Perhaps one of the things I miss most about doing a PhD is being able to work from anywhere. While academia is still relatively flexible, it is nothing like a PhD, so I highly recommend making the most of it. I personally find mixing up my work places, especially when writing manuscripts or chapters, really helps with motivation and creativity.
So here are some places you can write…
Café– There is something romantic about sitting in a cozy cafe, drinking delicious coffee or tea, rain falling outside, creative writing juices flowing… okay, so you can’t necessarily engineer the rain, but the coffee/tea is at least guaranteed
Quiet bar- My office now is actually above a pub, and although the pub is not always quiet, in the mid afternoon I find it such a great place to sit and write… the occasional glass of red isn’t bad for writing either…
Outside- Connection to nature and benefits of nature is a big part of the research that I do and content that I teach. It is starting to be well established in the literature that working in nature can decrease stress, increase creativity, and increase productivity.
Next to indoor plants- Following on from my last point, if you can’t get out into nature, you can bring nature to you. Get some indoor plants on your desk- there is new evidence to suggest that this has similar benefits to being out in nature.
At a writing retreat- Perhaps a total change of scene is what you need to smash out those chapters or manuscripts. I found taking some time away at Airbnbs during my PhD, was such a fantastic way to get writing done.. And of course a great way to take some time to refresh also.
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