Hi everyone. I had a tiff with my sup this morning re: time spent on the PhD. I'm going through something similar to what Bellaz mentioned regarding trying to have time for myself and not spend all my time worrying about the PhD. My sup asked me how much time I'm spending on research, and I explained that I'm trying to get a healthier balance going, and spending a few days a week doing other things that I enjoy rather than getting subsumed by my PhD work. Well, he wasn't happy about this, and told me that he didn't think I was totally committed to my work. You just can't win can you?! I was getting really miserable and depressed focusing all of my energies on my PhD, and now that I'm trying to make changes so I can have a better life, I'm under attack! What do you all think about this? Am I being negligent in spending time doing non-PhD stuff? I just can't spend all my time on the PhD anymore. I was in a terrible way when I was doing this, and decided enough's enough. I really don't think it's healthy. What do you all think?

I have to say I agree with you.
I am guilty of many of the same things. I spend so long on my phd I end tired strressed and ill. Its just not healthy. I think maybe you need to explain to your supervisor that you are still commited to your phd. I don't think its the amount of time you spend on your phd thats always important but the quality of the time.
AT the end of the day you need to look after yourself - thats the priority.

No, xeno--you're not being negligent at all You'll be far more productive if you have a decent work/life balance, and of course you can be flexible so if needs be you can up the work hours when a specific bit needs to be done. I think perhaps your supervisor is just of the "the only way to get a phd is for your life to stop for 3/4/whatever years" which is total b****cks, but I doubt he'll see it any other way so prob best to just carry on as you are if it works for you but not draw attention to your work patterns...as long as your sup sees some output he/she should be relatively happy...

eta, I try to have weekends off, and also occassionally the odd half/full day, just because. If I have a deadline I'll put in the hours for that, so it all balances out. I don't think I could do a phd otherwise, and luckily my sups seem cool with the set up (I'm sure lab work is different though).
Good luck, and don't feel like you're doing something wrong/unusual!

Sorry to hear about the row. Doing the PhD is hard enough without that on top of everything else? At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is for you to complete the PhD. And what matters along the way is your progress. How you get the work done is really a secondary consideration as to whether it is getting done--and I think should only become a question if there is a concern about progress on the work.

You have to have breaks. That is just the bottom line. Think of a car. If you slam your foot on the gas pedal, and go at top speed, you will have an incredible journey--until the car blows up somewhere an hour or two down the road. The engine was not built to take that stress in the long haul. Neither is a human being. And if you do not get the chance to go along at a moderate pace, with well needed breaks, you are NOT likely to finish the PhD.

Can you approach it from a structural rather than time frame sort of aspect? I.e. you will turn in a draft chapter of xx words every xx weeks...and if you are meeting that goal, then who cares if you do it in 10 hours a week or 100....well you get the point...in other words if you are keeping up with the output then unless you are feeling like it is too many hours, the supervisor should not care.

I am living proof today of what too many intense hours do. I worked like a fiend non stop all weekend to get something done by last night, and today I am worthless.

I think I worked 9 hours yesterday without even a break...the hours just melted, but I am exhausted and unmotivated and tired today--brain does not work, even after an infusion of Triple Chocolate Slice...

I know how you feel, xeno. The aims of the project (i.e. getting LOADS of data and ultimately publishing) often conflict with your own personal aims (i.e. trying to achieve a good work-life balance; broadening horizons; being happy, healthy etc). Supervisors have a nasty habit of writing PhD projects with the intention of hiring a ROBOT to do them.

You are not a robot (are you? ) so you cannot be expected to put in the ridiculous hours you supervisor is suggesting. I am sure if you carry on working the way you are, it will come together in the end

To olivia - perhaps, in an effort to be more awake, your infusion of triple choc slice should have been administered by a scantily clad adonis who worships every fibre of your being?

probably it helps to be a bit "hidden" when dealing with your supervisor; they only check what you have done, how you do them is not their concern at all. so just work according to your plan and tell you supervisor you have tried your best. No need to explain how much you are devoted to it.. They are your supervisors, not your guardian or something..

Hi Xeno - I think what your sup did was really off, they of all people should know what it's like and the immense pressure you feel under. I think you are doing the right thing, it's something I'm trying to work towards doing too I'm sure your sup would rather you were happy and healthy and doing the PhD instead of working yourself into misery!

All of the above is true r.e. not working like a robot etc BUT

You will have to tread carefully - no matter what anyone say, if your sup gets it in their mind that you are lazy then you could have problems - you really need your sup to be on your side.

One of the PhDs in our department after a similar argument with his sup ended up having to sign in and out every time he left the lab - even to go to the toilet!!

It might be best just to assure your supervisor that things are going well - and make sure they get good progress reports - data achieved, reports written (always good news)- Even if you are doing exactly as you've said and spending more time for yourself

All I'm saying is that it might be easier being agreeable with them than fighting with them - If they don't think you are doing something right - ask for constructive advice BEFORE it gets to the shouting, screaming and saying things you'll regret phase

S

xeno, your sup sounds full of sh..t, i guess if he saw u fainting cos of the amount of work u do, that would constitute in his eyes a hard working PhD student.
ive just spent 2 weeks working non stop and i said enough, last weekend i read books for pleasure, nothing related to my PhD, not taking notes while reading them! and baked lemon tarts like crazy. and guess what, now i sat down again to read theory and it is suddenly all clear. PhD is our life at the moment but u need to have a mental and physical rest cos u will go crazy. be strong!

WORK TO LIVE, DO NOT LIVE FOR WORK!

Fully understand what you are going through...almost broke up my relationship with my partner because of PhD work stress. My supervisor even made us write down what time we came in, what time we took for lunch and what time we left, on a form on the office door. So far for trust.

xeno I underwent the same self-evaluation recently too. I realised that the PhD was completely taking over, and I was actually sinking into depression which was stemming from spending so much time in the house, not moving, not getting any fresh air. It was getting pretty bad. It all came to a pinnacle moment last week when I was overwhelmed with fits of crying and outbursts. My friend told me he was really worried about me, that I was becoming more and more detached from the world. I just thought 'That's it. This is getting out of hand'. From then, I have tried to shake up my routine (or lack there of) every day. The night before, I write exactly what I'm going to do the next day, a checklist of sorts. I find this helps in solving the interminable 'lack of routine/structure' issue that all of us PhDers face. It's definitely helping, even if sometimes my lists contain nothing whatsoever related to the PhD!

Thanks for the helpful input everyone. I went for a coffee with a friend this morning at uni, and we talked about this. We were talking about how our view of the world becomes so disjointed when we're doing the PhD. It doesn't so much become the centre of our universe as our bloody universe itself! I've actually got other important things going on in my life (as I'm sure most of you do), and I don't want my PhD to become the annihilator that comes in and destroys everything in it's path. I've kind of grown weary of academia, in so much as those of us who get involved in it sometimes lose all sense of perspective. There's a world out there, and we need to keep reminding myself of that! I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing to stay semi-sane