SETTING BOUNDARIES: THE PGR GUILT

As a PGR, we always talk about wearing multiple hats, we talk about healthy research culture and dividing our time. Often, we hear people telling us to do less but when you need to pay bills and write a thesis – it isn’t always as simple as that.

Read on for what I’ve coined ‘The PGR Problem’ and techniques to try.

The PGR Problem

Let me draw out what ‘The PGR Problem’ actually is.

Option 1: Workin’ 9-5

The dilemma facing myself and other PGRs is whether to make this a 9-5 job. We love our research and we enjoy what we do: our Researcher Development courses tell us that ‘This PhD Should Be a Life’ – we should be aiming for 9-5pm and not spending our weekends doing research.

Option 2: Vocation – you are what you do

We also hear top academics telling us that they don’t have time for their own research so they do it at the weekend. These are our supervisors. These are the people we look up to, and often aspire to be.

Option 3: A mix of both

We also hear of the people who go to the office 9-5 and write. They only write their thesis. They read when they’re at home. Again, in their spare time.

Which Option Is Best?

What is a PGR meant to do? Our supervisors and people who are further along in their academic career create our research culture. But we, as PGRs, maintain it.

We take a lot on: the academic path is getting more difficult – you need internships, publications, experience, knowledge/exchange activities to succeed. What’s more – we enjoy it. We love knowledge, we like practical applications to our research – we’re creating a life out of what interests us.

Trope: ‘Just Do Less’

PGRs wear numerous ‘hats’: we split out time amongst part time jobs, fieldwork, archival work, time in labs, time writing and we also have to have a life outside of this time. We have a lot to juggle and the idea of doing less is often appealing but impossible to most.

We have many self-funded PGRs and for many, this ‘do less’ is not an option: how do you tell someone they shouldn’t have nice things in life? How can you tell someone to give up their other jobs when these jobs pay their rent, food and fees?

Taking Action

It’s time to take action. This has to be a life and a lifestyle you’re proud of. You have to allow your brain to switch off and you do better work after rest.

1. Time Block

If you only have an hour to do something, you’ll do it in that hour – if you let yourself take four hours, it will grow to that time. Schedule your day and plan when you will work. Leave weekends and evenings out of your plan.

2. Learning To Say No

Our lovely intern Adam wrote a wonderful post on learning to say no and its challenges.

Image: Photo taken by Rachel, sitting in the sun in the University gardens.

Of course, it feels awkward and uncomfortable. Of course, you feel layers and layers of guilt. That’s natural. Mel Robins mentions that she recuperated the guilt feeling as ‘putting herself first’. I love this. Sometimes saying ‘I don’t have the capacity for that’ is awkward but people understand and above all – you need to advocate for you.

3. Take The Weekend + Annual Leave

I refuse to talk about this one – there’s plenty of people who already have. We shouldn’t need to ‘deserve’ time off. We need rest, and that’s okay.

I made my new year’s resolution to make sure that I take every single weekend off. I don’t always succeed – but I have for say 9 of the 12 weeks so far (room for improvement but not terrible). And this Monday morning I woke up thinking that a weekend is really like a short holiday when you spend it resting, away from your phone, spending time with people you love, in fresh air and all the things you’re meant to do that I never do.

What About The Guilt?

Does the guilt ever leave us? Let’s be honest: there’s always more we can be doing but the aim is to enjoy your life. Say no to things that don’t benefit you and don’t make you happy. Remember, just because you have the ability to be flexible doesn’t mean you should be.

Rachel Eager is a second year PhD Candidate in Comparative Literature and is the Communications Intern 22/23. You can contact her by email: Rachel.Eager@Glasgow.ac.uk or on Twitter @RachelEager2.