Monthly Monitor: Reflecting on what comes next
Guest Editor: Katie Maureen McCoog (She/Her)
In this issue, we explore topics related to career paths after your PhD program, expectations when publishing research, and life after completing coursework.
We also share information about self care, a follow up about misgendering and invisibility from a Queer Non-binary student, and survey results from the neurodiversity in academia survey.
This newsletter includes
Building Communities Virtually-Editorial by Katie Maureen McCoog
A follow up to "Reflections Misgendering and Invisibility from a Queer Nonbinary Doctoral Student".
Exploring Diverse Career Paths after a Social Work Ph.D.
Figuring Out Life After Coursework
Strategies and Tips for Publishing Articles in Academic Journals as a Doctoral Student
Neurodivergence in Academia Survey Results
Editorial: Building Communities Virtually
Katie Maureen McCoog (She/Her)
Over the past three years, many programs have transitioned from in-person to hybrid or fully online, and the "normal" education structure has significantly shifted in the wake of the pandemic.
The traditional classroom steadily morphed from classroom to living room. My commute to school is considerably shorter, and the dress code has become much more relaxed. With these physical changes come emotional changes. The ease of interacting with peers outside of the classroom has become more complex. Finding a support system can be more challenging when our studies come to our homes through a screen. The importance of building your community is now greater than it was before, as this new interaction often feels longer. Working on projects, completing async work, and working through syllabi have become more isolating. Through this experience, I have recognized I had taken for granted the two to five-minute breaks in the classroom as small opportunities to build relationships with my classmates.
Being intentional about reaching out and building relationships has never been more critical than it is right now.
If you feel like you are surveying the playground on the first day of school, you are not alone. Who looks approachable? Will they like me? How do I talk to them? What should I say? How do I connect with this complete stranger? Will I ever meet them in person? Many of us are used to fostering connections at school, work, or the gym. Over time, a relationship evolves from familiarity. Now, we have to put ourselves back out there, become friends with classmates, and try to create relationships seemingly out of thin air. It's necessary for our emotional success to feel a sense of belonging and validation from others going through it with us. Let's discuss some ideas that feel easier than being a nervous child on the playground.
Stay grounded and remind yourself you are not the only one feeling this way. Chances are, others in your class feel the same way and may not know what to do first. Maybe they read this article.
What you are experiencing is entirely normal. Regardless of your school timeline, feeling anxious or uncertain about this experience, I validate you.
Imposter syndrome is a real thing, and most of your classmates are likely feeling the symptoms too. A doctoral program can really stir that up in us. Do I belong? Can I keep up? Yeah, you can.
Break the ice. Talk about the course you're in together. Use the syllabus for talking points if you are not an extrovert. Talk about how tired you are. Talk about the weekend. Make them laugh. Don't let the tension be a barrier between you and your potential friends.
Support each others' comments in class through the chat box or verbally. Validation provides relief and comfort to a person. People like to be validated and will continue to go towards it.
Start a Google doc of the readings for each week and invite your classmates to conquer and divide the week's tasks.
Suggest study groups, collaborations, or just a group text to support each other through the weeks.
Join a social media group specifically for doctoral students in your program, in your university. It’s a literal community of colleagues experiencing the program the way you are. Many people from different cohorts are a part of these group pages and can provide so many resources from keeping all your notes from the first semester to comic relief.
I may not have all the answers, but I can tell you that you are not alone in this. We are all working towards a common goal, working the late nights, crunching papers, listening to lectures, drinking enormous amounts of your favorite drink, mine is coffee, just to make it through the next assignment all for the degree. The degree that confirms you have researched, read, written, lectured, taught, led, and believed this work is necessary for us to change the system. Remember you are a change agent and you are going to bond with other change agents to disrupt the system. Begin the disruption to your homeostasis and put yourself out there.
A Follow up to “Reflections on Misgendering and Invisibility from a Queer Nonbinary Doctoral Student”
Hannah Boyke (They/Them)
Last June, I wrote a newsletter piece titled “Reflections on Misgendering and Invisibility from a Queer Nonbinary Doctoral Student”.
In the piece, I shared my experiences and discontent with being misgendered and rendered invisible in classrooms, programs, and just everyday life. While the content of the piece focused on my experiences, it also spoke from a space of recognition for the experiences of my trans, nonbinary, and gender diverse colleagues and friends.
Now, as I’m typing this, it’s June 2023. Instead of 25 anti-trans bills being passed nationally, 75 have been passed, and 211 are advancing in state legislatures. I’m still being told that my and my colleagues’ pronouns are “too hard” to remember, and we are still getting misgendered regularly.
I’m in Michigan where no state-level legislation has passed. The state has also recently passed legislation that expanded protections against discrimination based on gender identity. Still, 8 laws are advancing through the legislature.
