Just finishing up in the lab before I head home for 2 weeks for xmas. I really need a break as my head is set to explode and I am being so unproductive of late, however I feel guilty as hell for taking time off. I am due to complete in September so I have alot to do and seemingly little time to do it in and so I am getting a bit stressed with it all. Don't you just hate the fact it is so hard to switch off from work even though you kind of need to switch off to improve your performance??? :-s

I feel your pain. I was looking forward to a break over Xmas after finishing a first draft (even though I know it needs a ton more work). But I need my revised draft completed by end Jan and it's going to be very tight. My husband is going to be just thrilled..........

Hey, I also feel your pain- I have my viva first thing in Jan and also a job interview ARGHGH so much work to do for both yet I just want to have fun over xmas and relax for a bit, ock well, I expect I can take some time to rest and be merry! Tricky, if you have till September to submit then don't panic- this is AGES away! take a break and come back refreshed in the new year :-)

I also have a lot of work during the holidays. I have to write something, whatever I want (I am in my first year), about 5000 words. I find it difficult as I want to write so many things, and I don't know how to write something which is not specific.
And I have to write a proposal for a conference I want to participate.
Both of them by the 8th of January!!!!
It's a bit tight but I believe I can do it, or rather I HAVE to do it!!!

It is the same for me. I cannot really take time off. I always bring working stuff when I visit friends or family for a few days. I prefer to work than have this feelings of guilt. Few months ago I even had bad dreams when I didn't work for a few days. I am not sure if I will get out of PhD with a healthy mind :p
Try out an holiday working schedule- do much less but stay with it. Like that you avoid the hard change from work to holiday and then back from work.

Yep, I always feel guilty when I take chunks of time off, even when I'm obviously slowly grinding to a halt and being not very productive. The only way I can deal with it at the moment is to not have more than a day off at a time, as I've found recently that I completely lose the thread of what I'm doing if I leave it for too long. Having little but quite frequent breaks *seems* to be working, but having said, that will I end up submitting ok in Feb??!! hhmm I shall see...

Tricky, sounds like you need a proper break though if you're about to explode (well, just your head, though that's bad enough!). Hope you have a good rest and try not to worry about your PhD, September really is a long way off and you'll probably work twice as well when you're back on the case after a rest.

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I am running a conference in Jan, handing in a chapter in Jan, giving a paper in Jan, and submitting to a journal in Jan - arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Merry Christmas.

Oh and lest I forget - c40 hours of marking to do for the course I have been ta-ing on. Argh. I'll need a weekend away in Feb.


I'll be taking work on the plane to my parents - and feeling guilty when I do 'owt at my boyfriends house on the 25th and 26th. :-(

The university is closing its doors on Christmas Eve at 5 and we're not allowed back until the 5th. All week I've been rationing books to take home with me so I can finish a paper I'm presenting in January. I'll never read all of them and I want 7 days off at the least. I've felt my productivity slipping for weeks and know the 'about to explode' feeling well now. Last Christmas though I took 3 weeks off and felt crazy for a few days at my family's until I could finally relax. The break was great though, but it was so hard to get back into work in January. hence cutting days-off down to a week this time. Hope everybody gets some kind of break without too much guilt! Ho ho ho!

January is hell - conferences, chapter, marking exam scripts, submitting two articles and writing introduction to collection of essays! On Monday I am going to sit down with my 2009 diary and get my head round where I'm supposed to be when. I am taking time off until 28th December and then it's going to be manic again. :-(

Cheers for the comments guys.. Was just having a bit of a stress the other day! Taken a few days out, no work, no computer etc. so feel better about it now :)

Hope everyone has a good christmas and a well deserved break (up)