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THE ALL-BUT-DISSERTATION SURVIVAL GUIDE(tm)
Devoted to practical steps for completing your
doctoral dissertation.
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1. Ben's note
2. LEAD ARTICLE: Desperately Seeking Sleep
by Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
3. WOO HOO! I'm DOCTOR Tina Smith!--Ben & Tina's Unexpected IM'ing just hours agoSUMMARY
===================================
In this issue, we welcome Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
as our new Editor and Tracy shares
strategies for improving sleep habits
during the dissertation process.
Ben also expresses his appreciation to
Rachna Jain for her tenure as editor for the
ABD newsletter. And...surprisingly..we share a
verbatim IM conversation that occurred just before
this e-newsletter went out.===================================
SPECIAL NOTE: After 8 years in plain text, the ABDSG is
going to four-color HTML with the next issue. So be ready, we'll
look a little different. Finally in color.1. Ben's Note
November 3, 2005
Dear Reader,
If you have enjoyed the ABD newsletter over the
past years, please join me in saying thank you and
goodbye to ABD newsletter editor, Rachna Jain, Ph.D.
In addition to being a fantastic writer and editor, Rachna
is an excellent dissertation coach. I wonder how many
Dissertation acknowledgment pages include her name?Thank you, Rachna!
And please welcome Our newest ABD editor, Dr. Tracy
Steen!! Tracy is a graduate of arguably the top clinical
psychology program in the US. The University of Michigan.
She was a star graduate student, won a highly selective
post doc to study Positive Psychology at the University
of Pennsylvania. She's now the Clinical Director of a
special treatment program also at the University of
Pennsylvania. She writes like a dream and can coach
others to do the same.She doesn't just talk the talk. Tracy is a gifted
researcher who just wrote the lead article in last
months'American Psychologist (n=166,000), co-authored
with Martin E. P. Seligman, Chris Peterson, (both leading
figures in Positive Psychology) and others.She's the author of the Steen Happiness Test. She
is a wonderful, warm person--a great coach whom I'd
recommend to all of you. But even more, she'll have
a positive infuence on all our ABDSG readers.Tracy is also the author of this issue's feature
article on sleep. She offers practical strategies
that you can use now to improve your sleep. Put
down that cup of coffee and read on….Warmly,
Ben
Ben Dean, Ph.D.
PS.....
1. Increasing Happiness and Meaning
If you are interested in applying Positive Psychology to
your work and life, there is a cool issue of my new Coaching Toward
Happiness eNewsletter just about to come out with an interview
with the Indiana Jones of Positive Psychology. You can subscribe
for free at www.coachingtowardhappiness.com2. ADD Coach Training
We have a wonderful 8-week course beginning in ADHD
Coaching (good for either coaches or those with ADHD) taught
by Alan Graham, Ph.D., a psychologist, coach, and one
of the leading figures in the field--
see http://www.mentorcoach.com/publicmc.htm#adhd3. Becoming a Coach
And we have cool coach training programs, too (www.mentorcoach.com)===================================
2. Desperately Seeking Sleep
Tracy Steen, Ph.D.
===================================You stare into the darkness.… Checking the clock yet again.…
Fluffing up the pillow and thinking about how late it’s getting….
Thinking about THE DISSERTATION.…How can you ever
pull everything together?….Thinking about not getting any sleep….Checking the
clock once more….Must relax….You try not to think….You covet sleep, yearning for that blessed state of
unconsciousness, even as your meandering mind
rebelliously reviews every agonizing aspect of
THE DISSERTATION.===================================
Sound familiar? If so, you may be one of the sleep deprived.
Fatigued but functional, you make it through the day, only to
resume a nightly struggle for snooze.The obvious diagnosis is insomnia, but do not despair!
Transient insomnia, such as that described above, is exactly
that—transient. It can result from a variety of stressful
situations ranging from domestic disputes to health
concerns. Not surprisingly, the stress most common
to ABD students is THE DISSERTATION.This major hurdle can be a huge source of anxiety,
looming like a monster, robbing you of the rest you
need. And especially perverse is the nature of the
sleepless cycle. The insomnia and the anxiety
reinforce each other. The more stressed you
feel, the more difficult it is to fall asleep; and the less sleep
you get, the more stressed you feel.The good news is that most ABD students experience relief
from this maddening cycle post-dissertation. Don’t want to
wait that long? Here are some strategies you can use now
to increase your chances of a good night’s sleep.DAYTIME STRATEGIES
1. Don’t oversleep.
Even if you’ve been unable to sleep well
during the night, don’t allow yourself to oversleep the next
morning. Get up at the same time every day. Otherwise,
you may unintentionally reset your body clock to a cycle
of getting to sleep later at night and awakening later the
next morning.2. Do not take naps.
It may be hard to resist if you’ve had a sleepless
night, but taking a nap is another unwanted
opportunity (see above) to scramble the body clock and
set yourself up for more sleep problems at night. If you
absolutely can’t hold your eyes open for a full day, take
the nap early in the day and limit it to no more than
30 minutes.3. Avoid caffeine.
