Gabriela Basel
Gabriela is a second year PhD student in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. She is the FY21 Affinity Group Liaison on the Diversity and Inclusion Team.
Because we have all been living under a pandemic for nearly 8 months, it can seem as if this is the “new normal”. But, so many parts of academia and life beyond are just not built to operate in this environment. Just because we have been living like this for so long doesn’t necessarily fix this problem. While many university officials, advisors, and even industry professionals were willing to put some things on hold when lockdown seemed as though it might only last a couple months, very few are in a position where they can afford to shut down productivity for 8 months (and who knows how much longer).
I present the pandemic in this way to say that – if you feel as though you’re in a “rut” or as though you can’t be even close to as productive as you were pre-pandemic, you are not alone. Not only that, but that is the normal way to feel. I have personally struggled with much more than productivity. I’ve struggled to motivate myself to complete coursework, research, and teaching requirements, and I’ve even struggled at many points to maintain a reasonable sleeping or eating schedule. Talking about this can be stigmatized in the workplace and among academic peers, and too often “stretching yourself too thin” is expected of graduate students. I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed during the pandemic, and it took me many months to realize that I couldn’t even begin to be productive until I addressed some of these concerns. I give below some tips I’ve found helpful in this difficult journey. I hope some of them may be helpful to you or someone you know, or that at least it may help you feel less alone.
1. Take a step back
We have no idea how long social distancing and similar protocols will remain in place. It’s not sustainable to practice unhealthy coping mechanisms, because we may have to cope for much longer yet. It can be difficult to look past tangible responsibilities in your life, such as advisor meetings and deliverables, but you can’t be a productive worker if you’re not taking care of yourself. We’ve all heard of self-care and making sure we do our best to eat and sleep well, but drastic times may call for more drastic measures. I’ve personally considered making big choices such as taking a semester off from graduate enrollment or going to live with my parents. It’s important to critically examine your coronavirus lifestyle, determine whether or not it is sustainable, and make changes accordingly.
2. Be honest with yourself and others
Following from the above point, taking a step back is easier said than done. There are others in our life who affect our responsibilities. If you haven’t yet had a clear and candid conversation with your research advisor or otherwise boss about expectations during the pandemic, do so! And, when you do, you should make clear your own expectations. I hope most of you have superiors who possess some empathy. If not, who else could you talk to? Could you speak to your department chair? HR? Your family or others who may also give you responsibilities? You deserve to be less productive than “normal”. If others in your life don’t already agree, I hope you can convince them otherwise.
3. Take a load off
Personally, I think the fact that we are expected to do much of anything is nuts. Not only is there a pandemic, but there has been national (and often international) turmoil on many fronts. Of course, it is not up to me – we all have jobs we want to keep and countless other life responsibilities. It often isn’t easy to persuade those in power that we may need a break, but we can try to at least persuade ourselves. I’ve become much happier during the pandemic once I let myself stop working evenings and most weekends. While this isn’t an option for everyone, this has worked for me to ensure my current productivity level is sustainable and that I am healthy and happy. Explore options to guarantee yourself consistent time to recharge.
As a final note: I know many, many people who seem to “have it together” much more than I do, at the moment. But, if I actually ask them about their pandemic experiences, they are struggling just as much as I am. I hope this post convinces you to be kind to yourself. “These are strange times,” as we’ve all seen at the bottom of emails. It’s time to start living like it.
I present the pandemic in this way to say that – if you feel as though you’re in a “rut” or as though you can’t be even close to as productive as you were pre-pandemic, you are not alone. Not only that, but that is the normal way to feel. I have personally struggled with much more than productivity. I’ve struggled to motivate myself to complete coursework, research, and teaching requirements, and I’ve even struggled at many points to maintain a reasonable sleeping or eating schedule. Talking about this can be stigmatized in the workplace and among academic peers, and too often “stretching yourself too thin” is expected of graduate students. I’ve felt extremely overwhelmed during the pandemic, and it took me many months to realize that I couldn’t even begin to be productive until I addressed some of these concerns. I give below some tips I’ve found helpful in this difficult journey. I hope some of them may be helpful to you or someone you know, or that at least it may help you feel less alone.
1. Take a step back
We have no idea how long social distancing and similar protocols will remain in place. It’s not sustainable to practice unhealthy coping mechanisms, because we may have to cope for much longer yet. It can be difficult to look past tangible responsibilities in your life, such as advisor meetings and deliverables, but you can’t be a productive worker if you’re not taking care of yourself. We’ve all heard of self-care and making sure we do our best to eat and sleep well, but drastic times may call for more drastic measures. I’ve personally considered making big choices such as taking a semester off from graduate enrollment or going to live with my parents. It’s important to critically examine your coronavirus lifestyle, determine whether or not it is sustainable, and make changes accordingly.
2. Be honest with yourself and others
Following from the above point, taking a step back is easier said than done. There are others in our life who affect our responsibilities. If you haven’t yet had a clear and candid conversation with your research advisor or otherwise boss about expectations during the pandemic, do so! And, when you do, you should make clear your own expectations. I hope most of you have superiors who possess some empathy. If not, who else could you talk to? Could you speak to your department chair? HR? Your family or others who may also give you responsibilities? You deserve to be less productive than “normal”. If others in your life don’t already agree, I hope you can convince them otherwise.
3. Take a load off
Personally, I think the fact that we are expected to do much of anything is nuts. Not only is there a pandemic, but there has been national (and often international) turmoil on many fronts. Of course, it is not up to me – we all have jobs we want to keep and countless other life responsibilities. It often isn’t easy to persuade those in power that we may need a break, but we can try to at least persuade ourselves. I’ve become much happier during the pandemic once I let myself stop working evenings and most weekends. While this isn’t an option for everyone, this has worked for me to ensure my current productivity level is sustainable and that I am healthy and happy. Explore options to guarantee yourself consistent time to recharge.
As a final note: I know many, many people who seem to “have it together” much more than I do, at the moment. But, if I actually ask them about their pandemic experiences, they are struggling just as much as I am. I hope this post convinces you to be kind to yourself. “These are strange times,” as we’ve all seen at the bottom of emails. It’s time to start living like it.
