Pursuing a higher level of educational qualification like a Professional Doctorate in Education can be a stressful experience and can take a toll on overall mental health. According to a nature.com survey, 36% of the researchers are seeking remedies for anxiety and depression related to pursuing their higher qualification academic degree PhD or professional degree like a doctorate.
As the competition is getting higher in the field of education, the stress level is also increasing among aspirants. If you are also pursuing your doctorate and looking for some way out to deal with your stress, then we have got you covered.
In this blog post, we will be exploring some of the effective ways to manage your stress and also what are the real triggers for those stresses while researching for your higher professional doctorate.
Reason Behind Stress & Anxiety For Doctorate Pursuant Students
Before knowing the remedy for your stress, you must know the root cause of it. Let’s get to know several reasons behind your actual stress and anxiety while pursuing your doctorate:
Too Much Competition
During ongoing research in any field, aspirants always tend to compare their progress with other research work, which could lead to unnecessary stress.
Too Much of Workload
It’s very normal for aspirants to be involved in too much work pressure and work relentlessly overtime which significantly increases their stress and anxiety levels.
Not Aware of The Role
Most of the time aspirants don’t have a clear idea about their role during their research and study. They also have less clarity about what their supervisor or Principal Investigator (P.I.) expects from them.
Overburden of Performing Better
Most of the individuals who are pursuing a Doctorate in any field of education mostly work and research simultaneously. This submerges any aspirants with pressure because they have to complete their course and complete their assignments on time, which could induce their stress and anxiety levels.
Behavioural Approach
Researchers typically use a predetermined framework to complete their research. When unexpected results are obtained, a Doctorate student is compelled to consider alternate approaches to reach conclusions and schedule a proper action plan.
Physiological Effect
While pursuing a Doctorate, students may take time to adjust to the physiological changes that occur. Dealing with physical health difficulties may distract you from your studies and research work.
Not Maintaining Relationship With Supervisor
Most of the aspirants during research work got too much focused on their work and made themselves isolated. Being focused is good but at the same time, you need to make time to maintain the relationship with the supervisor which may improve the quality of your research work significantly.
Effective Stress Management Tips For Doctorate Students
Now after having a clear understanding of the root cause of your stress, it’s time to know how you can deal with those stresses effectively:
Acknowledge The issue
It’s a human tendency to not accept the fact that any external factors can affect their mental health. However, while pursuing your doctorate in any educational field you might come up with stressful situations that might give you anxiety. So, it’s best for you to understand what’s hindering you from achieving your goal, accept the situation, and work towards it.
Share Your problems
Keeping any bothersome and worrying thoughts to yourself can only hinder your journey of achieving your Doctorate. So, it’s suggested to share your thoughts with the people who care about you or who can understand the situation and can help you to overcome it.
Improve Your organizational Skill
If you want to attain a doctorate in any field of education then you must know how to manage every of your work without overcommitting. You must know how to balance both your professional and personal life better.
Indulge With Your Old Productive Habits
Being focused on your research work is fine. However, it’s equally important for you to re-engage with your long-forgotten habits which makes you happy. Be it- painting, reading, or cooking, rekindle those habits recharge yourself, and have fun!
Become More Social
Being isolated while being busy with your research work will not help you in the long run. You should join any groups that are not from your domain. This will help you to meet new people and make new connections, and bonds with them.
Meditate
Find a comfortable space with complete silence and no disturbance. Then, sit in a good posture and repeat positive words, and phrases in your mind for 10-20 minutes daily will help you to let your negative and worrisome thoughts out of your body.
Involve In Physical Activity
Make a daily habit of indulging in any form of physical activity like- Yoga, Cardio which will help you to maintain your both physical and cognitive abilities. It will also help you release your endorphins and keep you in a good mood.
Always Be Grateful
Lastly, always be grateful for what you have in your life. Always remember every good thing that has happened to you and always show gratitude for where you are now in your life.
Manage Your Stress And Attain Your Doctorate Successfully
Pursuing a professional doctorate in any field of education can be a challenging journey for the aspirants which can bring lots of stress and anxiety in their life. However, to deal with it you need to find the root cause of your stress and then you can take the necessary steps to manage your stress effectively. In the above-mentioned blog, we have shared both- root causes and how you can manage your stress efficiently and attain your doctorate in the field of education seamlessly.
So, what are you waiting for, start pursuing courses like a Professional Doctorate in Education and begin your successful journey in education today!