***
This year, I attended a committee meeting for DEI efforts at the school. When we were having an open small-group discussion regarding feedback, I shared my experiences and those I learned from TNB colleagues regarding misgendering. Outrage emerged from the people at the table. For a moment, I had hope that there could be discussion about the avenues for implementing policies that promoted accountability. When the initial outrage subsided, the next ten minutes were spent with me being required to offer congratulations to the small-group members for the basic tasks of recognizing and affirming their classmates or students’ pronouns, names, and need for safety within classrooms.
Later, I mentioned that doctoral students—especially within social work at my university—would really benefit from increased graduate assistantship stipends (read, reimbursement for working 20 hours a week as a research assistant) and money for attending conferences and other professional development opportunities.
I was asked how higher stipends and conference money relate to DEI.
I didn’t think it needed any explanation, but I guess I was wrong.
How can we advance DEI within academia if we aren’t ensuring that the needs of doctoral students are sufficiently met by the programs that are supposed to ready them for the workforce?
How can we promote DEI when we ignore that most of the doctoral students that I know work multiple jobs to make ends meet and barely have enough time to breathe at the end of the day?
Navigating academia can be especially overwhelming for those of us who are first generation students and students from working class backgrounds who might lack the networks to even know where to start to gain the experiences needed to be “competitive”. Or for international students or noncitizen students who cannot legally work multiple jobs and are ineligible for many types of federal, state, and private funding (including that of social work organizations with citizenship requirements for funding). Or for BIPOC and disabled students who experience racialized and ableist microaggressions by faculty and students as well as systemic inequities within academia. And this is compounded even more when we account for the fact that we hold multiply marginalized identities, and our experiences with exclusion, rejection, minimization, and invisibility often are not siloed to only one aspect of our identities.
***
When I think about these experiences, I’m reminded of a poem titled “MAYBE WE SHOULDN’T MEET IF THERE ARE NO THIRD WORLD WOMEN HERE” by Chrystos, a two-spirit Menominee author, poet, and activist. I offer this poem as a point of reflection and a call for accountability:
MAYBE WE SHOULDN’T MEET
IF THERE ARE NO THIRD WORLD WOMEN HERE
Chrystos (1998)
My mouth cracks in familiar shock my eyes flee
to the other faces where my rage desperation fear pain ricochet
a thin red scream How can you miss our brown & golden
in this sea of pink We’re not as many as you
But we’re here You’re the ones who called a community
meeting & didn’t contact the Black Lesbians or G.A.L.A or
Gay American Indians or the Disabled Women’s Coalition or
Gay Asians or anyone I know
You’re the ones who don’t print your signs in Spanish or Chinese
or any way but how you talk You’re the ones standing three
feet away from a Black woman saying
There are no Third World women here
Do you think we are Martians
All those workshops on racism won’t help you open your eyes & see
how you don’t even see us
How can we come to your meetings if we are invisible
Don’t look at me with guilt Don’t apologize Don’t struggle
with the problem of racism like algebra
Don’t write a paper on it for me to read or hold a meeting in
which you discuss what to do to get us to come to your
time & your place
We’re not your problems to understand & trivialize
We don’t line up in your filing cabinets under “R” for rights
Don’t make the racist assumption that the issue of racism
between us
is yours at me
Bitter boiling I can’t see you
Exploring Diverse Career Paths after a Social Work PhD
Julisa Tindall (She/Her) and Shawn McNally (He/Him)
Earning a Ph.D. in Social Work is a significant milestone that represents years of dedication, research, and a deep commitment to understanding and addressing social issues.
As we approach the completion of our doctoral programs, it's natural to ponder the career paths that lie ahead. While academia has long been a popular choice, increasingly diverse options exist, including postdoctoral positions and opportunities in various industry sectors. In this article, we will explore and delve into these diverse opportunities.
The Academia Path
As previously indicated, academia is the path most associated with earning a Ph.D. Academic positions can be predominantly teaching, research-based, or some combination of both. Position titles can appear complex (e.g., lecturer, clinical assistant professor, etc.), but one’s career goals should ultimately influence the path taken. More specifically, one should determine whether they are more interested in teaching, research, or some combination of both.
If one is primarily interested in research, an R1 institution - universities with very high research activity - may be more appealing.
Of course, these positions often require occasional teaching, but the focus of the appointment is typically on research. Additionally, R1 institutions often have clinical appointments, which are generally full-time and can be tenure-track, with an emphasis on the teaching of social work practice. If one is interested in a more balanced approach to teaching and scholarship, an R2 institution - universities with high research activity - may be more appealing. It is perhaps worth noting that traditional appointments at R1 institutions often provide higher rates of compensation. Here’s a link that explains the different classifications for institutions
The information provided thus far is just a general rule of thumb. Much of this information can vary and/or depend on numerous factors. Not mentioned are the positions of lecturer or adjunct professor. This is because these are typically temporary and/or part-time positions, which may be appealing to those on the industry path who have some interest in teaching. Also not mentioned are the various roles one can have in addition to their appointment (e.g., field director, Ph.D. program coordinator, etc.). Ultimately, as with any job, one should carefully match their career goals to the expectations of the academic position to which they are applying.
