Managing Stress

What is stress?

Stress is our natural bodily reaction to undergoing pressure, which you may be all too familiar with as a HDR student. Stress can mean we have difficulty concentrating, making decisions or feel anxious, frustrated, sad or irritable. Sometimes, you might not think you are stressed, but your body can show signs of stress through stomach issues, chest pain, headaches, muscle tension/pain or sleeping problems.

Our stress response can be helpful to deal with short term stressors in our lives, as it can be a motivator to get tasks done. However, when you constantly experience large amounts of long-term stress, it can develop into burnout and negatively impact your physical and mental health.

HDR students and stress

Anyone can become stressed, but HDR students can be particularly susceptible and may be more likely to experience burnout compared to undergraduate students. Due to the competitive and demanding nature of getting into a graduate degree and navigating academia, it is likely that you are also a high achiever. Being ambitious is an extremely valuable trait, however, being unrealistically ambitious can serve to hinder your progress.

Below, you will find resources and tips on how to overcome common stress-related issues that HDR students face, such as burnout and imposter syndrome and how to navigate stressful situations with problem solving techniques.

Burnout
Perfectionism
Problem Solving

What is burnout?

When we experience prolonged and chronic stress we can go into a state of mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. This is known as burnout. We often experience burnout because we have been struggling to keep up with excessive demands and can no longer keep up.

You may be experiencing burnout if you have:

Low energy or feelings of exhaustion

Feelings of negativity or cynicism toward your work

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Reduced levels of productivity

Difficulties with concentration

If you are experiencing burnout, it may be helpful to take the time to make lifestyle and outlook changes to recoup your sense of wellbeing.

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Consider your physical health

Ensuring that you are taking care of yourself, and your body can allow you to recover from burnout. Research shows that maintaining a balanced diet, getting enough sleep, and engaging in regular exercise can both prevent and treat occurrences of burnout.

For more information on how you can maintain healthy habits to ensure your wellbeing, click here.

Step Out of The Academic Researcher Role

Naturally, our research can become so important to us that it consumes most aspects of our lives. However when our research becomes the source of our stress, the stress and burnout can become much harder to manage.

When the academic-researcher role consumes our self identity, any mistake or hardship we experience in relation to our work, can feel like an overwhelming failure.

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It can be helpful to look for purpose outside of your research. Try reflecting on things unrelated to your degree that you find enjoyable eg. socialising with friends or family, revisiting past hobbies or exploring new ones.

Monash offers many opportunities for students to disengage from research and engage in leisure activities. You can join a social sports team or a Monash club.

MGA also holds events specifically for HDR students, they offer you opportunities to engage with other HDRs in a social setting, attend a yoga class, play a badminton game, and much more.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness allow us to develop the ability to observe our negative emotions, thoughts, and behaviours while remaining calm, and self-aware rather than allowing our negative emotions to consume us.

Engaging in mindfulness can decrease in our feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress while our academic ability, quality of life, and overall wellbeing improves. Click here to see a comprehensive list of free mindfulness programs offered by Monash.

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Practicing Common Humanity

Common humanity involves the understanding that suffering is experienced by all and is inherently part of the human condition.

Knowing that others have made similar mistakes and felt similar discomforts can allow you to step away from negative thoughts and focus on being compassionate to yourself. If you want to practice this, self-directed self-compassion activities, and guided practices and exercises are available.

Time management and organisation

To prevent burnout, it can be helpful to improve your time management skills and create a sustainable schedule to follow. In doing this you can ensure your workload is set at a manageable pace and your work-life balance remains healthy.

Monash offers students study resources through LearnHQ which is an initiative that aims to build the necessary skills within Monash students to achieve academic success. Learn HQ offers many resources regarding time management and organisation. To access these resources, click here.

The Pomodoro Technique

If you are struggling with procrascination, consider trying the Pomodoro Technique. This is a time management method for scheduling work periods and breaks.

Start by setting a timer for 25 minutes to focus on one specific task for that time slot and work towards it with 100% of your focus: no distractions, no procrastination.

Once the 25 minutes is up, take a 5-minute break. After 4 cycles, take one longer break for 15-30 minutes to reset. Here is a link to a 2 hour Pomodoro that you can follow.

What is imposter syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is characterised by feeling that there is a conflict between your own self perception and how others view you.

