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3 Tips for Reducing Stress in Grad School

Writer's picture: Sarah DavisSarah Davis

Looking for evidence-based ways to reduce stress in grad school? We have three tips for you today that we know work because we used them ourselves!

a mural of the word stress

When I was finishing up my doctorate, I was finding it difficult to manage the stress that was coming along with being in the end stages of my degree. I was supposed to be nearing the finish line, but it just kept seeming farther and farther away.


And it didn't help that I knew exactly what had led up to me feeling stressed -- I had spent the last few summers travelling to conferences to present my work and to network (and, to be honest, see my friends and colleagues!). I kept promising myself that I would take a break the next summer, that I wouldn't attend as many conferences, that I would take a much-needed break. But, things kept piling up and I kept getting amazing opportunities so that break never came.


When I started writing my dissertation full time in the fall of 2019, I knew I needed ways to keep going so that I wouldn't burn out. I scoured the internet looking for strategies that worked, but many seemed to just be one-off strategies and weren't based in research.


Here are some of the top tips for managing stress in grad school so that you can finish strong:


Tip #1 - Track your progress


Part of what can be so stressful in grad school is that you have to provide your own system of feedback and accountability -- no one is going to provide this for you. This is quite a change from high school and undergrad, two environments where we have already spent a significant amount of time.


So how do you provide this structure and feedback?


You have to figure out a way to gather data about your learning – track your reading, writing, goals, anything. Use time tracking software, write in a journal, use an online calendar, anything to track your progress beyond just relying on your memory. This is because our memory can often have a negativity bias and focus on the things we didn't do, rather than focus on what we did do.


Also, tracking your progress can show you what you are doing that works.


Does working in your research lab lead to more distractions and not enough work?


Then stop working there.


Does working in a hidden away computer lab help your progress?


Then you can start working there more often.


Tracking your progress and learning what works for you is an effective way to increase your motivation and reduce stress.


"Learners are learning scientists...[who] need data about their learning that shines light on how they learn" – Winne, 2018

Tip #2 - Use free writing


Free writing is where you just dump all of your thoughts and feelings down onto paper or the computer for 5 - 10 minutes before starting a task. I know it does sound obvious (and easy), but using it consistently can reduce stress in grad school.


For one year, I started off my dissertation writing sessions with about 10 minutes of free writing all my complaints, annoyances, stresses, worries, successes, etc. in a Word document. By the time I finished and submitted my dissertation, I had almost 13 000 words written in my free writing document!


Free writing is an effective strategy to reduce stress (Niles et al, 2014), and based on my experience, I completely agree!


Here are some examples from that infamous document to show how I used free writing:


28 January 2020

I broke down in tears on Thursday walking to campus, just feeling so overwhelmed by the brick wall in front of me with no more energy to try to figure out how to get around it. I am easily frustrated, weepy, so tired, and not motivated to do anything.


18 September 2020

Did other stuff yesterday instead of revisions. It has been a tough week and if anything, coming back to these pages and reflecting for a few minutes before starting is always helpful and grounding. I need to remember that every day is a different day and just because I felt like doing work other days doesn’t mean it won’t be challenging to do it some days.

"...for people who already tend to manage emotions through expression, expressive writing may be particularly beneficial in reducing anxiety." – Niles et al, 2014

Tip #3 - Make time to connect with others


Okay, I agree that this is a tip you've probably heard before -- but, this is also an obvious tip that often gets left out or pushed to the side when you're stressed.

two people drinking coffee

For example, when you've had a particularly stressful week, how much time that week did you spend with other people?


When you are facing an important deadline, what do you remove from your calendar to give you more time to work?


The answer is usually social time with other people.


When I was in grad school, I played on a hockey team and co-created an improv group to force myself to leave my dissertation and computer behind. I knew that being active and creative were two things that would benefit me greatly. And, as a result, my stress levels would lower through engaging in these activities.


Start scheduling time into your weekly calendar to connect with other people. This could be activities, video calls, going for coffee/tea, going for a walk, going out to eat, or anything else that you can do depending on budget and schedule.


And remember, keeping connections with grad students and non-grad students is important as it will give you perspective and help you reduce stress at the same time.


So now what?


Hopefully these tips have given you some ideas as to how you can reduce stress in grad school. For more ideas and tips, sign up for our free newsletter and check out How To Grad School's The Club, an affordable online membership program to help you reduce stress and succeed in grad school.

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