Protect your emotional well-being for a happier writing experience

Alongside research-related activities, teaching and administrative work, publishing research articles is a key part of academic life – yet it can be an emotional process. Your emotional state can affect your drive to complete the manuscript. Equally, the writing of your article can impact on other parts of your life.

Most often, the mood you are in is closely related to the stage of the writing process your article is at. When different responsibilities occupy your time, feeling not focused enough on your article can quickly lower your mood. You may find yourself feeling not motivated enough and not be able to understand why. This is when it’s most important to look after your well-being.

• Guidance to help you successfully complete your PhD dissertation
• Five ways to beat the procrastination monster
• What is your academic writing temperament?

Try to balance your positive and negative emotions. Research has shown emotional well-being has a significant positive effect on self-esteem, physical health, social skills and academic success – and managing emotions has a positive effect on motivation.

What works for my emotional well-being?

Emotional well-being contributes greatly towards the thinking processes. When those processes are not managed correctly, your performance can suffer.

Before I begin an article, I use several techniques to increase my internal motivation for a period of about five to 10 days. Particularly for the articles I have just started writing, I start when I feel completely ready. If there is a deadline to take into account, I allow myself enough time for completion of the article, making sure to allocate time for making corrections and final edits. Pre-planning and calibrating my calendar with my well-being in mind positively increases my motivation level.

The following self-care tips have helped me to implement a routine and keep motivated during the long writing process:

Adapting to circadian rhythm

During periods of seasonal change, we may need more sleep. I go to bed around 9pm and wake up with the sunrise around 5am, especially in autumn and winter, to align my circadian rhythm with fewer hours of daylight. As a result, I don’t get tired easily and my emotions don’t fluctuate, my energy and motivation stay high and my productivity increases.

Manage your time well

When writing an article, plan when to work on it and for how long. Finishing tasks immediately without procrastinating will save you time and allows you to stick to your plan more effectively. For example, I always check my emails and quickly respond before starting to write, as it clears my mind.

Think positively

Visualise completing the article and receiving the news that it’s been accepted for publication. Positive thinking in general is important – increase your motivation by spending time with your family and keeping social relationships alive. It’s easier to feel positive when everything’s going well, but it gets a little complicated when things aren’t. My motivation may decrease, my writing process slows down and I have to deal with my negative mood. In this case, I take a break from writing and try to return to my positive mood by making time for pursuits that are good for me.

Carve out a space to work without interruptions

Work at home and allow yourself to focus on writing completely. I’m often interrupted when writing during my office hours, but when working at home I can write for at least two hours without a break. Organise your work environment before you start work. I find having a tidy space to work in reduces the chaos in my mind. In the office, I have to deal with the students and collaborate with colleagues, which makes it difficult to concentrate on my work.

Stay comfortable

Wear comfortable clothes like soft cotton T-shirts and sweaters. Not paying too much attention to my clothes during the day supports my emotional well-being. I also make sure to eat well, sticking to a protein-based diet and preparing nutritious meals for myself.

Have a routine

A solid schedule will help improve your motivation when academic writing. Make a note of the activities that boost your mood and therefore your writing skills. Ask yourself two questions: “How can I express positive emotions to help me write?” and “How can I deal with the negative emotions that prevent me from writing?” 

How to collaborate

When I’m working on an article alone, sticking to my own routine relaxes me and makes my work easier. If you’re working on a collaborative project, I recommend that all participants follow their own routines and apply techniques that work for them and keep them positive. Collaborative work will go more smoothly when people can merge their program and routines, rather than causing disruption, as this can result in negativity and make it difficult to manage emotions. In order to avoid such encounters, for instance, as someone who finds the circadian rhythm useful, if I’m working with a night owl I find it best to work online on a shared document, then meet face-to-face to discuss afterwards.

Burcu Totur Dikmen is the vice-dean of the Faculty of Nursing at Near East University.

If you would like advice and insight from academics and university staff delivered direct to your inbox each week, sign up for the Campus newsletter.