What Will You Do?
Hypothetical situations can be inherently stressful. We don’t like to think about them because we know that they’re not real right now – but know that they could be.
For example:
- What will you do if you don’t get all of the results you are hoping for?
- What will you do if you find a problem in your thesis after submission?
- What will you do if you feel short on time and your viva is very soon?
- What will you do if you’re in the viva and your examiner asks a question that feels instantly tough?
Whenever you’re faced with a situation like one of these you might feel overwhelmed or worried or confused. That’s a typical human response to a potentially stressful situation.
Whatever you feel you then have to decide: what will you do?
In some ways, the real point is that you can decide. You feel whatever you feel and then you can do something. You can choose in a moment of stress and uncertainty just as you have through all of the other moments of your PhD journey.
You can do something. There is always something you can do.