The Postdoctoral Path
After obtaining a Ph.D. in Social Work, one of the more interesting options available may be the pursuit of a postdoctoral research position - often simply referred to as a postdoc or post-doc.
This is generally a temporary position - typically lasting one or two years - that serves as a bridge between one’s Ph.D. program and chosen career path. The reasons for pursuing a postdoc may be numerous, but they tend to involve enhancing research skills within one’s area of interest.
What occurs during a postdoc can vary, but often one works as part of a larger research team under the supervision of a mentor (often the PI) on a pre-specified project. Most commonly, postdocs work at a university or university-affiliated institution. However, there are non-academic postdoc opportunities as well (e.g., government, non-profit, etc.). It is worth noting that postdocs are generally paid positions, often in the form of a salary or stipend. If one does not quite feel competitive for a predominantly research-based position (i.e., not enough publications) or simply desires to sharpen certain aspects of their research skills (e.g., methodological), a postdoc may be an option worth considering.
The Industry Path
After obtaining a Ph.D. in Social Work, there are several industry career paths that you can pursue. Depending on the specific role and industry, these career paths may require additional experience, certifications, or specialized training. Nonetheless, networking, attending conferences, and participating in professional organizations can help you explore these career options and connect with relevant opportunities in your field of interest.
Here are some potential industry career paths:
Policy or Legislative Analyst: As a policy or legislative analyst, you can work in the government (the local, state, and federal levels), government agencies, think tanks, or non-profit organizations, analyzing social policies and advocating for changes to improve social welfare. You could provide insights into the potential impact of proposed bills, advocate for social justice issues, and contribute to the legislative decision-making process.
Evaluator or Researcher: Many organizations, government agencies, and research centers require evaluators and/or researchers to assess the effectiveness of social programs, policies, and services. With a Ph.D. in Social Work, you can conduct research on social issues, contribute to the existing knowledge base, influence policy and practice through evidence-based findings, and provide recommendations for program improvement.
Administrative Positions: You can pursue administrative roles (e.g., program manager, non-profit director, social work administrator) in social work agencies, hospitals, or healthcare organizations. As an administrator, you would oversee operations, develop policies and programs, manage budgets, and overall organizational management to ensure the delivery of quality social services that align with the agency's goals and address the population's needs.
Consultant: As a social work Ph.D., you can work as a consultant for various entities, including government agencies, non-profits, and private organizations. You can provide expertise on social policies, program development, evaluation, and training to help organizations effectively address social issues.
Grant Writer/Manager: Government agencies, think tanks, or non-profit organizations frequently rely on grants to fund their programs. With your social work and program development knowledge, you can work as a grant writer or manager, helping these agencies and organizations secure funding by writing compelling grant proposals and managing grant-funded initiatives.
Embarking on a career path after completing a Ph.D. in Social Work is an exciting and pivotal moment in your professional journey. As you start this next chapter, embrace the possibilities, remain open to new opportunities, and continue to nurture your commitment to social justice. Ultimately, choosing between academia, postdoctoral positions, industry roles, or other career paths will depend on your individual goals, interests, and values. You have the power to make a lasting and positive impact on the world around you, and we encourage you to envision the path that aligns with your passion!
*Here is a link to more resources on different career paths after a Ph.D. - 9 Great Resources That Help Ph.D. Students Transition Into the Workforce
Figuring Out Life After Coursework
Saira Afzal (She/Her)
The first milestone in a doctoral program is typically completing all coursework needed for the degree. For many of us, it means getting reacclimated with the classroom after years of being away. These coursework years can be a roller coaster of emotions and experiences—for me, there was joy in having the time and space to immerse myself in subjects I care deeply about. There were also immense doubts and feelings of inadequacy at times in the program, wondering if I knew enough to have a seat at the table.
Given this range of experiences, completing our final semester of coursework can evoke feelings of relief and feel bittersweet.
It can be unnerving to have an emptier calendar after several years of worrying about the next paper, looking ahead to class requirements for the following semester, and trying to complete weekly course readings.
If this sounds familiar, read on for some ideas/tips to consider when thinking about life after coursework.
Take a break. This may look a little different for each of us as we balance various responsibilities. Taking some time to engage in activities that you find restorative and energizing is important for sustaining yourself. This could be spending time by yourself, watching movies, or reading your favorite (non-academic) book. It may be spending time with friends and loved ones. It can be whatever makes sense for you—so long as you unplug from school related emails and plans for a bit.
Review your program’s requirements. What happens after coursework varies between institutions. Planning your timeline based on what milestones come after coursework can keep you on track. Keep track of important dates, like when you should be applying for candidacy and how long you have after coursework to pass comprehensive exams.
Think about how to structure your time. A common sentiment expressed by colleagues is that it can be incredibly challenging to figure out how to structure time and feel like you are making progress toward the next steps after coursework. Without classes built into our schedules, it can become easy to fill our time with other activities and commitments. Consider blocking out time each week and holding it as time to work on school related work. Set goals each month and take time to review both progress and areas of challenge.
