Just doing my best trying to do a PhD with ADHD!
Hi I'm Sarah, a third year PhD student in Religious Studies. I make student lifestyle vlogs documenting my experiences as a grad student with ADHD, as well as helpful videos for grad students and university/college students with ADHD. Thanks for checking out my channel! :)
#gradschool #gradstudent #phdstudent #phdvlog #gradstudentvlog #religiousstudies #humanitiesphd #socialscience #studentvlog #studytips #studytube #ADHD #adhdwomen #adhdstudent
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Echoing @TheVintageAcademic! Watching your videos is like having an ADHD-PhD accountability buddy! 😄 Trying to get work done during the summer has been such a struggle, but this video was much-needed motivation! (Also, love the Lucipurrr shirt!)
Thank you! I agree the summer makes getting work done so much more difficult haha, so I’m glad I can help with some accountability! What is your PhD in?
I really love seeing other ADHD grad students making vlogs! It really makes me feel less alone in the experience ♥️ Thank you for sharing your research with us! It sounds really interesting
Thank you so much! I definitely feel that way when I watch your videos too-it makes the grad school experience less isolating and also more hopeful… there are a lot of ups and downs but it’s encouraging being able to connect with and relate to others going through similar experiences! 💜
working on it
well my gma from albany and my gpa from south queen that why uiam from utah like my mom
im a st partick man ok im trying alright wow in god shakes age for a blimp ass fat touge lard ass move no body pal im sorry im unewindind remeber i catch up very well so ok just chill ok got it
got it
hi
apply for studen help with the libary utah downtoen iam adult need some work can do ok threw penn foster
yes the next ten punds to loose are going to suck from ther left over from frank cal hung shit ok i quess this meant fuck you i did cause of you hahaha shmae on and i was right all about you hahaha ill just save my self all on my own have a good one thanks iam trying to rule my life ok
Really appreciate your vlogs and content. I am still in Undergrad, but I have pondered over getting a PhD and all that it entails. I appreciate content like yours as it allows me a glimpse of what that looks like, while I do not have ADHD I do have anxiety so even though it isn't similar your content allows me to see what this process looks like while having something that can take over life at times. Much appreciation and encouragement <3
Aw thank you so much for your kind words, I’m glad my videos are relatable! I also struggle with anxiety, so I know it can make academia that much more difficult 💜 best of luck with your undergrad, and if you have any questions or want to talk about doing a PhD I’m happy to chat!
Also, as an older ADHDer, I would just throw out the possibility of doing less. That has been the only thing that has worked for me, because I know I'm going to run off on side quests throughout the day and there's just no stopping it. I also just have less energy throughout the day and I know once I hit the wall, pushing past it won't get me very far and will only take away from my energy for the next day. Watching your vlogs, I don't know how you do it all! You have a LOT on your plate. I'm not a PhD student, so I'm sure there's a high expectation on you that I'm not a part of, but just something to consider. I think neurodivergents have to find ways to make the world work for them. I'd hate to see you give up on your dream because we expect the academic world to run us over and the only way to avoid it is to get out. There's a lot of room for change in academia, some of which you're talking about with indigenous inclusion, and there's room for change around neurodivergence in academia. Yet, it won't change if we don't start pushing back. Considering how little they want to pay us for our work, I think there's absolutely room for us to do less, focus our energy where it is most effective, and have a better work-life balance. I hope you find a way that works for you!
Sarah, I'm afraid you missed your "meet cute" with the science guy! Lol!
ah that feeling of guilt when procrastinating... so relatable!
Concerta 18mg worked perfectly from the first day (especiallyif I sleep well), maybe I'm lucky Edit: Extended release
That's great! I'm glad it's working well for you!
I've gotten it a few times, idk if that's what it was tho
Hey there! I found you because I searched for phd and adhd content. I just started by phd and got the diagnoses 2 years ago! You got a new follower! Greetings from Germany :))
Hi, and thank you so much! It's great to connect with another PhD student with ADHD :) I hope the start of your PhD journey is going well! What's your PhD on?
@@sarahbestPhD studied neuroscience and the overall topic will be sleep. Maybe with some adhd focus but I’m not sure yet! :)
Lol my adhd is so bad, i put this video on 1.5 speed
Great video! What is the theme you're using into Obsidian? I love the color-coding possibility of it
Thank you! Sorry for the late reply, but I use the Prism theme in Obsidian :)
Everything you said was purely education for my adhd mind. Also the black and white setting on your phone is a major help. I’ve never thought of this until you showed me how it looks. Thank you for this.
