How To Avoid Grad Student Guilt

Do you suffer from Grad Student Guilt? It’s a phenomenon that PhD student Danielle Marias defines in a GradHacker post as “the feeling that a grad student experiences when he/she does any activity that is not related to grad school work and does not make progress on his/her thesis/dissertation (e.g. classes, literature reviews, data analysis, writing).” 

If you’re out having a life (in which case, good for you!) but a voice in your head keeps nagging you about all the work you could be doing, then you could be suffering from GSG, too.

More than just being annoying, the phenomenon can have a serious effect on your wellbeing. In his 2011 post for Gradhacker, Chris Stawski described how he would constantly measure himself to others in his cohort:  “I started to feel guilty that so-and-so stayed up until 3 in the morning reading, while I was selfishly asleep! I spent hours in the coffee shops. I tried to gauge how I stacked up against my peers in terms of hours spent studying.” 

If that sounds like you, the good news is you can make a conscious effort to combat that voice. Marias suggests: 

• Being social, since you’re less likely to cancel if you've made plans with friends; 
• Setting deadlines so that you can reward yourself once your work is done. 

Terry Brock also has his strategies to avoid the onset of GSG. He: 

• Gives himself a list of three things that he wants to have done by 5 p.m., so that he can feel better about stopping work then;
• Spends a few minutes at the end of the day thinking about what he has accomplished. (There is evidence that tracking 'small wins' does, in fact, make you happier and more productive);
• Says no to new things (always a tough one!). 

If you have a hard time unwinding after a day’s work, Lifehacker has some general tips for decompressing, including having an activity to do right after work and creating an evening routine. 

And, if you're looking for more hands-on information, GradProSkills has workshops focused on stress management and life balance. Check our page for upcoming sessions.