Stay connected to other students and colleagues. Being out of coursework means less time spent with your cohort and other students/professors. To promote feelings of connection, plan regular check-in or co-working times with your support network. If this feels overwhelming, given your schedule, consider ways to stay connected online. There are spaces on twitter (#academictwitter, #phdlife) and facebook (check out to SSWR Doctoral Student Members group) to connect with other PhD students and potential mentors.
Remember your “why.”
The PhD journey is full of highs and lows. It’s normal to have times where you love what you’re doing and times where you question what you’re doing. After coursework, there is more time spent independently working and holding yourself accountable. Remember why you wanted to enter a doctoral program and the change you wanted to impact in the world. Remind yourself why your journey matters and the big picture goal you have. Although your destinations may be similar to cohort mates, your journey is your own and will be uniquely yours.
Strategies and Tips for Publishing Articles in Academic Journals as a Doctoral Student
Charles Labarre (He/Him)
Publishing during your doctoral program has become an increasingly important component of securing post-doctoral positions. While this process can seem intimidating at first, there are many strategies and tips that can help you along the way when you first start publishing. Below are tips and strategies for publishing during your doctoral program.
1. Before Submission
Preparing your Manuscript
Before starting the submission process, make sure you have a complete manuscript that has been evaluated and approved by all of your co-authors, if applicable. Everyone on your research team should be on the “same page” regarding the submission. Sometimes journals also want to confirm that all coauthors have read and approved the manuscript or to provide specifics on which author contributed what work to the manuscript.
Check the website of journals you are considering on components required for submission, as these occasionally differ from journal to journal (for instance, some journals may require a cover letter to accompany your manuscript, while others do not). When first familiarizing yourself with the social work field, it is a good idea to first get a sense of what journals are popular within your specific field of interest.
Here is a link to prominent social work journals that span different sub-disciplines: https://www.scimagojr.com/journalrank.php?category=3323
As a doctoral student, it can be helpful to have your advisor read your manuscript before submitting it.Your advisor likely has an illustrious publication record and, therefore, “knows” when a manuscript is at the stage where it is suitable for publication, If they do not believe the manuscript is ready to submit, make a plan with them on how to get it to submission-ready quality.
Tip: Try to resist the urge to overthink. No manuscript is ever perfect (especially upon the first submission). Smaller details such as grammar or spelling errors, while hopefully minimal, are typically addressed in the copyediting process post-acceptance.
Assessing Journal “Fit”
You will need to consider journal fit and suitability, meaning you and/or your team will evaluate to what extent the content of your manuscript fits within the scope of different journals. This step is integral to the process for two main reasons. First, desk rejection is prevalent among articles that do not match the stated scope of a journal, and careful consideration is a way to avoid this disappointment, and second, the journal you select could ultimately be the permanent outlet of your manuscript’s contents.
Tips: If your article discusses addiction or substance use, your article may not be the best fit for journals that discuss child welfare or policy. Or, if your article is conceptual or theoretical by nature, your article may not be the best fit at a journal that emphasizes social work practice (unless you go to great lengths to make sure the implications of your findings are practice-oriented). Most journals post their mission and author guidelines on their website, which can help you to make decisions regarding your manuscript’s match with a journal’s scope.
Things to consider
You will also want to consider a journal’s “impact factor.” An impact factor score is a number representing the extent to which researchers cite articles from a journal. Generally, impact factors around one are considered average, while those at or above ~2 or 3 are considered “good” (note: journals also typically report overall impact factors and “5-year” impact factors, which is a more recent impact factor score). Journals with higher impact factors tend to be more competitive or harder to get an acceptance, and lower ones are comparatively less competitive.
You can use the journal’s impact factor to make an honest assessment of your manuscript’s competitiveness for various journals. However, impact factors aren’t everything. While impact factor and a journal’s prestige/notoriety are often important in academia, it is not the be-all-end-all. As social workers, we know that dissemination and ensuring access to information is crucial, so also consider what journals can best facilitate access, as well.
If your manuscript is not a “traditional” research article, several journals have specific sections that allow for thought pieces, commentaries, or editorials. If this applies to you, consider what journals allow for these submissions.You will want to avoid journals that are predatory or “pay to publish.” If you have any doubts or questions about a journal’s validity, I recommend asking your advisor or trusted colleague for advice on a journal’s legitimacy.
Following Journal Guidelines
After selecting a journal, you will also want to carefully follow the instructions that the journals put forth regarding the manuscript's formatting. They all have their own specifications regarding word and page limits, formatting requirements, and organization. While most social work journals require APA formatting, some journals in other disciplines may require alternative referencing styles, and therefore you may need to familiarize yourself with them while navigating the submission process.
Tips: Get all information you will need together—author info, emails, contact information, etc. that journals require for submission—this will save many headaches! I recommend compiling all this information in one document before embarking on the submission process.
Remember: A manuscript can only be in consideration for publication in one journal at a time.
