If I work through winter break, then I'll be back on track in January.
If I work through August, then I'll finally finish that manuscript draft and be ready to send it out in September.
I won't take a break during Reading Break, but that means I'll get to enjoy the break at the end of the semester more.
I can't take a break now because I'll lose momentum so I'm just going to keep going.
I know I promised myself that I would only work 6 Saturdays, but if I don't continue to get this much done, then I'll be behind again.
When I decided to take a 4 month leave of absence the semester before I defended my PhD, I hadn't taken a break from grad school for over two years. For me, a break would be defined as a week without working.
How did I get myself in that mess? By either thinking, writing, or saying the above. I always had a justification or a good reason why taking a break wasn't ideal. Sure, I did have some mini-breaks here and there, but nothing substantial and I noticed that this actually had the awful side effect of making it seem like I never had to take a break!
This habit that I picked up during my PhD was one of the first ones I tried to get rid of. The 4 month leave of absence was the start of it, and ever since then, I take a winter break and a summer break, with a few workless mini-breaks sprinkled throughout the year.
The majority of these breaks I'm spending at home, and I have to tell you that the further away I get from my PhD, the easier it is to take these breaks.
This habit is the biggest thinking trap I see grad students fall into -- especially the one that they have momentum so they can't stop now when they are so close to finishing.
Of course, everyone needs to make the best decision for themselves, but it's heart-breaking to see many grad students struggling so much in so many different ways.
I think this habit is linked to the first one I wrote about last week -- if you are in a system that believes that academic work is the most important work (even if you don't believe this), you may notice that you are treating grad school more delicately than it needs to be.
I'm still unlearning this one -- it's taken practice and a lot of saying no. But, it's been so worth it and I have a much healthier relationship with work as a result.
I hope that reading about my various habits from my PhD - both the good and the bad - have given you a chance to reflect on your habits from grad school. Feel free to reach out and let me know what you think!
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