Imposter syndrome is also often associated with academic stress, anxiety, lower self-esteem and fatigue as well as difficulties with academic functioning. A large part of what makes imposter syndrome maladaptive is that it is characterised by being hypercritical of oneself and often feeling an overwhelming sense of failure.

Signs that you may be experiencing imposter syndrome:

You dwell on any mistakes or flaws found in your work
You attribute any success or achievement to external factors
You are sensitive to constructive criticism
You fear others will discover that you do not 'belong' amongst your peers
You downplay your own skills and expertise

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Experiencing imposter syndrome can feel like a lonely struggle, but it is important to understand that other HDR students struggle with it as well.

Overcoming imposter syndrome

It can be difficult to notice how hindering your imposter syndrome can be. However, once you begin to recognise how these thoughts and behaviours impact your ability to work productively, it can be easier to change them.

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Practice Awareness

There are many ways you can practice being aware of your imposter syndrome, and it’s important that you monitor yourself without judgment, in a way that works for you.

Whether that be jotting down thoughts or behaviours as you notice them, simply calling them to attention in your mind, or setting aside time at the end of the day to reflect on what thoughts or behaviours you exhibited.

Reframe your thoughts

To improve your self-talk, it can be helpful to first acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes, and as a HDR you are expected to make mistakes to develop your skills and become ready for your career and academia. At no point in your degree does anyone expect you, or the work you produce, to be perfect. To expect it of yourself is unrealistic and damaging to your work and wellbeing. Practicing self-compassion can help manage your imposter syndrome.

Beginning to feel anxious about your work failing to meet your standards? Confront your thoughts by realistically reframing the situation. You can find an example by opening the tab below:

1. Sam has agreed to send their supervisory team the first draft of their introductory chapter. However, they are finding it daunting to send in their work as they do not believe it is very good and fear that they will be met with an overwhelming amount of disappointment and harsh criticism from their supervisory team.
2. Sam could reframe these thoughts by reminding themself that all first drafts are supposed to be imperfect, and their supervisory team is there to help them improve and create the best body of work that they possibly can produce.
3. By sending over what they have written, they can more quickly receive constructive feedback on it and edit it the chapter so that it is at a higher quality than before.

Talk things out

It can be difficult to work through imposter syndrome on your own. Counselling can often help those experiencing imposter syndrome to break out of their negative thought patterns.

Monash offers free counselling and psychological services through the university and through EAP services. You can also receive mental health support through your general practitioner. For more information about this, click here.

Problem solving is an important skill to have

Problem-solving techniques can help us work through the ongoing challenges we face. Structured problem-solving involves identifying the problem, developing a range of potential solutions and selecting one that is consistent with your personal values and needs.

Click this link for an easy-to-follow PDF guide to get you started or read about more techniques down below.

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What is the problem?

The first step in a structured problem-solving technique is to define the problem, this is a critical step that will better help you to identify potential solutions.

Take your time to think about the current issue you are facing. If it helps, write down what the problem is to the best of your ability.

List all possible solutions

Once you’ve identified what the real issue is, it’s time to think of solutions.

Brainstorm and put down all ideas you can think of, even if they are simple or bad ones. Alternately you can make a checklist or a timeline of things you can reasonably do to work through the issue.

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Choose the best or most practical solution

Think about the potential pros and cons of each solution you have identified. Write them down and evaluate your options.

Choose the solution(s) that can be carried out most easily with your present resources (time, money, skills, etc.). Your solution should be whatever solves the problem most effectively given the situation.

Reach out

If you are struggling to problem solve by yourself, having a conversation with your supervisor, your friends or family, or a counsellor.

If you are unsure where to go for help, it is worthwhile to check in with Monash Connect, who can refer you to any relevant support services.

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Monash Graduate Association (MGA)

MGA also offers free and confidential advocacy for graduate students facing academic issues. If you are wanting to know what kind of help you can receive from accessing advocacy, we have provided two case studies of students who have had their issues resolved through MGA advocacy.

