Writing and Thriving
Wellbeing
Wellbeing for Doctoral Researchers
- tbc
This is a workshop that aims to explore wellbeing in the Doctoral Researcher experience at the University of Westminster. The PhD journey can often be lonely and isolating and aside from the demands of actually being a Doctoral Researcher, real life can also intervene. How do we navigate the experience of doing the research whilst also taking care of ourselves? ‘Self-care’ has now entered the lexicon of everyday language, but how might it be especially important whilst being a Doctoral Researcher? We will be addressing these issues and a special focus will be given to the particular demands that doing a PhD makes on our sense of ourselves.
The format of this workshop will give time for working in pairs, small groups and as a whole group, and focus on each of the four higher-order themes identified by Hazell et al (2020):
* Always alone in the struggle
* Death of personhood
* The system is sick
* Seeing, being and becoming
This workshop is not a presentation or webinar, so please come prepared to participate. It is open to all doctoral researchers regardless of year.
This workshop aligns with the Vitae Researcher Development Framework descriptors:
1.7 Reflexive; 5.1 Research Culture
Overcoming Procrastination While Doing a PhD
- tbc
Writing a PhD is a mammoth task. With hardly any classes to attend, lots of academic freedom and freedom in general, no imposed structure to your daily life, long term deadlines … it can be all too easy to delay getting started.
Is this you? – Do you have a tendency to always find something more important or more urgent to do than attending to your research or writing? Would you rather watch Netflix than complete that Methodology chapter or upload that supervision meeting you had yesterday? Do you keep doing more research but find it difficult to get down to writing anything? Are you focusing on your future career rather than getting the PhD done?
In this workshop, we explore why some of us have a tendency to procrastinate and it is rarely a case of simply being lazy! There are countless reasons which may cause you to delay starting certain tasks linked to you PhD. In this workshop we try to bring those issues to the surface in order to address the root causes of what makes us delay certain tasks at the expense of easier or more enjoyable activities.
Once we unpack the root causes of our behaviour, we may begin to develop a better awareness of ourselves. We will be better able to see patterns in what we do and be more clearly able to build up strategies to overcome some of the obstacles to patterns of behaviour that are working against us.
This workshop will be useful to all doctoral researchers no matter what stage of the doctoral degree you are at.
This workshop aligns with the Vitae Researcher Development Framework descriptors:
1.6 Adaptable; 1.7 Reflexive; 1.8 Motivated; 5.1 Research Culture
Writing and Thriving
Join these interactive online workshops to support you with writing strategies for your thesis and to learn simple & effective moving and breathing techniques to help with stress relief and overall wellbeing. The workshops run once in each semester and are strictly limited to 30 participants per session.
Writing as Thinking: Letting go of Self-Criticism and Overcoming Writer’s Block
- time tbc
In this session you will connect with peers to share your challenges and successes in writing your thesis. Together we will consider whether writing can be a tool for thinking, or part of the thinking process, and we will explore some practices to help overcome writer’s block. This session will support you to feel more confident in writing your thesis or dissertation – whatever stage you are at!
Writing as Signposting: Considering Your Reader While Writing
- time tbc
This session will help you move from content-creation to reader-consideration, as you begin to see your academic writing in its wider context. You’ll share ideas for keeping your reader in mind while writing, and practice techniques for helping your reader to understand and navigate your text.
Writing as Narrative: Structuring Your Chapter or Thesis
-time tbc
Having trouble seeing the bigger picture? If you’re getting stuck on the minor details and losing focus on your project overall, this session will help you to reorient your thinking to consider the overall shape and structure of your academic writing. This will help you get clear on your argument and make connections between the parts of the whole.
Writing as Editing and Editing as Writing: Redrafting Your Writing for Submission
- time tbc
This session is key! Everything you’ve done up to now has led you here. How do you make the leap to your best possible writing? By planning in time for editing and redrafting before submission you will learn how to maximise your own potential as an academic writer.
