PSG #006: How to survive and thrive in your PhD - 7 tips

Despite being very educated and successful people, most people have no clue how they did what they did.

And honestly, neither did we.

I completed my PhD, but my health suffered. I learned from both my successes and failures, yet I received no guidance on how to thrive in the process. Everybody was only complaining about hard and long work, failed experiments, endless to-do lists, and no time for anything.

I wish I had tips from those who have been through it before. Now, I want to share my experience so others can benefit.

In the following, we want to tell you 7 tips that changed our lives for good!

The beauty is that this works for everything, not only your PhD but also afterward.

You can use them also for your hobbies and volunteering for example.

Unfortunately, most of the PhD candidates don't use them or don’t know them.

It is so hard to stick to tools and habits

Here’s why most PhD candidates struggle to implement new tools and habits:

• Reason #1: they try to do everything, like a machine, from 0 to 100% right away
• Reason #2: they don't test the compatibility for themselves → Everyone is different and needs to figure out what works for them
• Reason #3: they have the wrong mindset for the tools and habits → A fixed mindset hinders you from progressing
• Reason #4: the early struggle is killing their motivation → but from struggles, you learn and grow

But don't worry, there are always solutions to problems!

Here's how - step by step:

Step 1: Set realistic goals!

Without a realistic goal, you have no aim or get overwhelmed and frustrated!

It's important to set realistic goals for yourself, both in terms of what you want to achieve with your research and in terms of how much time you realistically have to dedicate to your studies.

If you're constantly putting pressure on yourself to meet unrealistic deadlines, you're only setting yourself up for failure and are very stressed.

Use buffers, for example, add 50% on top! When you think you need 3 days for the task, calculate with 4,5 days.

Step 2: Get organised!

Not being organised means no clarity and a lot of hurdles on your way!

One of the biggest challenges of a PhD is managing your time and resources effectively. This means having a clear idea of what tasks need to be done, when they need to be done, and how long they will take.

I recommend using a task management tool like Trello or Asana or Notion to keep track of everything that needs to be done.

Step 3: Take real breaks!

If you know what real breaks are, you will get energized by taking them.

Working non-stop on your PhD is not only unsustainable, it's also counterproductive. Make sure to schedule regular breaks into your day, even if it's just 10 minutes to step away from your desk and clear your head. Breaks will help you stay focused and productive in the long run.

Scrolling through social media as a break is not a real break. Your brain has to sort hundreds of pieces of information in a split second, that is really demanding!

It is better to do things like:

• Walk in nature without phones and conversations
• Meditate for 5 to 10 min
• Little power nap
• Short exercise
• short stretch
• staring out the window

Step 4: Get enough sleep!

This one is important!

Make sure to get enough rest so you can be productive during the day.

Try to implement a rhythm for your body and an evening routine. Then you fall asleep easier and wake up more rested.

Check your biorhythm and then adjust your sleeping. For example, some people anyway always wake up early, so they might need to go to bed earlier.

You also sleep in 90 min sections, so try to wake up after a 90 min part (e.g. after 6h, 7.5h or 9h). This was a total game-changer for me!

Step 5: Accept and seek support!

You can't know everything, at any time. This you have to accept. Then you can ask for help.

Talk with more experienced people. Ask people from other research groups who maybe already did what you want to do. Don’t be shy, the worst possible outcome: they don’t respond or say no. No biggie, just ask someone else.

Take courses and participate in workshops where trainers and coaches can help you and teach you valuable tools.

Then also implement what you learned!

Step 6: self-care!

The tribe of trees needs to be strong, otherwise, there will be no branches!

So take care of your health. Physical and mental! Only then you are strong enough to handle everything thrown at you.

List 5 things that relax you.

List 5 things that make you happy.

Try to do at least one of each every day. It doesn’t have to take hours a few minutes already help a lot!

Also, set clear boundaries to protect yourself and your needs. Learn how to say no to protect your time, focus and energy.

Step 7: Find a support network

A big part of surviving your PhD is having a strong support network around you.

Whether it's your family, friends, or fellow students, make sure you have people you can rely on for emotional support and advice.

Just talking to someone about a problem can be a big relief already.

You are also very welcome to contact us!

These are the 7 tips that helped us tremendously. Of course, many of them are not easily done, but they are worth it. Try them out and let us know how it goes!

See you next week!

If you want more help:

We're excited to share the PhD Survival System with you because we know how tough it can be to get through a PhD program. We have developed a holistic system combining all the necessary areas to obtain optimal results.

We start with the foundation, your mindset and on top of that we building two pillars with time management and stress management.