PhD productivity

I went to a seminar this week given by Dorian Peters and Rafael Calvo. They're doing a lot of interesting work on Positive Computing - the deliberate design of computer interfaces and applications to improve people's lives. But what really struck me was when they talked about Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan), which found that our perceptions of our competence, autonomy, and relatedness independently predict the variability in our well-being.

There are obviously other factors, but this is, I think, a big discovery for me. In a PhD, our sense of competence and relatedness are nearly always very low - the lonely, confusing path of the PhD student has been written about many times. In my work life, my autonomy and sense of perceived competence are under direct attack as well. My well-being then directly effects my productivity, in my work life, study life, and personal life. I've found myself in a funk both at work and while studying recently, and having something explanatory to point at is, I think, extremely helpful. It means I can dissect my emotional state more thoroughly, and hopefully get past it.

I've talked about "The Rut" previously, and I've hit it again this year. I can cope with PhD uncertainty and doubt when other parts of my life are going well, but when my professional life is in dramatic flux as well, it's hard to get anything done at all. The Tweet above asserts that dealing with this is a skill, and that makes sense. I think it's time to start working on this skill, and finding the tools I need to help me with it.