Sometimes, I cry while working on my dissertation

Claudia González (@ScienceClau) is a PhD Candidate in Strategic Management at the University of Washington. In this emotional narrative, she talks about how she sometimes cries while working on her dissertation, despite having several ways of coping with stress. And most importantly, about how this is OK with her.

This story was published on August 30, 2016, on Claudia’s blog, Dyslexic PhD (available here) and has been republished here with her permission.

Doing a dissertation is an emotionally draining process. It is known. I have many different ways to cope, but I sometimes find myself crying.

I am not alone in this; my sister was told at the beginning of her PhD Journey that if she did not cry at least twice in her first quarter, then there was something wrong with her.

I have not been shy about discussing the emotional toll of a PhD (see Pre-proposal is Hell and Not a Marathon, Not a Sprint). So today, I thought I would put it out there: sometimes, I cry when I work on my dissertation and that’s OK with me.

I cry when:

• I think about working on my dissertation proposal.
• When I see the file where my dissertation proposal lives.
• When I see the document itself.
• When I open the file.
• As I type.
• When I hit save.
• When I close the file.
• When I put away my work.

Intrigued? Want to learn more about what gives Claudia the strength to keep pushing? Read her full story here.