Acceptance is a concept that is not well understood although it is often recommended as a coping strategy. Perhaps you are familiar with the Serenity Prayer which begins “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change…” But what is acceptance and how does it apply to doctoral study? Acceptance is seeing …
The notion that practicing gratitude contributes to overall well-being is not new. In fact, the gratitude movement dates back to the early 1900s. Research suggests that gratitude is associated with increased life satisfaction, psychological health, and physical health. But what exactly is gratitude? Gratitude can be conceptualized as a mood, an emotion, or a trait. …
Some people think optimism is just looking at the bright side of everything. That no matter what life throws your way, you should look for the reason or benefit. But that isn’t the full picture of optimism. Optimism is being hopeful about the future and having the confidence of a successful outcome. The opposite of …
Hand in hand with maintaining composure is having patience. In today’s fast-paced culture, it can feel like patience is a luxury we can’t afford. Technology provides instant communication and access to information, and with it comes the expectation to respond to external demands in real time. For example, supervisors text subordinates outside of business hours …
Stressful situations tend to provoke reactive behavior, whether that behavior shows outwardly, like raising your voice during an argument, or is physiological such as flushing beet red when embarrassed. You can also be emotionally reactive in your mind where no one else can see. For example, when your chair gives you constructive criticism you might …
The demands of earning a doctorate will change you. That is the purpose of a doctoral program, to mold you into a scholar-practitioner. What you may not realize is that not all the changes may be ones that you want. If you’re struggling to keep up with the demands of your program while simultaneously trying …
The holiday season is almost upon us once again. I remember the extra pressure of the holiday season when I was doing the doctorate. I was torn between celebrating and relaxing with family and friends and using the time off to be more productive, especially when I was in the dissertation writing phase. If you’re …
Life coaching has been gaining popularity for years now. But not everyone understands what to expect from coaching. Before I share what to expect during coaching, let me start with a few reasons to seek coaching. Why get life coaching in the first place? Doctoral students can benefit from life coaching to help them improve …
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As a doctoral student coach, I see a lot of students stew in overwhelm and self-doubt when they reach the dissertation phase of earning a doctorate. One of the biggest mindset hurdles they face is expecting their dissertation chair to guide them through the dissertation process. The problem with not leading your dissertation process This …
Some doctoral students have a to-do list running through their minds as soon as they wake up in the morning and they spend a lot of energy worrying that the list won’t get done. The problem is that worrying daily about getting everything done costs precious energy that could be put to better use. This …
