Deep Work, Focus and Mindful Productivity in the PhD

Building on the foundations of sustainable productivity explored in Dr Jamie Pei's previous session (see 13 October Mindful Energy, Deliberate Rest and Work-Life Balance in the PhD), this interactive and standalone session introduces you to further practical strategies for doing deep work and maintaining focus throughout your PhD. 

Drawing on Flow science and mindfulness-informed approaches, you'll explore how to maintain productive focus and progress in your research while balancing the many demands of doctoral study with deliberate guilt-free rest and recovery. 

We will also examine common challenges such as procrastination, perfectionism, distracted multitasking and low motivation, and develop practical strategies for responding to them. You’ll leave this workshop with routines and practices that support both thoughtful, meaningful work and healthy self-care.

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:
•    Distinguish between deep work and shallow work, and recognise when each is most appropriate.
•    Structure your time to support focused, high-quality research alongside everyday tasks.
•    Create working routines that balance productive, creative work with deliberate rest and recovery.
•    Draw on practices to respond more effectively to procrastination, low motivation, perfectionism or other barriers to making steady progress in the PhD.