The struggles of a Ph.D. student and life balance.

PhDs are usually at the threshold of self-exploration and therefore need to be aware of their needs. Ph.D. is a challenge in which you work on your own creative process. PhDs have constraints for having a healthy balance between academic life and personal life. Ph.D. students must take care of themselves and their Ph.D. journey.

I am a Ph.D. student in Transformative Studies and I consider myself privileged to be on this doctoral journey because it is challenging at the same time: It forces you to look into yourself, self-explore, know your fears and desires. Ph.D. students are not only students but also need to be researchers too. As students in a program like this, we need to be mindful of this journey because it does take energy to do it and they have a lot of constraints. We need to know the meaning of work-life balance even if there is no time for life, students need self-care not only for themselves but for others too. This includes their support system.

In this process, I have experienced pressure from everywhere: from peers, from the university, and from yourself because of your struggles. Students need to have a lot of self-awareness to manage all this during this journey. It is something I have learned this first year. Three important topics to consider when embracing this journey are mindfulness practices, support systems, and allowing yourself to be living the dream. I look forward to finally sharing more on this blog of self-exploration and my inquiry looking at ceremonies that invoke unity consciousness.