It is considered unethical to submit the same work to multiple journals (and could get you in hot water if you do so). If your article is ultimately rejected by a particular journal, you are then free to submit the manuscript for consideration at a different journal. I recommend making a plan for second or third journals to submit to in the event that you receive a rejection to facilitate this process.
2. Submitting your Article
To submit an article, most journals will have you first register on their website. You must provide basic info such as name, email, etc., to create an account and therefore become eligible to submit manuscripts as an author.
Carefully input material and follow instructions (double and even triple-check!). Make sure all your authors’ info is correct and in the right order.
Sometimes, a journal will ask you to recommend individuals to review your manuscript. If this happens to you and you are unsure whom to recommend, take some time to familiarize yourself with prominent authors in your discipline or leverage your connections with professors to find potential reviewers.
Tip: Allot yourself a full day dedicated to submitting your article. Putting everything together correctly is a time-consuming process, and extra time will help you ensure everything is accurate and polished, which will only increase your chances of a happy outcome.
3. After Submitting your Article
The Wait
Once your manuscript is submitted to your selected journal, it is time to wait for a decision. You will likely receive automated messages from the journal on when they receive your manuscript or when they start reviewing it, etc. I recommend keeping track of these messages and using them to update your team and/or advisor on review progression.
The time it takes for journals to review your manuscript and formulate a final decision is highly variable. Some journals provide information on their website on average times to first decision, while others do not. This information, if available, is found on the home page of the journal website.
Tips: After you submit your manuscript for consideration in your selected journal, put it out of your mind. At this point, the process is out of your hands and outside your control, and the only thing left to do is wait until you hear back from the journal.
If you have an urgent question about your manuscript, you can usually reach out to the journal staff via email (not the editor-in-chief, as this could compromise the review process!). Be sure to reference the unique manuscript identifier that they provide to you when asking a question; this helps them quickly reference what you are addressing in your email inquiry.
The Decision
When the editor-in-chief receives comments from the assigned reviewers, they then will make a decision regarding your manuscript. The editor-in-chief ultimately decides which comments to weigh most heavily, consider important, and most relevant before making a decision.
Often, reviewers must “grade” various parts of your manuscript, such as the readability, methodology, or presentation, and the editor would then use this information to guide their decision-making. You will receive all reviewer critiques (not the grades, typically) as well as the editor-in-chief’s thoughts/comments on the manuscript when you receive the decision.
4. Post-Decision: What now?
The editor-in-chief, typically, will email you to notify you of the decision they made.
Broadly, there are three possible decision outcomes. Each possible decision informs the next steps you will take, outlined below:
Rejection: Unfortunate but a learning opportunity
Unfortunately, rejection happens to everyone at some point or another in academia. Rejection is not fun, but it is important to use it as a learning opportunity to learn and grow. It is never personal!
It is possible to be rejected soon after submission (this is referred to as a “desk rejection”) or after the review of your article is completed. If the latter, consider the feedback from the reviewers and editor-in-chief and make a plan. You may decide to make substantial revisions before re-submitting your article to a different journal, or you may more immediately submit the article to a different journal.
Tip: After a rejection, take at least a day or two to process it before taking action. Some comments may take a while to digest (reviewers can be tough!). With some distance, you may also have time to reflect on what course of action to take (either revising some, or all, of your manuscript, or re-submitting it elsewhere).
Revise and Resubmit: An invitation to revise your work.
This is a common outcome. This decision ranges from minor revisions required to major revisions. If you receive an R + R (as they refer to it more commonly), do not fret! It means the journal is considering the publication of your article and is giving you the opportunity to improve the manuscript to meet their standards.
Tip: I recommend compiling all reviewer comments into a table format via Microsoft Word. Doing this will make organization much easier and help you to determine prioritization of how you address each reviewer comment.
Acceptance: You made it!
Receiving an acceptance without requested revisions from a journal is very rare, but it does happen. If this happens to you, congratulations! Acceptance can also occur after addressing revisions suggested by reviewers. You can now designate your article as “in press” within your CV!
Tips: Let your coauthors and school know when you get your acceptance! They love to know when students succeed in publishing and may open up avenues of further recognition. Provide your coauthors with the citation for their CVs and thank them again for contributing to your success.
Post-acceptance, some journals offer the option of publishing your article online before it is in print (known as an “advance online publication”).
This is a great opportunity to expedite the dissemination of your research, as publishing online often occurs much sooner than in print. Some journals have a significant delay in publishing print articles due to many accepted articles being published at a time.
After your article is accepted, be sure to follow journal deadlines for copy editing or making final edits to your manuscript (typically emailed to you within a month of acceptance). If you need more time, be sure to communicate this with them (usually, they understand delays, particularly with apt justification).
Celebrate! You worked hard and deserve to celebrate your accomplishment! Be sure to acknowledge your success in a way you see fit and thank everyone who helped make this accomplishment possible!
