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Hey friends,
The Holidays season is here!
For many researchers (and workaholics), it’s a strange feeling
You want to disconnect but you know there is so much to do
You look at your unfinished manuscript
The papers you still need to read
The experiments waiting for you
The conference deadline after the summer.
And suddenly, taking a week off feels... stupid
I know that feeling very well
During my PhD, I thought every day away from my research was a day I was falling behind considering I was doing my PhD next to a full time job
If I wasn't reading papers, I felt guilty
If I wasn't writing, I felt unproductive
Even during holidays, I would tell myself:
"Let me do just one hour of work"
Of course, one hour usually became 2 or 3
Looking back, I wasn't productive
I was simply afraid of stopping.
Academia has a way of making us believe that there is always something more we should be doing
Another paper to read
Another figure to improve
Another reviewer comment to answer
Another analysis/chart that could be "just a little better”
The work never really ends
And that's exactly why you need to stop sometimes
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is this:
Rest is not the opposite of productivity.
It's part of it
Think about your favorite researchers
Do you think they produce great ideas because they work 18 hours a day, every day?
Probably not
The same applies with great athletes. Rest is part of their routine
In research, good ideas need space.
Sometimes the solution to a research problem appears while you're walking outside
Or hiking
Or having dinner with friends
Or simply doing... nothing.
I've experienced this many times
I can spend several days trying to solve a problem.
Then I step away for a 1-hour walk
And the day after, the answer now feels obvious.
Nothing changed except one thing:
My brain finally had time to process the problem
Like many good things, scientific research is a marathon
Not a sprint.
And like marathon runners, researchers need recovery days too.
Summer is a good reminder of that.
If you can take some time off this year, try to actually take time off
Close your laptop
Turn off email notifications
Stop checking your manuscript every few hours.
believe me, your research will still be there when you come back
But you'll come back with more energy and better ideas.
There's another reason I like slowing down during the summer
It gives me a chance to look backward before rushing forward.
We're often so focused on the next milestone that we forget how much we've already accomplished (we speak about to-do lists, but don’t forget done lists)
Maybe you submitted your first paper
Learned a new analysis technique
Collected your first dataset
Presented at your first conference.
Or maybe you simply kept going during a difficult year
That counts too.
Progress in research isn't always visible.
Sometimes the biggest achievement is simply not giving up
Before you start planning the next project, take five minutes to appreciate how far you've already come
Your career is built one small step at a time
Not one giant breakthrough.
And finally...
If you're taking a break, don't let your inner voice come with you.
the voice that says stuff like:
"You should be working."
"Colleagues are moving forward. not you"
"You're wasting time."
During the break, give yourself permission to slow down.
Spend time with family.
Travel if you can
Go outside
Exercise
Well, that’s all for this week
Whether you're taking a long vacation or simply slowing down for a few days, I hope you find time to recharge.
tell me what you think. I read every response
See you next week,
Jamal