Mental block

Kate_20

I feel like I have a mental block when writing my dissertation. Sometimes I just cannot move forward and I feel like I am on the verge of dying. I failed the goals I set up for myself again. It seems like whether I place myself under more pressure or not, it is not going to progress.

Former Member

Hey @Kate_20, I just want to say writing a dissertation is a big project and I know it can be tough getting started. Firstly huge congratulations on getting this far, uni can be so stressful and it's important to congratulate yourself for everything you have done. Is there anyone at uni you can speak to, that can help you get around this mental block, do you have a dissertation supervisor, or anyone on your course doing a similar dissertation?

Kate_20

@Dandelion They can't help when I am stuck here. They are better at reading things. They can't give advice when there is no real progress.

Former Member

If you don't mind me asking what is your dissertation on? I'm also writing mine at the moment so I know it can be really challenging to do

Kate_20

@Dandelion I'll PM you

Kate_20

@ Dandelion It is impossible to PM you because of the setting I don't want my uni to recognise me here. Will have bad influence on me.

AislingDM

Not wanting your uni to recognise you is beyond understandable, Kate!! You don't want to have an additional thing to stress about on top of all your pain Given how overwhelmingly depressed you feel right now, it's no wonder a whole dissertation is not the first thing on the list to do, to be honest they are intense to do even in moments of 'happier' mental wellbeing, so please don't beat yourself up about this i know none of this tangibly helps you to get the actual project written though, and wanting to just make your way through it makes so much sense!! No pressure to answer this, but where do you think the mental block is coming from right now? xxx

Laura_tigger82

Hi @Kate_20

Thanks for reaching out to us. I always appreciate how much courage it must take to reach out.

I think you are doing really well with your dissertation. When we last spoke, you had conquered your data analysis! That is a really incredible stage to be at.

When I have writer’s block, I like to do two things. The first is to take a break from it. Often, as soon as I have stepped away from it and gone and done something else, ideas have started to flood in my brain. Then it is a rush back to the desk to get my ideas written down!

The second thing I like to do if this doesn’t help is to set myself a timer. With this timer, no matter how draft the writing may be, I like to get text onto paper. It is often easier to edit text than it is to write text for the first time. This is especially the case when our minds go “nah, I don’t want to function”.

Goals are indeed goals. Goals are things to aim to work towards but they can always be moved. It is important to be flexible with yourself. What have you already achieved? I know you would have had to do a lot already to be at the data analysis stage.

Is there a particular thing you are struggling with in your dissertation? If so, could you reach out for support? Hopefully, we’ll be able to help you. There’s also your dissertation supervisor and Student Minds who can help. You might also like to skip the thing you are struggling with at the moment and go onto a different section of your dissertation. You can always come back to the section you are finding more challenging near the end.

@Dandelion, it sounds like we are feeling very similar! I’m also at the dissertation stage. Dissertations are indeed very challenging. They can also be draining. They are big and they try to scare us away but we are bigger and can conquer them. We just need to approach them one step at a time and one day at a time. What is your dissertation about?

We have all got this despite the hurdles it may try to provide! We can step over them and graduate

Former Member

My dissertation is on cardiovascular disease @Laura_tigger82

Laura_tigger82

That sounds very interesting and useful indeed! @Dandelion