The scenario
Agnes is undertaking a PhD in a busy lab that is that is partly funded by an external body. Her relationship with her main supervisor is not particularly good. There is an unspoken understanding that Agnes is expected to be in the lab every day except Sundays, in gratitude for the funding and research experience she is receiving.
Sometimes Agnes’ supervisor is particularly critical of her work in front of everyone else in the lab, making her feel that she is not working as hard as the rest of the team. Agnes is exhausted. She is anxious and depressed and as a result cannot focus on her research or sleep at night.
MGA Advice for Agnes
Agnes needs to get her research on track and a good starting point is to have a conversation with her supervisor to let them know she is not coping.  If Agnes feels that she cannot have that discussion with her main supervisor she could approach her co-supervisor or HDR coordinator.  At the same time, Agnes should also seek help from the University free counselling service as her anxiety and depression are affecting her ability to function.
If the discussion with her supervisor does not resolve the issue, Agnes should contact an MGA advocate, who can help Agnes to understand her rights and her responsibilities. In this instance, Agnes will learn that she is required to work only 4 full days per week to fulfil her duties as a full-time student.  While most PhD students work more hours than the required minimum, it is unacceptable for supervisors to force students to work 6 days per week.  It is possible that Agnes is also experiencing a form of bullying by her supervisor.  She can report this unacceptable behaviour to the University.
Most supervisory relationship break-downs are a result of poor communication and can be resolved through candid and open discussion.  However sometimes supervisor relationships can become toxic and Agnes needs to work out whether the relationship can be saved or she needs to consider other options, such as changing supervisors.   The MGA Advocate can listen to Agnes’ concerns, provide a number of options for Agnes to consider, and support Agnes in whichever way she decides to proceed.
The scenario
Danny is a PhD who has been working steadily for over two years but lacks confidence in the quality of his work. He meets regularly with his supervisors who give him feedback which almost always results in him having to make significant changes to his work.  They have never told him he is doing well, even though he has passed his first two milestones.
Danny is beginning to think he has wasted the last two years of his life, and that he has nothing to show for it.  He feels that all the other PhD students he meets are on track and know exactly what they are doing.  Danny is considering leaving the University.

Advice for Danny
Danny has passed his first two milestones which suggests that his research is, in fact, on track.  His supervisors are doing their job by giving him detailed, critical feedback so that his work can improve with each draft – this is exactly what supervisors are supposed to do. Danny is progressing so well it may not have occurred to his supervisors to explicitly tell him how well he is doing; they have assumed he can see that for himself.
Danny needs to understand that it is common for PhD students to suffer from the “mid-term blues” – a sudden panic that they are over halfway through their degree and have nothing of substance to show for it!  He also needs to understand that he is not alone.
It would be helpful for Danny to share his feelings with some other students, and he will come to understand that many HDRs suffer a confidence crisis at some point in their PhDs, or feel that everyone else is doing really well and they are the only ones struggling. Danny could also speak with his supervisors about his academic situation to seek their reassurance.
Danny could have a chat with a University counsellor or an MGA Advocate to get an independent opinion on his situation and put it in perspective, or he could chat with his peers to help him understand that lots of other students have experienced this too; the ups and downs are all a normal part of the PhD process.

Monash Thrive HDR

Monash Thrive HDR

Managing Stress

What is stress?

HDR students and stress

What is burnout?

You may be experiencing burnout if you have:

Consider your physical health

Step Out of The Academic Researcher Role

Mindfulness

Practicing Common Humanity

Time management and organisation

The Pomodoro Technique

What is imposter syndrome?

Signs that you may be experiencing imposter syndrome:

Overcoming imposter syndrome

Practice Awareness

Reframe your thoughts

Talk things out

Problem solving is an important skill to have

What is the problem?

List all possible solutions

Choose the best or most practical solution

Reach out

Monash Graduate Association (MGA)

The scenario

MGA Advice for Agnes

The scenario

Advice for Danny

Managing Stress

Learning to manage stress

What is stress?

HDR students and stress

What is burnout?

You may be experiencing burnout if you have:

Consider your physical health

Step Out of The Academic Researcher Role

Mindfulness

Practicing Common Humanity

Time management and organisation

The Pomodoro Technique

What is imposter syndrome?

Signs that you may be experiencing imposter syndrome:

Overcoming imposter syndrome

Practice Awareness

Reframe your thoughts

Talk things out

Problem solving is an important skill to have

What is the problem?

List all possible solutions

Choose the best or most practical solution

Reach out

Monash Graduate Association (MGA)

The scenario

MGA Advice for Agnes

The scenario

Advice for Danny