You already know about caffeine, but Starbucks
or the Daily Grind can be hard to resist, and
an afternoon cup of coffee may seem like a good idea
when you feel your energy level drooping. Just keep
in mind that caffeine is a stimulant that may continue
to keep you alert as long as 6 to 12 hours later—when
you want to sleep.The effect varies with the individual,
so you need to experiment a bit to determine how much
or how little caffeine is appropriate for you. That
determination is complicated somewhat by the fact that
the more coffee you drink, the less effective it is as a
stimulant.Try eliminating it in the afternoon to see
if you sleep better. If not, you may want to move your
last cup back a couple of hours or cut caffeine out
entirely. (Many sodas, teas, and chocolate also have
caffeine.)4. Limit alcohol.
In contrast to coffee, alcohol initially has
a calming effect. It may help you fall asleep, but it won’t
allow you to get the kind of sleep you need for a restful,
restorative night. Alcohol interrupts normal sleep
patterns, producing shallow sleep with frequent
awakenings during the night and in the early morning.
Avoid drinking beer, wine or any other alcoholic
beverage within several hours before bedtime.5. Don’t smoke.
Like caffeine, nicotine is a stimulant,
and research has linked it to difficulty in falling asleep
and staying asleep. Smokers actually experience nicotine
withdrawal during the night! And when smokers finally
do get back to sleep, they are more likely to have
problems waking up in the morning6. Exercise.
It’s important to get daily exercise, even if
you’re feeling tired after a restless night. Thirty minutes
of fairly strenuous exercise (e.g., brisk walking, tennis,
running) promotes better sleep, but it should be done in
the morning or afternoon. Because exercise stimulates
the body, the exercise most appropriate close to bedtime
is a gentle stretching or an evening stroll.7. Catch morning rays.
Light helps set your biological clock.
Make sure you have light, either natural or
artificial, first thing in the morning. And keep your
room dark at night so that light doesn’t interfere with
your sleep.EVENING STRATEGIES
1. Make tomorrow’s to-do list.
The simple act of writing down the tasks that will
wait until tomorrow can help put your mind to rest.
Compile the list after you’ve finished your work for
the day, and keep paper and pencil by the bed in
case additional concerns pop into your mind later.
Just add them to tomorrow’s to-do list, and recall
Scarlet O’Hara’s famous quote: “I can’t think
about that right now. If I do, I’ll go crazy.
I’ll think about that tomorrow.”2. Maintain a regular sleep schedule.
Try to go to bed at the same time every night.
Your amazing body is adept at setting its own clock
and maintaining an optimal sleep-wake cycle, but
you can thwart that process with irregular sleep habits.3. Have a bedtime snack.
Some people benefit from a glass of warm milk.
The secret in this longstanding antidote to
sleeplessness is the amino acid tryptophan.
Also found in turkey, tuna, cashews and peanuts,
tryptophan stimulates serotonin, a neurotransmitter
in the brain that may be helpful in promoting sleep.
To enhance the effect, add a carb like whole wheat
bread or cereal in order to aid the absorption of
tryptophan. A bit of peanut butter on toast might
be nice as well. Just don’t overdo the snack.
A heavy meal before bed can interfere with sleep,
and tryptophan works better on a nearly
empty stomach.4. Establish bedtime rituals.
Your body will learn to respond to cues that
it’s time to leave the dissertation behind and
wind down for sleep. Develop relaxing rituals that
are pleasing to you—e.g., a cup of herbal or decaf
tea, soothing music, warm bath, light reading,
prayer or meditation. Avoid activities that are
stimulating. And though it may be tempting to
review some notes in bed just before you turn
out the light, never do it! You want to establish
cues, not send mixed signals.5. Get up if sleeplessness persists.
Don’t lie in bed awake, worrying about lack of sleep.
If more than half an hour passes, get up and do
something non-stimulating for a short while.
Keep it fairly boring and tedious. Don’t allow
yourself to get engrossed in TV. And most
emphatically, do not work on the dissertation!
6. Try altering your sleep environment.Many people sleep better in a cool room (60 degrees
or less). Piling on the needed blankets can contribute
to a sleep-inducing feeling of coziness. Stuffiness
has an opposite effect, so make sure the room is
well ventilated. And keep your bedtime surroundings
peaceful and quiet, perhaps employing a white noise
machine or soft music.If all else fails, seek professional help. Writing the
dissertation is an endurance event, and you need
a well-rested body and mind. You have probably
heard strategies for improving sleep habits before,
so my challenge to you is to actually put some
into practice. I wish you well in your quest
for zzzzz’s!================================
Dr. TRACY STEEN, Editor, ABDSG
================================
Tracy Steen, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and
writing coach in Philadelphia, PA.She received her own Ph.D. from the University of
Michigan and completed a postdoctoral fellowship
in positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Steen draws on her research background in positive
psychology in her coaching work with writers. She works
with writers to remove internal obstacles so that they
can find more engagement and flow in their work.You can contact Dr. Steen with questions about this newsletter
or about writing coaching in general at tracy@mentorcoach.com.
