I am currently working on the last few pages of my master’s thesis. I have a sit lined up and I want to finish before it starts (even though I can still work there if I don’t).
My problem is: my motivation is close to 0. I just can’t anymore. My eyes hurt from looking at the screen and if I have to formate one more footnote I will crash my computer against a wall. That is also the reason why I planned the upcoming trip in the first place, so I have something to look forward to.
So what I really need is some motivational comments that tell me to get off the forum and start working again. Maybe some academics here have some tips what helped them to get through this phase. Or just some stories from you favourite sit and all the things that only people can do that don’t have to sit at home and work while its 30 degrees outside.
Please help my brain get some sitting-related dopamine!
Instead of seeing it as a challenge you really don’t want to do, look at it in a more light hearted way, to help ease your angst firstly. This video is sooooo true and soooo funny!!!
I have no idea what your masters is in, but if it’s in something you love (and it should be) then focus on that. The share love of it. If it’s a master’s you need as a step in a career plan then focus on what it represents in terms of next steps and dreams. That what you are doing by working on it is getting yourself one step closer to the future you envision. If it’s something that will help others then think about that.
I remember finishing my PhD thesis. In a time-optimistic mood I had agreed to travel with a friend to Thailand, to visit friends there. So there was a very hard deadline to get the pages to the printer (in those days, figures and formulas had to be glued into typewritten text).
I was working around the clock. Got it finished, the only thing that was not there were the pages for thanking everybody. It was all in my head. But when I sat down to type it, I could not write anything at all.
At the defence, my superviser said the thank-you’s for me.
So: write that page now. It is the only thing that most people will read.
Slice it up in tiny bits, eat one bit at a time and have treats at specific points.
Not «finish thesis» but identify each task that has an acceptable timeframe (1 hour? More? Less?) put it in a schedule with designated treats. (That could be an actual food-treat, but also 10 min forum or music…). Remember to put in breaks for food and some stretching. Have a bedtime.
I have more university-exams than I care to remember. But you shouldn’t underestimate the value of leaving it a little bit. One becomes very blind for ones own mistakes if not.
I always planned a special treat for the finish. It was to be had when it was delivered, not for the academic result.
I also remember finishing up my PhD. Such a busy, but exciting time. I had my defense scheduled and was required to send the final document to my committee a month prior to my defense. During the last few weeks before that deadline, I was also presenting research and chairing a symposium at a conference. Of course, the plan was to be done before traveling to the conference. That didn’t happen, so I very vividly remember being in my hotel room going back and forth between practicing my presentation for the conference and writing my dissertation. I had a very hectic few weeks. However, my presentation went great and I submitted my document on time. Everything got done.
I don’t really have motivational strategies, but think about how much work you’ve done and how close you are to being done. Plan how you will celebrate when you’ve finished.
When I was near finishing my Master’s thesis, I also felt my motivation declining. I was feeling mentally exhausted and burnout of research, writing, and re-writing had set in. My eyes were tired from looking at the computer screen and my brain was telling me to take a break. What helped me get through it was my dog, Rocko. He was truly my rock. Whenever I felt like I needed a break, we would go for extended walks. Also, I would take time to talk to friends, family, exercise, meditate, and paint.
Ensure you take time to decompress and take time for breaks. Try and maintain a balanced scheduled whereby you are working on your thesis, but also taking the time to do things that you enjoy. Even if you just take moments to breathe and relax, can help you recharge your mental and physical energy.
Celebrate small wins: Acknowledge your progress and accomplishments, no matter how small.
Remind yourself you are almost at the end of the tunnel. Not everyone finishes what they start. They quit for various reasons, one being–they felt the task was too hard. Things worth having and pursuing will sometimes be hard. Tell yourself that you are not a quitter and you will finish what you started.
I had a 6-month writer’s block while writing my Master’s thesis. Finally I took off to a friend’s apartment in a different city. Every day I walked half a mile to the library. My rule was that I would write for at least 10 minutes per day. If only garbage was coming out, I could then pack up and go about my day. And that did happen a few times, but more often I would get on a roll and keep writing. I finally finished in 3 weeks.
Everyone is different. What @sharondc wrote resonates a lot with me.
For now, I would recommend taking a break from it, get into nature, move your body, do something totally different, with a plan to get back to the work on a particular future day. Nourish your body and soul; good food, good vibes, meditate.
I work best on a project if I have a schedule. The schedule includes work time and personal time. I work best in 45 minute increments. I like to set a timer, when I really need to focus and get something done. Then a 10 minute break. Then 45 more minutes of grinding.
Your eyes are working hard when you are focusing on something near you. Every 10 minutes or so, look to infinity. Look out the window into the far distance. This gives your eye muscles a chance to relax for a moment.
My mantra to myself was, “I am only one person. I am strong. I will get this done.” Be kind to yourself.
Another inner thought that I frequently had: “The sun will rise tomorrow, regardless of what happens today. There will always be another day to conquer this project. Everything will be OK.”
I just finished mine while on a sit! Well most of it, I got an AirBnb afterwards for the final deadline crunch.
Some things that help me:
Body doubling, groups, etc. You had the right idea posting here for social support, but I’d go one step further. See if other people in your class or others you know would be into doing a joint coworking Zoom once a week or a group WhatsApp with griping and congratulating? Additionally, if you have those friends you can call to get silly with, use calls with them as an anxiety release and dopamine inducer. These calls and meetings can help before or after a chunk of work. There is also the concept of body doubling and some apps that do it—basically you become that tag team person for yourself.
Additionally, what really helped me was not writing but researching and using different online tools to collate the research, then also making graphics, videos and blog posts for my blog first. Somehow that made the path clear, it populated the “outline” so that at the end all I had to do was write it up, that part was the simplest.
(PS you know there are automatic citation tools online?)
