Balancing academia and your own wellbeing

Term breaks as a student features parties with a side of exam revision washed down with a small portion of burnout. The return to campus kicks off with exams, new timetables, new modules and a new wave of ‘what will you do when you graduate.’

I’ve now got seven years of university experience under my belt and it’s fair to say I have learnt a lot along the way. My undergraduate degree saw strikes, while my third year and entire master’s degree were impacted by Covid. Now finishing PhD after 3 years of self-study and days alone in the library, it’s apt to say I’ve been through it all.

It’s been 12 weeks since I sat my Viva and life hasn’t felt the way I expected it to after such a momentous occasion. Instead of feeling proud, I felt relieved. Instead of feeling excited, I felt lost.

It can be easy to let academia consume your life. Whilst at university it can become overwhelming when everything begins to revolve around studying. Nights are cut short by next day 9am lectures, holidays are dedicated to revision and every decision seems to matter. We’re constantly encouraged to plan ahead, to think about where this degree will get us, to get apply to schemes and jobs and build a CV before we’ve even finished our first year.

As I’ve mentioned, I recently finished my PhD so university isn’t all bad, not at all really. If you enjoy learning it is the best place to be. But that doesn’t mean it should define all that you are. It’s taken myself a lot of trial and error to spend weekends guilt free away from my desk but it has been worth it. I am beginning to remember how life feels without pressured deadlines and hour long zoom meetings.

First thing: a degree is not worth your mental health or physical wellbeing. A degree alone cannot make you happy. Yes, it will make you somewhat happy; you’ve achieved something really difficult and learnt new things. But as humans we have been ingrained to think of the future, once the degree is over we all end up looking for the next goal. We’ll be happy with good grades. We’ll be happy with a first-class degree. We’ll be happy when we get a job. We’ll be happy when we get a pay rise. We’ll be happy when we buy a house. We’ll be happy when we buy our dream house. Maybe goals aren’t the key to our happiness. Maybe the end destination isn’t the be all and end all.

Being successful in academia is so much more than being a brainbox. Your mind is not an office, and your body is not it’s transport from one conference to another. It’s not about who has the most published papers or who has the most complicated PhD title. Being able to share your knowledge is bigger. Supporting those looking to pursue a similar path is better. Enjoying what you have learnt, being confident in speaking, having good morals and an understanding of the world is a much better indicator of an intelligent person.

On to some practical advice.

1.     Have a rough routine that does not involve working on the weekends or past dinner time. I don’t have a routine that goes by timestamps but something like this :

·       Get up, get dressed, make a cuppa. Write a to do list while the kettle boils

·       After breakfast (you can’t focus if you’re hungry!) I start working.

·       I stop for lunch when I feel like a natural break, and I don’t do anything academic while on lunch.

·       I finish the day by either completing unfinished tasks or making notes, so I know where to start the next day. Once its dark or time for tea I stop working.

It’s not a rigid routine and that is why it works. I don’t feel pressured or anxious because I know that progress is progress and I can pick it up tomorrow. Getting something done is better than spending all day stressing about how much there is left to do.

2.     Boundaries and saying no. Your supervisors and lecturers don’t email on weekends so why should you? Additionally, going to every event, seminar, webinar or conference isn’t going to get you to where you want to be. Go to those you really care about and get what you need out of them. Quality over quantity.

3.     Have hobbies that don’t relate to your studies in anyway at all. Remember you are more than a student; you are a whole person with infinite potential. In twenty years’ time you might not remember that Wednesday lectures content, but you will remember songs you learnt on the piano, or the view from that mountain you climbed. 

4.     Small, near future goals. Don’t plan your entire year and don’t strive for goals that will come far in the future. Focus on the now and the next month or so. Where do you want to be in 2 months? What word count do you want to be at and what books do you want to have read? Smaller targets are easier to aim for and achieve.

5.     Report failings from the University. Now I don’t necessarily mean file an official complaint, but if your lectures, department and wider staff are failing you then tell someone. Throughout my PhD I was let down and although no resolution came from my discussing these failings with heads of my department, I felt good that I was making them aware that this was NOT okay and they needed to do better for future students.

One other tip that is harder to implement is do not compare yourself to others. Your academic journey is yours alone. Don’t measure your success using someone else’s ruler…got it? You have different priorities, different deadlines, different situations and different goals.  Remind yourself of why you started studying, remind yourself of what YOU want to get out of it. You don’t want to complete a degree and feel that your life is no different to how it was before you started, so use this time to start moulding your life to be the way you want it to be. You don’t need to wait for graduation or for a job in order to start living. You get to be your future self by being them now.

You want to be a well-read adult? Okay, pick up a book.

You want to have your work published? Start googling those open submissions.

You want to work in the charity sector? Message those employers on LinkedIn.

You want to run a marathon next year? Get outside and start running.

Show up for yourself, nobody else can do it for you.

So whether you’re a first year, a graduate or embarking on your third degree, your wellbeing should always be your priority. You can’t study if you’re burnt out. You can’t work if you’re ill.

The world is wide and wonderful and while your studies may feel like they consume it all, they’re only one part of your big journey.

-Lucy x