And visit Tracy's home on the web at www.tracysteen.com=============================================
3. WOO HOO! I'm Tina Smith (now DOCTOR Tina Smith!)
A True IM Conversation That Just Occurred
=============================================
Wednesday Night, November 2, 2005True Story. Tracy just sent me this issue of the ABDSG. I was putting
the final touches on my part. And suddenly....this
Instant Message came in:ThndrYooHoo [8:52 PM]: Ben...I successfully defended my
dissertation today! WOO HOO!BenDeanPhD [8:52 PM]: Who is this?
ThndrYooHoo [8:52 PM]: I have been getting your wonderful and
inspiring emails over the past 3 years....ThndrYooHoo [8:53 PM]: I'm Tina Smith (now DOCTOR Tina Smith!)
BenDeanPhD [8:53 PM]: Dr.Smith, yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
BenDeanPhD [8:53 PM]: What program and University?
ThndrYooHoo [8:53 PM]: I defended today.
ThndrYooHoo [8:54 PM]: Education Administration (Ed.D.) at
Tennessee State University in NashvilleBenDeanPhD [8:54 PM]: I'm finishing the ABDSG right now.
Can I include our IM with your name and your exhiliration?ThndrYooHoo [8:54 PM]: Sure! Tell the world!
BenDeanPhD [8:55 PM]: What was your topic? And did you have
a day job while you were working on this?ThndrYooHoo [8:55 PM]: I can't tell you how many articles of
yours I have printed and usedBenDeanPhD [8:55 PM]: Wow, I'm so glad they were useful.
ThndrYooHoo [8:55 PM]: Yes...I taught full time. My topic
centered around the importance of substitute teacher training.BenDeanPhD [8:56 PM]: Did you teach as a Teaching Assistant
at TSU?ThndrYooHoo [8:56 PM]: When I first started taking courses I
did an internet search on dissertation writing and your site came up
.
ThndrYooHoo [8:56 PM]: No...I am a high school teacherBenDeanPhD [8:58 PM]: Tina (I mean...Dr Smith!!) Is there any
advice you would share with others getting ready to pick a topic
and work on their dissertations?ThndrYooHoo [8:59 PM]: While taking the courses, decide very
early the general focus of your dissertation...then write every paper
for all courses on some aspect of that topic. You can use the info later in the dissertation...and you're learning more about your topic in the process.
ThndrYooHoo [9:00 PM]: To me, that is the best advice I can give.
Some people write a paper for a class, then re-cycle it for another class.
Instead of being lazy, a doctoral student should be constantly researching
his/her topic, learning the latest information, etc.BenDeanPhD [9:00 PM]: Tina, that's great advice...What was the
biggest mistake you made?ThndrYooHoo [9:01 PM]: hmmm.....my biggest mistake was waiting
until I was 46 to start working on a doctorate! LOLBenDeanPhD [9:03 PM]: Well, it takes a lot of courage to start when
you're past 45. And I'll bet a lot of our readers are working fulltime and
are in the same position you've been. You made it!!! Congratulations.
BenDeanPhD [9:03 PM]: Where do you hope to be five years from
now?ThndrYooHoo [9:04 PM]: Thanks. I'm THRILLED! I have recently
published an article and I have spoken at a conference. I hope to
continue to research (on the side--can't quit the day job!) and
eventually teach on the college level. I also hope to become a
consultant and go to various school districts in the summer and train
their substitute teachers.BenDeanPhD [9:05 PM]: Tina, I think you have a lot of gifts to
bring the world. Thank you so much for sharing your joy with me!ThndrYooHoo [9:06 PM]: Thanks for all you did to help me,
Ben....even though you didn't know you were helping me at the time!
Your regular email articles were great
I even printed a couple of them and took them to classes when the
topics we were covering applied to them.ThndrYooHoo [9:07 PM]: I know you're busy....just wanted to
thank you.BenDeanPhD [9:07 PM]: Thanks Tina! Rachna Jain, our editor at
the time, deserves much credit for this, too. Your kind words mean a lot.
Take care and keep us posted on your progress, Ben
=================================================
YOUR OWN COACH
=================================================If you are considering whether to get your own coach
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email to: ben16-76471@autocontactor.com=================================================
BEN DEAN,Ph.D., MCC Publisher, ABDSG
=================================================Ben holds a Ph.D. in psychology from the University
of Texas at Austin. He is a leading figure in the
coaching world, an ICF Master Certified Coach.He begain coaching in 1982 and from 1987 to 2000 combined
his clinical and coaching work in a managed care free
practice in Bethesda Maryland.In 1997, he founded MentorCoach, (www.MentorCoach.com),
a virtual university training accomplished helping
professionals to become extraordinary
coaches.For the Therapist as Coach eNewsletter, go to
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subscribe to the eCoach Newsletter at www.ecoach.com.And if you're interested in Positive Psychology--the
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lives--lives that are happier, more engaged, more
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Subscribe to Ben's eNewsletter with 131,000 global
subscribers: The Coaching Toward Happiness eNewsletter!Ben lives in suburban Maryland with his wife, Janice,
their two children, David and Sara, and their pet dwarf
bunny, Norbert.=================================================
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