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Dissertation work asks more of your brain than most people realize. It is not just writing. It is sustained decision-making, conceptual alignment, synthesis, and constant evaluation of whether your thinking is “good enough” to move forward. This level of cognitive load cannot be carried continuously without consequence. When we treat breaks as optional or indulgent,
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I am deep in the thick of research right now. My days are a mix of work, interviews, analytic memos, and everything that comes with trying to finish a dissertation while also showing up for the people who matter most. It is a strange balance. Some days it feels seamless and other days it feels
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Today I am starting something I have not allowed myself to do in a long time. I am taking a full week off with no work tasks, no dissertation writing, no interview scheduling, no coding, and no academic responsibilities at all. Just rest. It feels strange to type that because, like many of us in
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One of the biggest lessons I have learned in my dissertation journey is that the work only feels overwhelming when I do not have a system. Once I found a rhythm that fits how I think and how I work, the whole process started to feel more grounded and more doable. I am completing between
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Lately, I’ve been reminding myself that starting counts. I’m in the research phase of my dissertation, and I have 15 interviews ahead of me, each one about 90 minutes long. Every interview means emailing, scheduling, interviewing, coding, and writing. It’s not just one task—it’s a whole process. And sometimes, even starting that process feels like
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There’s a special kind of pause that happens when someone asks, “So, what’s your dissertation about?” It’s not that you don’t want to explain it. You’ve probably spent years thinking, writing, and refining your ideas. The challenge isn’t knowing your research; it’s figuring out how to share it in a way that feels natural and
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This past week, my sister text me to ask a question about a birthday and stated she couldn’t look at Facebook (which she would have done to double check) because she deleted hers. I found myself jealous. Then, I realized that meant it was time to be done with Facebook. There’s a quiet moment that
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🌿 Taking Care of the Person Behind the Dissertation Somewhere along the dissertation journey, I realized I had become a human doing instead of a human being. I was managing outlines, citations, deadlines, committee feedback, and life responsibilities all with a smile that said, “I’ve got this.” But underneath it, I was running on caffeine,
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If you’ve made it all the way to your dissertation defense—congratulations! 🎉 You’ve already climbed mountains of research, writing, and revisions. But let’s be real: the final stretch can feel like the most intimidating part. That’s exactly why I created the Dissertation Defense Checklist—a simple, organized tool to help you feel calm, prepared, and ready
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If you’ve ever been in the middle of writing a dissertation, you know the feeling: endless drafts, looming deadlines, stacks of articles, and a mind that never seems to stop racing. That’s where I am right now—deep in my doctoral journey. And while the research is meaningful, staying organized and motivated is its own challenge.
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The Dissertation Diaries 