go to gym at 8:00, then you can start wotk at 9:00, work until 5:00 or 6:00 in the afternoon with a lunch break, and you have plenty of time to cook, watch some TV or socialise midly, before you hit the pillow again.


It doesn't seem a very exiting life. I found that I need this kind of routine to keep going in a steady pace. And I am a bit older, had plenty of party years, so I only focus in one thing: in 3 years time stipend will be over, and if I am not finished, I will have a big problem. I have no savings and no one to support me, no safety net. So, I try to make the most out of each funded day that I have something to eat and a room to stay.

I don't have much advice for you really, but can sympathise with your situation. I am now 15 months into my PhD and am currently 5 months behind on my dissertation which was due at 9 months. It's soul destroying. But, better to get things done well than on time. I'm hoping i can catch up during my experimentation phase, but who knows.

My office often has a bad atmosphere too, caused by two conflicting strong personalities - mine and one others. I try to ignore it, and just keep plodding along, but it's uncomfortable to be there, and i find it hard to work at home.

So yeh, no real advice, just empathy! Even though i'm so far behind i'm still giving myself time to do the things that keep me sane (in my case, this means going to the gym, going to see live music and playing with my pets). If i let these things drop and spent all my time working i know that i would go crazy. I constantly feel like i'm on the verge of going over the edge. So i guess my only real advice is to find the things that keep you sane, and stop you thinking about work for a bit and make sure you have time for them.

Also, sometimes you have to say no to things, especially if these are extras. If your sup is asking you to do them, then disucss with them and say that you are feeling a little overwhelmed by the amount you are doing at the moment. If it is someone else, then just say that you don't have time to do the job well, so on this occasion would have to say no - this leaves you open for offers in the future, but just means at the moment you can't fit it in.

Good luck. Keep positive. PhDs have ups and downs. You may be on a down at the moment, but you'll get back onto an up. The key, is to ensure that there are more ups that downs, otherwise it may not be worth it.

Hi i just want to thank everyone who took the time to respond to my post. Some really good advice, thanks for the support. It's also good to know some of you can empathise, although I wish you didn't have to (for both our sakes!). I can safely say that this week is on a downward spiral, going from bad to worse. All I can do is continue working and try to ignore the bad atmosphere, which is difficult. I don't want to be a quitter, but I don't see why I have to put up with crap I don't deserve at work :(