Posted on by Itumeleng

Becoming unstuck: how to keep on writing

I am approaching the halfway checkpoint of my doctoral training and research. As I previously mentioned (here and here), I am doing my Ph.D in biology and my work is deeply rooted in the hologenome concept of evolution. I consider myself to be very fortunate to have a supportive/encouraging mentor and amazing technical support to excel in my work. At this stage in my programme, I have my comprehensive exams in a few weeks and it is a very stressful period for any student. In my recent blog, I discussed tips and methods that keep my awake and focused. Here, I want to discuss how to become unstuck when you have been writing for too long and you feel like your brain is about to unhinge 😉 .

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Of all the aspects of the scientific process- I thoroughly enjoy the writing processes and I find it to be very cathartic to see your ideas on paper, or on your computer screen. However, like many before me, mental fatigue can take its toll on my writing capability. This is my fourth attempt at putting the blog post together! One of my favourite scientific bloggers and academic Raul Pacheco-Vego (@raulpacheco) wrote a brilliant piece on how to become unstuck. In it, he discusses the five strategies that he uses: 1) write an outline, 2) set writing targets, 3) answer questions regarding your work/topic, 4) read a paper and synthesise it, and 5) go for a walk with a pen and jot down ideas as they come to you. As always, he gives pertinent advice on how to increase productivity and writing. I have spent the past week experimenting with different approaches/strategies to get myself unstuck and get back to writing.

It was only when I stepped away from my work/writing for a whole day that the words started coming back to me. Now, I must confess the dreaded ‘monkey demon of PhD guilt’ — eloquently summarised by Katherine Firth (@katrinafee) — is a reality. And, it was only when I understood and tamed my monkey demon that I was able to relax and come back to my work more focused. I take a day off work and I do not think about my work or even discuss it. I find that keeping active and doing tasks that do not require a lot of thinking helps. Now, I hear you asking yourself- what does he do on his off day? Well, I love the being outside and I also take this time to clear up things at home. Often, we get so consumed with work and we tend to let some things at home fall behind. For instance, I use this day to separate my recycling garbage bin and some ironing. I also go for extended walks and picnics in the botanical garden near my house.

One of my friends uses this day to catch up on movies and TV series; frankly, I have never been one for TV. Some draw inspiration from comics… How about you, dear reader, how do you break your writer’s block? Is there a special hobby or regimen you follow to get yourself back in your writing zone?

PhD comics copy

Posted on by sipokazinyeleka

If I were president for a day

Very often when someone is asked what they would do if they had super powers for a day, they think of providing solutions to their problems, some more immediate than others. You also get those who want to go back in time to correct the mistakes they regret the most, or live one of their happiest days one more time. Because PhD students need to expand their imaginations and intellectual horizons, I decided to ask my friends what they’d do if they could be president for a day…

To quote my friends

They gave me answers mostly based on their concerns and issues pertaining to the current state of our country. For instance one of my friends said, “I would give myself a

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One of our busiest days, #feed mixing 

permanent job overseas,” obviously to escape from the high levels of unemployment in our country. Another replied “I would pay attention to education, especially at primary level” and concerning the most recent events in our country one of my friends replied “all drug lords and human traffickers would be locked up without bail and appeal, neither would parole be granted”.

 

It turns out that I will be a bit of a tyrannical president… But a tyrant in the name of Science!

A president for Science… or at least, for postgrads!

The first law I would pass would be:  All those submitting their theses/ dissertations in 2017 are only required to write one page of literature review.  Concerning lab work, you are allowed to have just one sample without replicates and whatever you find will be acceptable for you to pass your degree. All those who’ve had to start over an experiment because something went wrong with a machine or some chemical was accidentally spilled on their sample(s) would be paid over-time. To all those who have missed a planting season  for reasons beyond their control, I would pass a law that as they wait for the next one  they should take a trip around the world, to explore the planet and get a different kind of education while  thinking about their experiments. To top it all off the maximum number of pages for a dissertation/ thesis would be 20. This would only be the beginning.

Researchers go through what I would call traumatic events during their data collection phase, often related to animals. My sister was chased by dogs in unfamiliar villages while conducting surveys, some friends have been kicked by cows and horses while trying to collect tissue samples, and others have had to run for their lives to escape an ostrich (hello Makhosi Mahlangu). So if I were president for a day, I would order that everyone who is collecting data should have a beauty spa voucher for a massage session each week until data collection is done, just for some stress relief.

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Leo praying for my data collection dilemmas 

To cultivate the next generation of researchers and academics (because they are an endangered species). I would build a library in every street, yes, every street because I believe the culture of reading is cultivated by our surroundings. Just imagine if all kids in South Africa had a library in every street (smart hey, I know).

Lastly, I would spread the love. I  would put a lot of funding into inventing  a drug would help people to love one another just a little bit more, show more compassion, love and Ubuntu.  This drug would work on your brain and hormones (hides). It would definitely make people tolerate each other more, and sympathise with each other. I foresee a great country with this drug in use (Laughing very hard).