Getting rolling again after a break

by Keely Blanch

Sometimes life has a way of steamrolling right over you, with absolutely no respect for the PhD workload. Having just had a week off due to illness, I've been surprised how hard it has been to sit back at the desk and try to pick up the reins again. I indulged in all the typical procrastination habits -  I cleared all my emails from the past week... I tidied my desk... I made a coffee...

 

Then I found myself sitting staring at my pile of reading and wondering where to start. 

Part of the problem is that, prior to the unexpected break, I was feeling uncertain about where I was going in my lit review, and was trying to get it sorted in my own head. Usually I like lit reviews, but this time I'm not quite in the zone. Which seems to be making it harder to get back into the PhD zone at all. 

BUT,  I've been here before during my MA, which means I know what I need to do - 

Most importantly, I know I can't let that one unexpected week away turn into a longer break from writing. It's too easy to let time slip away, and before you know it a month has gone by.  

I need to revisit what I was writing before my break to refresh myself on what I was thinking.

Then I need to pick up that first article and start reading (and writing) myself back into the topic. 

And while it may seem that this is me still procrastinating, writing this blogpost has helped to focus me back into writing mode. 

So yes, sometimes life is a steamroller, but the answer is to shake that off and jump back into the driver's seat.