Below are some further resources that I have reviewed and found helpful in guiding graduate students in the publication process:
Self Care as a Graduate Student
Shani Saxon (She/Her) and Leah Munroe (She/Her)
College students are no strangers to juggling many roles and demands both in their personal and academic lives. However, research confirms that the socially accepted act of multi-tasking is problematic. It can lead to intense pressure and increased stress that could lead to family issues, academic strains, financial constraints, and even imposter syndrome. Therefore, self-care is essential to incorporate into your daily life.
Benefits and barriers to self-care
Have you been taking care of yourself lately? Be honest. What's been your main priority? Time and financial barriers can impede an individual's ability to focus on self-care. It may feel like self-care is a luxury that we do not have time for, or do not have the ability to do. However, being relaxed and feeling motivated in school can significantly increase our probability of being happier, healthier, and increase productivity overall.
Focusing on your mental, emotional, and physical health is not a luxury or a privilege — it is one of the better lifestyle choices that any of us can choose.
Our lives are not meant to be spent working constantly. It is unhealthy for anyone to live in a state of perpetually working. . We deserve lives that satisfy us outside of the work that we do.
Benefits of self-care: Being at our best and maximizing our potential sounds great. Implementing a self-care regimen is an organized way to assure that we will meet our daily goals. Introducing self-care methods in our lives can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety; improve memory, focus, and mental processing speed; improve ability to adapt to stressful situations; reduce repeated negative thinking (ruminating); improve our ability to manage emotions; provide greater satisfaction with relationships; and provide a general sense of wellness.
Challenges to self-care: Self-care can be expensive and time consuming! Pilates, yoga classes, getting massages, exercise equipment, and paying for therapy can really add up. Oh my! But fear not, there are other options that people find just as helpful, without the expense attached to it. Reading, coloring, painting with low cost supplies, star gazing, talking, listening to music, and walking or bicycling can provide moments of clarity (at little to no cost) that may be feeling the pressure of being a student. Not having the privilege of time or resources can make self-care seem out of reach when living on a stipend and having other responsibilities. According to the National Institute of Health, many students perceive self-care as time consuming and cuts into their ability to self-manage.
Guilt for taking time for yourself - Rest when the plate is full?
If you’re a social worker reading this, you have probably experienced the mixture of guilt and pleasure accompanying a vacation. The desire to get out from under the paperwork may mix with the recognition that if you’re not doing work, it's not getting done. We tend to feel bad about taking care of ourselves because we may not believe that we are worth it, that we have the time, that it is an important part of stress reduction, or that we feel it is wrong to put ourselves first over a looming deadline. While it's important to be successful academically, it is also vital to make sure that you're considering your emotional state by engaging in self-care.
The irony of all this self-care talk is that I am on the precipice of taking ten days to camp in the Canadian Wilderness. Not a computer in sight, no work to be done, and so much guilt about leaving. In preparation for this trip, I had the arduous task of telling my team. My supervisor will cover my caseload during my time away, but the nagging thought of “maybe I don’t need to leave for so long” keeps reappearing. This unhelpful thought could propel a person straight into burnout or chronic stress.
There is this dream life of the 9 to 5 where you clock out, and the job is done. That is often not the reality for people who work in the Social Work field (and most other fields too).
I quickly learned that, in academia, when you leave for the day, there is still a paper to be written. I struggle with the prospect of resting when there is work to be done and deadlines looming over my head. For some people (me, I am some people), unfinished lists can lead to chronic stress. While intermittent short-term stressors that allow for recovery can boost resilience and immune health, chronic stress can lead to irritability, fatigue, headache, digestive issues, changes in appetite, feelings of helplessness, and difficulty sleeping.
When you’re experiencing chronic stress, the road to recovery can be small actions toward self-care by clearing our inboxes, or we can take some radical action ignoring our inboxes entirely. I chose the latter because I had the opportunity. This option is not without its faults; when I return from vacation, I will be inundated with calls and requests, and my papers will remain unfinished. The other option can allow recovery while managing a workload and it is likely the more reasonable option, but it may not be as restful during the process. The balancing act of recovery while doing what you need to do is difficult. One important aspect is being kind to ourselves and allowing ourselves to take breaks, whether for ten seconds or ten days.
Take some time this week to focus on your self-care, healing, and wellness. You will quickly realize that when you honor your mind, body, and spirit, everything else falls into place a little easier.
Types of self-care
Moving your body, in ways that align with your level of mobility and support your own unique health trajectory, is essential. (e.g., running a marathon or swimming the straits of Gibraltar). It can be as simple as a vigorous 30 minutes of calisthenics, if you are able to walk a 15 minute yoga sequence. We also suggest looking for discounted gym memberships or free access to campus recreation opportunities to meet your self-care needs.
Mindfulness is a state of mind, rather than a particular exercise. There are several ways to practice mindfulness: meditation, mindfulness walks (if you’re able to walk), experiencing nature, as well as awareness of your environment, senses and abilities.
