GET STARTED: Mindfulness Meditation for Writing Your Thesis or Dissertation

Ten years ago, I found myself sitting in a small room with my dissertation chair and five classmates, each of us practically squirming in our plastic seats with anticipation and anxiety. 

It was our very first meeting, and it was time for us to go around the room and tell everyone about our intended dissertation topics. One by one we took the plunge, until each of us had shared and given feedback on our respective ideas. 

Fortunately, my chair and everyone in my dissertation cluster was super supportive of one another, but by the end of that meeting, all our nerves were fried, and it was clear that one question weighed on all our minds:

This is an e-nor-mous project. How on earth am I going to write this thing? 

Looking back on the experience, I will say that that emotionally, it was a tough, TOUGH process. There was so much ongoing pressure, anticipation, worrying – and the entire project from start to finish took just under three years.  

If you are currently working on a thesis or dissertation, trust me when I say: I feel your pain! This is huge and cumbersome project, and the long-term stress impacts everyone differently. Some procrastinate – I have met people who have taken a decade to finish their thesis/dissertation. Someone else I know became so distressed during the process that their doctor recommended they take antidepressants. 

During my own dissertation writing process, I relied a lot on the support of friends and family. I was fortunate to have a fantastic dissertation chair and encouraging peers – that was a huge benefit. 

But I really wished I had had a tool specifically tailored to all the thoughts and feelings that were influencing my emotional state in relation to this type of project, particularly related to all the work I knew I had to do, and the many fears I had about getting started. 

Writing a thesis or dissertation is a marathon, not a sprint. In last week’s post, I explained the concept of mindfulness and talked about the power it has to help us show up and be fully present in our lives. Who wouldn’t want to feel more focused, more present, more alert, more grounded…instead of worrying, angsting, rushing from beginning to end? Doing a brief mindfulness meditation before you sit down to write, research, read, or take notes can change the way you show up and move through the writing process. 

That is why I’ve created a FREE guided mindfulness meditation for you that is specifically geared towards helping you start working on your dissertation or thesis. This eight minute mindfulness meditation can help to slow you down, get grounded, and have you showing up with presence and intention for the work you need to get started on today. And It’s 100 percent free!

So how did everything turn out?

I finished my dissertation (and degree) on schedule, all while juggling a full course load, two part-time traineeships followed by a full time internship, tons of additional papers, clinical notes, presentations and assignments, and a personal life. 

If you’re reading this, I know you’re going through a challenging time in your life. I also believe that no matter how overwhelmed or discouraged you may feel right now, you can finish your thesis/dissertation! 

Because I want you to succeed, this free guided meditation is set up to kick off a two-part blog series in which I’ll share the top writing and motivation strategies that helped me finish my own 165-page dissertation on schedule. All of this information will be on my blog in the coming weeks, so be sure to subscribe to get notification emails to hear ALL of my tips and strategies. Let’s get you to the finish line!

Click HERE to get your free guided meditation!

Happy meditating!

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