Turning Pressure into Power

Graduate school can sometimes be intense and demanding, marked by research pressures, committee meetings, coursework deadlines, and the balancing act of personal and professional commitments. Also, the roller-coaster-like nature of research work itself can become frustrating when nothing goes according to plan, and deadlines are pushed back by months with zero progress. In the midst of these challenges, maintaining a positive mindset can immensely help enhance one's experience. Often, when I have long experiment days, I listen to audiobooks that help me stay focused and engaged by adding novelty to repetitive tasks. A recent audiobook called "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor has truly transformed the way I think, and I consistently find myself going back to re-listen to some parts because it was simply 'too helpful' and 'too good.' In this article, I write about the valuable insights and practical strategies that can be applied to navigate the graduate school journey with greater ease and fulfillment.

The Core Principles of "The Happiness Advantage"

Shawn Achor, a positive psychology expert, posits that happiness fuels success, rather than the other way around. His book outlines seven core principles that illustrate how a positive mindset can lead to improved performance and achievement. These principles include:

1. The Happiness Advantage: Cultivating a positive mindset to improve productivity and performance.
2. The Fulcrum and the Lever: Changing your mindset (the fulcrum) to leverage your potential.
3. The Tetris Effect: Training your brain to spot patterns of possibility, allowing you to seize opportunities.
4. Falling Up: Learning from failure and adversity to bounce back stronger.
5. The Zorro Circle: Focusing on small, manageable goals to regain control.
6. The 20-Second Rule: Reducing activation energy for positive habits by making them easier to start.
7. Social Investment: Investing in social relationships to build a support network.

Applying These Principles to Graduate School

The Happiness Advantage: Cultivating Positivity

In graduate school, it's easy to become overwhelmed by deadlines and expectations. Applying the Happiness Advantage principle means actively seeking out positivity in your daily life. Start by practicing gratitude—keep a journal where you note down three things you're grateful for each day. This simple practice can shift your focus from stressors to positives, boosting your overall mood and resilience. Additionally, incorporate activities that bring you joy, such as hobbies, exercise, or spending time with loved ones. These positive experiences can provide a buffer against stress and enhance your overall well-being.

The Fulcrum and the Lever: Shifting Your Mindset

Graduate school challenges can sometimes feel insurmountable. By adopting a growth mindset, you can see these challenges as opportunities for learning and development. Reframe your perspective on difficult tasks by viewing them as chances to expand your skills and knowledge. This shift can increase your motivation and perseverance. For instance, if you're struggling with troubleshooting a research problem, instead of seeing it as a dead end, view it as an opportunity to develop problem-solving skills and discover new methodologies. This mindset can transform obstacles into stepping stones for growth.

The Tetris Effect: Spotting Patterns of Possibility

Train yourself to notice positive aspects and opportunities in your environment. This might mean recognizing and celebrating small wins in your research progress. By consciously focusing on these positives, you can build momentum and stay motivated. For example, if you've successfully conducted a challenging experiment or received positive feedback on a paper, take the time to acknowledge and celebrate these achievements. This habit of recognizing and savoring small victories can enhance your sense of accomplishment and drive.

Falling Up: Learning from Adversity

Setbacks and failures are inevitable in graduate school, whether it's a rejected paper or an experiment gone wrong. The Falling Up principle encourages you to see these setbacks as learning experiences. Reflect on what went wrong, what you can learn from it, and how you can apply this new knowledge moving forward. This resilience will help you navigate future challenges more effectively. For example, after a failed experiment, analyze the results to understand what factors may have contributed to the failure. Use this information to refine your approach and design better experiments in the future with the new information that you learned from previous failed attempts.

The Zorro Circle: Starting Small

Graduate school often involves tackling large, complex projects. The Zorro Circle principle suggests breaking these projects into smaller, manageable tasks. Focus on one small task at a time to avoid feeling overwhelmed. As you complete these smaller tasks, you'll build confidence and regain a sense of control. For instance, if you're working on a thesis, break it down into sections such as literature review, methods, results, and discussion. Tackle each section individually, setting specific, achievable goals for each stage. This approach can make large projects more manageable and less daunting.

The 20-Second Rule: Building Positive Habits

Developing good habits, such as consistent exercise, can enhance your graduate school experience. Use the 20-Second Rule to lower the barrier to starting these habits. For example, if you want to exercise more, lay out your workout clothes the night before. By making positive actions easier to start, you'll be more likely to stick with them. Similarly, if you want to establish a more structured work routine, set up a dedicated space for your planner and/ or calendar to keep your agenda tasks organized. Reducing the effort required to start these habits can increase your likelihood of maintaining them.

Social Investment: Building Relationships

Graduate school can be isolating, but investing in social relationships can provide support. Make time to connect with peers, mentors, and friends. These relationships can offer emotional support, academic collaboration, and a sense of community, all of which contribute to your overall well-being. For instance, joining lab gatherings, attending departmental events, and participating in academic conferences can help you build a strong support network. A mentor can also play a role in your social support system during graduate school by providing guidance, emotional support, and practical assistance. They offer empathy and understanding, which helps you navigate the emotional ups and downs of graduate school. By listening and showing genuine concern for your well-being, mentors can provide a much-needed source of encouragement and motivation, helping you stay focused and resilient in the face of challenges. These connections can provide valuable insights, feedback, and encouragement, making your graduate school journey more enjoyable and less solitary.

If you made it this far, I thank you for your patience because I know reading isn't always fun. I hope I have convinced you that by cultivating positivity, shifting your mindset, spotting opportunities, learning from setbacks, focusing on small wins, building positive habits, and investing in relationships, you can navigate the rigours of graduate school with greater resilience and success. I also encourage you to listen to the original audiobook on a busy experiment day or read the physical book if you enjoy a more tactile reading experience or are bored on the TTC :)

Saya Sedighi is a graduate student in Anne-Claude Gingras's lab at the LTRI. Saya is a part of MoGen's communications team and serves as the co-president of the GSA and as the PSME committee representative for the MoGen Graduate Student Association. She is also the communications director for the Graduate Representation Committee (GRC).