Therapy (also known as psychotherapy or talk-therapy) encompasses a variety of techniques, modalities, interventions. These treatments aim at helping a person identify, process, and change any concerning behaviors, emotions, or thoughts. There are licensed clinicians located at most colleges and universities that are a benefit of your enrollment. The institution’s counseling services are often a great place to get started, and while they rarely work with students long-term, they can assist in finding another therapist that will.
Journaling is simply expressing your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly. And if you struggle with stress, depression, or anxiety symptoms, keeping a journal can be a great idea. Here are three journal prompts to help you unpack prioritizing your self-care:
What's preventing me from practicing self-care? Why is it so hard for me to focus on myself? What am I avoiding in my reality outside of school/work?
Am I afraid that if I don't work or produce every single day, that I will fail? Do I believe in myself?
What self-care practices fill me up? How can I commit to these practices daily or weekly? If something prevents me from taking care of mind, body, and spirit, is it worth it?
stress and burnout are common in graduate school.
It is also one of the major reasons that many students must take a break from school and focus on themselves. This can be prevented by making sure that you prioritize your wellness and incorporate self-care into your routine!
Neurodivergence in Academia Survey Results
Isaac Akapnitis (They/Them)
In our October 2022 Monthly Monitor, we wrote an article about neurodiversity in academia and asked you all to share your experiences with us via a survey. Thank you to everyone who participated. While we opened the survey to anyone working within academia, the responses below are from current graduate students.
Our first question was, “What strategies or resources have helped you along your academic journey?”
The common themes centered around planning ahead, breaking down tasks, and leaving time for rest / times of no expectation of productivity (by academia’s standards). The responses below are in the respondents’ own words. Responses have been edited to protect confidentiality.
“Making a short list of [the] most important tasks to be completed. I work on the list based on how much energy/capacity I have. If I have [a lot] of capacity I work on more demanding tasks. If I have low capacity I work on easier tasks. Also, plan a buffer zone of unproductive time!”
“...I jumped full force into graduate school. I read every book I could on going to graduate school and becoming an academic before starting school…Because I did this, I knew what I was getting into.”
“ I took only one degree-related class my first semester and one pass/fail…class, so that I could get acclimated to school.”
“I took my comps one semester later…so I could take…graduate writing classes first.”
“I plan my week every Sunday night…seek support around campus…write every day for at least two hours…[and] limit teaching time.”
“Working ahead on assignments has always been a highly effective tool for me. I find that having my assignments at the beginning of the semester helps me allocate the time I need ahead of time in a four month fashion.”
I “take breaks throughout the day. I also try not to work 7 days a week.”
We also asked, “What institutional supports have you found helpful?”
Academic tutoring and support offered through the university (at no cost to students) can make a significant difference. Respondents also shared the following responses, which have been paraphrased or reported in aggregate form.
Connecting with other students and finding support outside of the institution when experiencing difficulty with the institution’s accommodations
The university writing center, free tutoring available to graduate students, and writing bootcamps, which freed up funds to obtain other necessary supports (e.g., tutors for other subject areas, therapists, etc.)
Campus wellness activities and support groups for graduate students
Graduate writing classes
Talking with professors
Purchase audiobooks when possible
“What institutional supports do you wish you had / believe would be helpful?”
Being a PhD student is a full-time job. Students are balancing course work, research, family life, our relationships, our health and well-being, and so much more. In addition to this, many of our institutions do not provide adequate or equitable funding for tuition, living costs, travel expenses for academic conferences, and other required activities, and this financial burden is felt deeply by so many students. It can also be difficult to obtain good quality (or any) health care. These themes were reflected in the responses to this question.
Easier accessibility to the accommodations office
Relevant, accessible, individual tutoring and support, especially when requested to support an accommodation for disabilities
More engaging teaching styles in the classroom
Adequate funding for students
Additional support (e.g., a nurse / case manager) for students with disabilities or complex medical needs who can help manage health care and school, while providing privacy (i.e., not having to disclose to their department)
Thank you again to everyone who participated in our survey. If you are a student and reading this, we hope you feel a little less alone in your journey.
We offer additional resources below. If you are a faculty member or hold a leadership position within academia, we hope you will hear and read these concerns and consider how you will create more support for neurodiverse and disabled students within your programs.
Additional Resources:
Book Recommendation: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World
Webinar: National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity (NCFDD) recently hosted a webinar titled, Supporting Academics with ADHD.
Use the Pomodoro method - you can keep it simple and use a timer on your phone; you can keep it funky with something like Pomodoro Cat on YouTube, use productivity apps like Focus to Do or Pomofocus, or even gamify your productivity with apps like Study Bunny.
Set up writing groups or coworking spaces. Sometimes the simple act of body doubling - working on something when someone else is in the room (or on Zoom) - can jumpstart productivity and keep you on track. You can also use the pomodoro method here!
If you can’t find a common time with others, you can often find coworking spaces on Discord and TikTok - the trick is not to get distracted on your way there!
