Is it hot? Is it cold? I don’t know anymore. I really need holidays or better: early, very early, retirement. Anyway, what we need is a bit of sassiness in the mix. So let’s make July a bit sassy. Yikes, it sounds like an election campaign. I don’t like it, never mind. What were we doing? Ah, yes, sassy. So, Ryu asks:
How do I rediscover the joy of science?
Dear Ryu,
Tough audience question found me again, great. Thanks for the nice question, I have something to say but it’s not an answer but more of a comment. Kidding, tbh, I don’t know. But I know that it takes time. Your love for science is like the deep sea life after the Hunga-Tonga eruption: buried under the ash, we don’t know how deep it is, what got affected by the ash and what not, or how the ecosystem will recover. -Damn, now I can find a million analogies to explain this feeling. Should I list them under postscript and we create a game to find the best analogy?- Not an easy task in my opinion. Been there, and maybe I’m still there, who knows? It comes and goes like tides, so I’m sure we can try some techniques that worked in the past. When the loss of joy in science is profound, The Sassy Scientist might dig deeper into the roots of scientific passion:
Rediscover your why, like why you started in the first place, and what made you excited about your research. If the answer is not bringing you to the resolution, expand the picture, and look for something that excites you about your field, or even science in general. If you are so unmotivated that you don’t even remember -which is fine, postgraduate life is a trauma that we all would like to forget-, then it’s time to go back to the basics. You know, trying to learn something can create some curiosity and spark. That’s enough to rekindle the fire sometimes. Another similar thing to going back to basics is outreach. When you are talking to non-specialists about your research/your field, it might bring you back to the moment when you were super duper excited. So what I’m saying is spread your scientific wisdom like confetti at a party, it might also help you to escape from overwhelming social situations where you don’t know how to navigate (talking about parties, I’m not much of a party person).
Okay, hold your horses and don’t storm off just yet. I know this might not be the magic solution, but let’s dig a bit deeper – what are we, palaeontologists hoping to unearth a T-Rex in our backyard? We need to figure out what led you to this point (and let’s be real, what led us—I may be the sassy scientist, but I’m human too). Maybe your daily grind feels like you’re stuck in an infinite loop of pipetting and paper revisions. Believe me, I see it all the time on socials from my biology PhD and postdoc pals, and the struggle is real. Introducing a new fresh perspective might help: you can join reading groups, dive into a collaboration, or attend a seminar. I don’t know your daily schedule, anything that’s different will do the job. I cannot promise you that will help. Maybe you long for a community connection where people share your interests and struggles.
All in all, I hate to break it to you but it sounds like a sign of burnout. Take care of your mind and body; they’re the most delicate equipment in your lab. A study shows that PhDs and postdocs reported having anxiety and depression, with 41% of respondents experiencing moderate to severe anxiety and 39% suffering from moderate to severe depression—these rates are SIX, yes you heard it right, SIX, times greater than the general population. The detrimental stress can lead to depression and anxiety, and it only grows with time. We need to recognise the warning signs and seek help from mental health professionals. Remember, asking for help and getting help is not a sign of weakness. As the wise Totoro once silently conveyed, sometimes it’s okay to take a break and find your calm in a Catbus ride or a peaceful nap under a camphor tree. Prioritise your well-being, and don’t hesitate to reach out for the support you need.
Yours sincerely,
The Sassy Scientist
p.s. Which one is better—the Hunga Tonga one or this one? Curiosity Reboot: “Dust off that old curiosity rover and explore your field like it’s an uncharted Martian landscape.”
p.p.s. I know we concluded with a social message about getting into therapy, etc. But I promise this is not a sponsored post with BetterHelp. So don’t even think about spamming my email with discount code requests.
p.p.p.s. Long post, I know—sorry, but not really. Consider this as my version of an Indiana Jones quest: a wild adventure through my mental dig site.
