After You Hit the PhD Milestone
answers to the April Q&A
Welcome to the April Q&A!
This month’s Q&A letter is focused on a great question about taking a break after you hit a big milestone. The questioner asked:
Do you have any ideas based on your research or personal experiences of what a person could do to have some time off after finishing their PhD (or any other time in their academic journey if they can afford it both in terms of time and money?).
In answering this great question, I framed my answers in a way that might encourage folks to protect their time and energy after they hit a milestone—like finishing a PhD program—even if they can’t fully take time away from their day-to-day responsibilities.
1) Give Yourself Permission to Decelerate
In my experience coaching folks who are finishing their PhDs, the final few months can feel particularly busy! The thing about finishing a PhD is not just finishing your research, but also behind-the-scenes labors that are required to finish the program, such as compiling a long bibliography, making sure your dissertation formatting meets your university’s requirements, and creating a slide deck and script for a dissertation defense. As if completing the written components of a dissertation weren’t enough work, these additional tasks are often completed in a 2-week window between submitting the final draft to your committee and preparing for your dissertation defense. Plus, there are almost always additional edits a PhD student needs to complete before they can finally submit their dissertation and graduate.
Some PhDs might feel suddenly adrift when they finish their degrees and are left with more blank space in their days than they’re used to. While you might feel external or internal pressure to fill up the time blocks you used to spend on your dissertation, I encourage you to approach new projects mindfully. I started writing my book Tend to It: A Holistic Guide to Intentional Productivity soon after I completed my PhD. Although I was already working as a Productivity Coach, consultant, and writing tutor, I felt drawn to fill up the time I had previously dedicated to my dissertation with a new research project related to my productivity research. I took my time writing Tend to It, which was a key step to relearning how to write and publish outside of academia.
2) Explore New Relationships with Productivity
In addition to coaching students who are finishing their PhDs, I support folks who have recently shifted from PhD student to postdoc or professor. Something I remind them, and I’d extend this to people starting new positions outside of academia, is that you can establish new boundaries, routines, and habits in this new season of your life.
Some people like to use milestones as prompts to hit the “reset” button. Thus, it might be helpful to carve out some time for intentional reflection:
How will my personal resources (time, energy, focus, spoons, etc.) be affected once I complete my degree?
As a graduate student, what did I learn about my needs, and how can I ensure those needs are met at my next job or research endeavor?
In my next phase of work, are there new boundaries I want to establish around my work hours or communication style? How might I communicate to others how soon they should expect a response from me (for example, in my email signature)?
Are there any personal values, hobbies, or interests that I want to nourish now that I’m done with my degree?
While taking a break after completing a PhD can be a beautiful way to recalibrate, this practice of reflection and planning is a great way to check in with yourself at any time in your journey. Regular reflection can help to forge a more sustainable relationship with productivity and rest in the long-term.
3) Celebrate!
Even if you don’t have the financial access to take off an extended period of time for a vacation, could you still plan something meaningful to celebrate completing this huge milestone? I finished my PhD at the start of the pandemic—defending on Zoom in May 2020!—and while we couldn’t travel anywhere, my spouse Kris did gift me with a lovely outfit to wear to my virtual dissertation defense. Every time I wear my ice wash Atelier Delphine Celeste top (see image below) I have happy memories of that sunny day when I defended my dissertation. Kris also organized a virtual celebration on Zoom with a handful of friends who each made a Powerpoint about me and presented it, and it was a perfect and low-cost way to celebrate.
I’m curious to hear what you all have done to celebrate and transition between big milestones in your life! I invite you to share below or in an email.
See you next week for some reflections on time management. If you’re a paid Substack subscriber or Success & Accountability Coaching client, maybe I’ll see you at co-working on Monday from 12-3. You can learn more and access the Zoom link here.
Take care and talk soon,
Dr. Kate