AI tools like Motion and OtterAi can automate parts of your day to free up brainspace
Utilize your university’s disability resource center if you find it accessible or helpful. If not, consider reaching out to your Dean, Director, or another trusted leader on campus to help advocate for you and navigate the system. You deserve to have full and equal access to your education.
DSC Call for Nominations: Doctoral Student Achievement
Celebrate doctoral students’ accomplishments in research, practice, and/or degree milestones!
SSWR DSC Communications Subcommittee has an ongoing call for nominations to showcase social work doctoral student achievements.Nominate a colleague (or yourself) to have their recent accomplishments featured on SSWR DSC social media and in a future DSC newsletter.
The nomination form asks for your name, pronouns, program, a description of the accomplishment(s), information about your research, and brief bio information. If you want, you can also upload a photo of the nominee for us to share and tell us your social media handles to mention in the posts. Student achievements will be posted to social media and the SSWR DSC website as they are received. Achievements will also be featured on the SSWR DSC Newsletter.
View past students showcased for their achievements here.
CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE A COLLEAGUE (OR YOURSELF) TO BE FEATURED
Social Work Snippets:
Conference Opportunity
Disability and Social Work: Imagining Disabled Futures Convening and Unconference (September 18-22, 2023)
A description of the event provided by Shanna Kattari (They/Them)
A flyer for the Disability and Social Work: Imagining Disabled Futures Convening and Unconference (September 18-22, 2023). Flyer indicates the conference will be virtual (synchronous and asynchronous). The flyer provides the link to register for the conference and the contact information for more information. Contact information is: skattari@umich.edu and candreva@usc.edu
We are PhD students/candidates, all levels of tenure track, clinical, and contingent faculty. Some of us do research on/with disability, ableism, and disabled/Mad/neurodivergent populations. Some of us teach on topics related to disability, ableism, and/or saneism. Some of us are also practitioners in the field with members of these populations. Some of us are disabled, neurodivergent, Mad, and/or chronically ill. Many of us check multiple boxes.
In working with several other folks from the Social Work Disability Justice League and with Ilene being the student representative from the Grand Challenges committee, we have opted for a convening and unconference, grounded in disability justice values. While we have loose topics planned around disability and social work education, disability and social work research, disability and social work practice, better engaging disability in the grand challenges, social connections, affinity spaces, etc., in an unconference format, we will offering others the opportunity to suggest and/or moderate as they express interest. This unconference will be virtual the week of Sept 18th - 22nd, taking place mostly between noon and 5pm (not all at once!) Eastern time, to allow for folks across the U.S. and Canadian time zones to participate synchronously if they wish. We also plan to have lots of options to engage asynchronously to increase access. These will not be formal presentations as much as facilitated spaces for discussions, imaginings, art creations, forming collaborations, etc. We aim to make it as inclusive and anti-ableist as possible. It will be free.
Additional contacts for more information: skattari@umich.edu and candreva@usc.edu
Call for Papers
Global Insights into Clinical Social Work with Sexual and Gender Diverse/Expansive People
Deadline for Abstracts: August 25. 2023 (Invitations for full manuscripts will be sent out by October 27, 2023
Abolitionist Perspectives in Social Work
Deadline: Ongoing
Special Issue for the Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work
Deadline: July 15, 2023
Deadline: August 4, 2023
Journal for Advancing Justice Volume V: Sustaining Long-Term Recovery as Part of Justice Reform
Deadline: September 1, 2023
Call for Submissions
The database spreadsheet BIPOC-Authored Social Work Papers
Deadline: Ongoing
Additional Resources
RESOURCES FOR NEWER CONFERENCE PRESENTERS AND ATTTENDEES
How to Give a Scientific Talk: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-07780-5
Video on How to Confidently Present your Research at Conferences: https://asiaedit.com/webinar/how-to-confidently-present-your-research-at-conferences-in-person-and-online
Not following “SWRnet”?
Formerly known as the IASWR Listserv, SWRnet (Social Work Research Network) was launched in October 2009 to continue serving the social work research community by providing regular updates on funding opportunities, calls for papers, conference deadlines and newly published research. SWRnet is administered by the Boston University School of Social Work.
IMAGE USE INFORMATION
All heading images are accompanied by alternative text descriptions embedded in the image, so it is accessible to a screen reader even if not visible on the page. Additional images throughout the newsletter pieces are accompanied by captions as well as embedded alternative text.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Disclaimer: This newsletter is created as free service by SSWR Doctoral Student Committee Communications Subcommittee members:
Katie Maureen McCoog (She/Her)
Hannah Boyke (They/Them)
Alauna Reckley (She/Her)
Julisa Tindall (She/Her)
Shawn McNally (He/Him)
Saira Afzal (She/Her)
Charles Labarre (He/Him)
Shani Saxon (She/Her)
Leah Munroe (She/Her)
Isaac Akapnitis (They/Them)
The opinions expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of the individuals listed above alone and do not claim to represent the opinions of SSWR or the SSWR Doctoral Student Committee