In life in general, but particularly during times of crisis and national emergency, there are many things outside our circle of influence that we have little control over.
Yet still we worry about them. We worry about things that may or may not happen, or things that we have no say or control over anyway. We often worry about future uncertainty outside our realm of control too.
You may at the moment worry about when you lab will reopen, or if you will get sick. You may worry about the health or wellbeing of people you don’t know, or try to introduce certainty into your understanding of how coronavirus is going to play out.
But worrying in this way is futile, because our worry has no bearing on the direction things will take.
Instead recognise that there are many things over which you do have control. You can control what you prioritise in your PhD, what you read, what you eat, what media you consume, who you interact with (virtually or otherwise), how you fill your time, and so on.
So if you’re finding yourself worries and anxious, recognise what it is you can control and what it is you can’t.
Good luck!
p.s. If you want to anonymously share how coronavirus has affected your PhD and what you have done to respond, I have created an anonymous virtual confession book to record this unique moment in history. Click here to share your story.
