Struggling with burnout, need advice
Hey all!
I’m going into my second year in a social sciences PhD, and I’ve really started to struggle mentally this summer. I need some advice (and maybe a little encouragement 🥲)
I have been having a few problems so far in grad school. My first major problem has been finding a research niche that I am both a) interested in, and b) capable of researching. I’ve been struggling to build some of the technical skills needed, such as intermediate/advanced math for economic modeling. This has caused me to struggle to identify an advisor as well. So, I feel like I’m unsteady on both a solid research agenda/topic and advisor.
Because of this, I am experiencing pretty bad burnout and depression. I have not made much research progress this summer. I am questioning whether I should switch to another advisor and focus on more empirical work, and I am also questioning my place in the program. However, I am very afraid of failing out and having to go live back to live with my parents in the trailer park I grew up in. The market for jobs I could get with a bachelor’s degree in my field is also terrible right now. This worry is kinda spinning around my head 24/7 and making it impossible to navigate this issue.
Anyways, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to manage burnout this bad, and what you would do if you were fighting against the clock to develop technical skills and narrow down an advisor!
Tl;dr I am experiencing pretty bad burnout due to the difficulty developing technical skills for my research. I am also struggling to narrow down research topics and an advisor. I’m looking to hear how others would navigate burnout this bad while fighting a clock.