A dissertation is the advanced research work done by an individual in the education sector. It establishes years of hard work and intellect and thereby marking the completion of a research program. A dissertation indeed requires a lot of effort and involves immense stress too. Lately, there are many dropouts in the online research programs as well as the University-based live research degree programs. The prime reason is that the candidates are not able to cope with the stressful factors.
Further, the quality of the work also gets disrupted due to stress. This requires them to redo the work either partially or wholly, and eventually adds again to their stress. There are many ways to combat the stress that is involved in the dissertation. Many factors can be incorporated to cope with stress. Firstly, let us take a look at the signs of it. The reason why we are dealing with this now is that it is better to know the symptoms so that we can learn how to effectively get rid of pressure factors from dissertation work.
Primary Signs of Stress
Many people are not aware that they have stress in the initial stages of the dissertation. If identified, it can be easily treated. Moreover, stress is easy to get rid of in the early stage.
- You may turn out to be uncaring towards people. You may not be involved in family matters. Though people at home can understand that you are busy with research, but this is the primary sign of emotional stress factor.
- You will start losing interest in those things that were so very interesting previously. You may compromise yourself by saying that you are busy or focused, but that’s not the case. Stress is mounting on you gradually.
- You will be observed being restless. No proper sleep and agitation also are the signs of stress.
- You will tend to be very argumentative. You will also get angry soon. Watch out! Something is wrong.
- You will avoid dealing with any problems. You will stay away or postpone things too.
These are a few signs that you will observe in you. Look out for this as these are the beginning stages of stress while working on the dissertation. Further, if you have to be sure that you are under stress, you can also observe these behavioral changes in you.
- You will not take care of yourself properly. Be it having food on time or personal hygiene. You tend to become lazy about things that matter to you other than the dissertation.
- You tend to become lethargic on the normal responsibilities of yours. You will not do anything that you were taking up as prime duty at home or office.
- You may incline to smoke or drink more.
- You may start shouting at people when you get angry
- You will develop difficulty in accepting things, you tend to pick up a quarrel for every other thing in life.
Understanding oneself in such conditions shall help combat stress. Awareness is the key. Once you get to know that you are under stress, you must start to work on yourself and dissertation task in such a way that it shall support you.
Main Elements to Combat Stress
The prime elements of overcoming stress are mentioned below. These elements are interconnected. Once you get to understand the elements, it shall be easy for you to understand the ways you can handle yourself from getting stressed.
Element I – Self Management: This is an essential element to be free from pressure builders. When we say self-management, it involves all. The dissertation is an important aspect of your life, but NOT life alone. Many things in life mattered to you most before this came into existence in your routine. Accept this as one of your life’s goals and not life as such. Manage your time, life, eating habits, self-hygiene and social well-being.
Element II – Awareness on Stress: As we saw this earlier, this is one of the prime element in staying stress-free. Acknowledge that you have stress. Accept if you have it. Many people don’t and that’s why they suffer. Identify the stress cues mentioned before and see if you have any symptoms. If you have, don’t worry stay confident that you can easily fight it.
Element III – Involve Yourself with people: This is one aspect many people who work on dissertation stop doing. They stay aloof most of the time. Let us understand one logic, humans can heal humans. Please be involved with them. Give your 100% whenever you are with them. You need them for your support and who knows they may need you too.
Once you are clear about the 3 elements, you are 90% through your stress-relieving formula. The human body is not mathematics and it has complex functions that are beyond the understanding of any conceivable formula. Further, stress being mental sickness, it is still more complicated. So, realizing that you have stress and working on it accordingly is an intelligent decision.
Ways to Fight Stress When You are Working on a Dissertation
The steps given below are clinically proven emotional tricks. It requires you to spend time working on those. Of course, that shall not be stressful as these tips are imbibed in your dissertation-making lifestyle. There is no order to it, however, you need to be flexible and also rigid wherever you are supposed to be.
- Know Your Deadline (KYD): The stress builds because of ignorance. If you do not know when a certain deadline is, you tend to be tensed. No doubt in that. If the deadline is known, organize yourself to complete a smaller task that can complete the larger ones. It is the avalanche effect. You need to change your input style. It automatically changes the output significantly. Many people do this mistake of completing major tasks, good approach but not on a dissertation. You need to complete the smaller ones and connect them to the bigger ones. Eventually, you will know the deadline and you can submit it well on time. Without knowing the deadline, you can never organize yourself to work on the dissertation. If you are planning to work on it for a year, divide the entire year into valuable chunks to complete certain levels. Collectively you can achieve more.
- Organise Yourself as well as Research Work: This is one factor that can easily put you out of stress. As one of the major reasons for stress is confusion, if you organize yourself you can stay on top of it. When we say organize, it means you as well as the research work. Firstly, organise yourself. Prepare a schedule for the week, that must include your family and your personal life too. Set a routine for yourself. Secondly, divide the entire dissertation into segments. Allocate every segment a particular deadline. It may involve a lot of subclasses too. Involve those in your routine. Mix both your schedules you will have a whole new life unfolding. Thirdly, follow the routine that you have sketched. It must be diligently done. Lastly, if there are any changes required, be flexible to bring a change in your routine and work routine.
- Keep An Organiser: This includes you having a checklist too. You may use a notebook or a cellphone to check with your line of tasks. Prepare that according to your schedule and follow the same. As and when you complete the task, strike it off and it gives you immense happiness.
- Keep the Folders Organised: The computer in which you are saving the files must be organized. Save it according to your preference, but ensure that you can search for a folder without much difficulty. Have back up for all the paperwork. Keep every aspect of research work organized.
- Sketch-Out Start to End: This is something you must do as soon as you divide your workload. Sketch the prominent milestones that you will be completed right from the beginning till the end. As and when you reach a milestone, take it out of the list and you shall know how long it is still there to reach the destination.
- Personal Care: This is important while you work on the dissertation. Take breaks and have a good night’s sleep. Do not skip any meal and spend some time outdoors to enjoy nature. Visit your friends and go for a movie and have it in the schedule too.
Stress is always present in every person. It is, in fact, good up to a certain level. But if it exceeds, there is where the problems start. It is to be understood that, a problem can be treated if the root cause is known. The root cause, in this case, is awareness. Get to know the factors that affect you and act accordingly. Dissertation is an important part of your life, you must learn to deal with that easily. Happy Learning. All the Best!!!