Writing as Critical Analysis: The Mechanics of Academic Writing
- time tbc
This session will be a deep-dive into the mechanics of academic writing for your thesis, chapter, or research paper. We will explore how to move from descriptive/summative writing to critical and analytical thinking. Topics covered may also include: Transitions between paragraphs/ideas; Referencing and citation; Subjective/Objective positioning.
Please bring a recent piece of academic writing as your focus for development. The workshop will be highly interactive, with lots of opportunity for peer-support and independent writing/reflection.
Writing as Thesis Position: Defending Your Argument
- time tbc
With a central focus on presenting your thesis as an original contribution to your field, the workshop will be structured around reflection and discussion, exploring the techniques of constructing and defending your argument throughout your thesis.
The session will give you an opportunity to reflect on your academic writing: your challenges and celebrations; tips, techniques, and strategies for success. You’ll be encouraged to reconnect with your passions and core values as a writer and researcher.
This final workshop is designed to invigorate and motivate you for a fruitful future of academic WRITING & THRIVING!
This workshop series aligns with the Vitae Researcher Development Framework descriptors:
1.8 Motivated; 2.5 Critical Thinking and Analysis; 4.1 Communication; 5.1 Research Culture
Writing Days and Retreats
Writing Days
These take place monthly on-campus throughout the academic year. You can book as many of these as you wish.
If you cannot attend in person, you can book to join in online. Simply select the online booking option when completing making your booking.
- times tbc
These retreats align with the Vitae Researcher Development Framework descriptors:
1.8 Motivated; 5.1 Research Culture
Winter Writing Retreat
- Three days in December. Time and Location tbc
- Application form and deadline tbc
A structured writing retreat designed to provide opportunities to write and work on outputs, in an optimal environment. The writing model is based on the structured-writing retreat format (Murray and Newton, 2009). The aim of the programme is very much to provide and enforce research/writing time, in a relaxed, supportive, and peaceful group environment. Desks are well spaced out, while writing together, during prescribed timeslots.
While it is a non-surveillance environment with regards to what you do, there are some rules. The first is that you are sitting down and ready to write at the start of each session. The second is that mobile phones are put away out of sight (and sound), and you DO NOT check email or use the internet during the writing sessions (we would recommend no Internet for complete immersion). Research has shown that the retreats are most productive if relevant article searching and downloading has been done in advance. The final rule is that research work/writing is carried out in silence (or with headphones that do not produce sound that could disturb other writers).
This writing retreat will be run by Dr Alison Eardley and Dr Tina Cartwright who are both based in the School of Social Sciences and are trained writing retreat facilitators. The retreats are designed to provide a restful and relaxing space to write, meet new colleagues and talk about research. We all write together in a dedicated room during specific timed sessions, and we also take breaks at specific times. Part of the programme will involve (optional) pre-lunch walks (bring waterproofs and shoes you don’t mind getting muddy in case of rain), and (optional) yoga sessions at the end of the writing day (further information will be sent out about this at a later date). Yoga is led by Tina, who is a qualified yoga instructor.
Allocation of Places
There is an application process with 12 places available. We will have a waiting list, in case of last-minute cancellations. Whatever the stage of your PhD, please do feel free to apply.
Please note, attendance is required for the FULL three days (and two nights) of the retreat.
Priority will be given to people who feel that the retreat will impact positively on their PhD writing and on their wellbeing, so please do consider applying, whatever the stage of your research project. We do prioritise people in their final year/writing up period, and we take into account whether or not people have applied previously and have not been offered a place.
The application form will help the Graduate School to allocate places. The questions they will focus on will be (in order of importance):
a) How the retreat will benefit your wellbeing
b) What piece of PhD writing you want to work on and why
c) How the opportunity will benefit your PhD journey.
Further Support with Writing
Browse the section Communication, Engagement and Impact for workshops on academic english, literature reviews and journal writing.
Doctoral researchers can also access support around writing through the Academic Engagement and Learning Development Team. One to one sessions are available through them. Information on all they offer can be found here
