We all have days we’d rather forget. The days where our mood isn’t great, or where the weather sucks, or where things just never seem to work out.
Those days may sometimes turn into weeks. We may even have entire dark months.
One thing I found useful during the dark times of my PhD (everyone has them) is this: remember where you’re headed.
Remind yourself why you’re doing the PhD in the first place. Remember that initial curiosity or ambition that got you applying for the program all those months or years ago. Tap into that initial drive and ambition.
The scale of the challenge you have set yourself can often shift your focus away from this bigger goal, so much so that we forget which direction we’re pointed.
Reminding yourself of your broader aims and goals in this way is a useful way of motivating yourself to keep at it, even on dark days. It reminds you that there is a bigger picture upon which to focus and a higher purpose to spur you on.
It won’t take away the pain on the dark days, but it’ll make it easier to manage.
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