I haven't posted here in almost two years now. Much of that time involved deep healing and consisted of a lot of work that I needed to do quietly and with trusted others. It was work I couldn't broadcast. Perhaps, one day, I'll be ready to tell that story. But now is not the time. … Continue reading The Lazy PhD: My slow, gentle approach to a life in science
Category: Slow Living
How I approach a culture of competition in academia
I began my PhD program a little under four years ago terrified of and intimidated by the other PhD students in the lab and my program more broadly. It felt like I was questioning every moment why I deserved to be there with these people that were clearly smarter than I was. The pull to … Continue reading How I approach a culture of competition in academia
My regular habits and why they’re essential
At the risk of sounding prescriptive, I decided to make my first post of the year about the habits I've come to recognize as central to maintaining my well-being. I have loved reading this type of post from others, but I recognize that every habit someone else engages with may not work for every person. … Continue reading My regular habits and why they’re essential
Shifting from a deadline-driven mindset
Much of my success as a student was driven by a deep anxiety to complete assignments by their "due dates." I remember hanging a large desk calendar at the foot of my dorm room bed in college, so that the last thing I saw before I went to bed and the first thing I saw … Continue reading Shifting from a deadline-driven mindset
April
"What did my five-year-old self love?" I put this question together from prompts in the journaling app I use and from creators like Cait Flanders and Jessica Rose Williams, who reflect on their younger selves as well as their imagined future selves. Cait Flanders talks about thinking of "Old Lady Cait," and I like to … Continue reading April
March
I was driving home from the lab a few weeks ago, when a simple, straightforward thought that seemed to bind what I felt were dissperate parts of me came to mind. I'll share it, and then I'll unpack what it means to me: "I look closely, and I try to understand." I've written about how … Continue reading March
February
It's been harder to come up with what it is I want to share this month. I've been settling in to a routine with my PhD program--one much more self-driven than before. I've shifted into the phase in which I'm not taking (many) classes, and instead I have to motivate myself to do the work … Continue reading February
January
New year's resolutions seem daunting, especially to someone like me who tends to operate on a six month rotation of finding and abandoning hobbies. While I don't necessarily like the idea of committing to something for the entire year, I tend to see the shift to a "new year" as a time to check in, … Continue reading January
reflecting on the past year: trying not to jump to resolutions
Like many others, I tend to want to start thinking about my New Year's resolutions around the end of December. I like using it as a time to reset and look forward. Sometimes, though, this means I fail to really think back on the past year--what worked, what didn't, what I'd change, and what I … Continue reading reflecting on the past year: trying not to jump to resolutions
september: what’s bringing me calm
(1) Learning how to read on my own, rather than for a class. I'm in the part of my PhD program where I've met my course requirements, and I need to start preparing for designing my dissertation study. What this translates to is reading more on my own, rather than reading with the external motivation … Continue reading september: what’s bringing me calm
The Lazy PhD 