I'm glad it helped you! Definitely helpful for making our phones less shiny and distracting haha
🌸 'promo sm'
Hi Sarah, it's me, having found your channel only a little while ago! I am also using Obsidian. I see that you keep the "research" folder separately from the "dissertation" folder. May I ask what is in the dissertation folder? Do you write/plan on writing the text of your dissertation in Obsidian as well? I am keeping all my research notes in one vault and I'm also writing my text in several linked documents there, but sometimes I find it a bit confusing and hard to tell how much I have actually written for my own text. But then again I find it nice to have it all in one place, being able to connect everything. Just wondering how you are doing it--hope I didn't miss that piece of information in the video 🙂
Hi! Sorry for the late reply, but yes I keep my "research" separate from my dissertation notes. The research folder contains my notes on all the readings I've done (whether they're relevant to my dissertation or not). The dissertation folder is where I keep all of my writing, thoughts, and brainstorming related to my dissertation. I do the planning and initial writing for my dissertation there in Obsidian, so I can make connections easily between different ideas and to secondary texts. Right now I'm still in the research phase of my dissertation process, but I think when I start actually writing chapters, I'll do that in Obsidian too.
Thank you! This was such a helpful video. The clips of your annotated books and the Notion page of your readings are truly beautiful :D; they make the hyper organized part of me happy 😂
How did you decide what you want to do your dissertation on? I'm struggling a lot with picking out specific projects from my (also very broad) interests.
Sorry for the late reply, but this is a good question, ha! I selected my dissertation topic based on things that are of interest to me, and where my various broad points of interest intersect. But my dissertation topic has changed a lot over the course of my program... Over the course of doing the research, my topic has changed from my original proposal, which I think is quite common. Sometimes the process will take you to unexpected avenues, and that's okay!
I'm so glad you're sharing bits of your life with us. Your videos make me feel less alone as a grad student who also works at uni.
(And, more importantly, who also has ADHD and chronic pain. 😬)
I also recently embarrassed myself in front of new colleagues by not remembering basic terms in my field, lmao. It's a struggle.
Aw thank you, I'm glad my videos help with that! That's why I started making them, because I know grad school can feel really isolating at times. Especially for those of us who have ADHD or chronic pain! I hope your journey is going well :))
24:40 - A friendly reminder that you don't have to justify feeling exhausted to anyone (including yourself!). And even if you did, just existing as someone with ADHD and chronic pain is more than enough of a reason to feel exhausted <3
Thank you so much for that--it's very true! I think we can be too hard on ourselves sometimes, especially in academia <3
Just discovered your channel, I am a PhD student in Theology focus Biblical Studies and I love your channel
Thank you so much! That's very cool--what area of Biblical studies do you focus on?
@@sarahbestPhD My focus is on consent, sexual violence , body protesting, slavery, migration and trauma within both the Hebrew Bible and NT and the wider Near Eastern and Greco-Roman society
I think dissertation topics are supposed to change over time, esp since the available literature gets updated as more articles become accessible. Does Canada approve Botox for migraines?
This is true, thank you! Though it’s been difficult for me because I’ve been so focused on one particular topic since the first year of my degree, and now all of a sudden it’s changing in ways I hadn’t anticipated… it just feels kind of overwhelming right now! Canada does approve Botox for migraines, but I’ve heard it’s a lengthy process to get insurance to cover it. I’m also still on the waiting list to even see a neurologist who could potentially prescribe it 😅
Hmm, that sounds like a social anxiety thing more than ADHD... neurodivergents remember interests/ special topics
I do definitely have social anxiety so that may play a role in this, but I also have issues with memory recall in situations where social anxiety isn’t at all a factor too. My memory has always been really bad, unfortunately even when it comes to things I have a deep interest in or passion for… being in social situations that make me anxious just make it that much worse 😅
Many ADHDers have memory issues when we're put on the spot, though. 🤔
I took last term off for medical leave & am taking this term off to get myself together before I quit ✌🏽 If I ever return to academia, I'm ONLY doing a professional degree. The way my adult-diagnosed ADHD is set up, I'm best able to manage when those things are externalized & I'm not just "all in my head" (which is research life -- I used Notion pretty heavy tho). *GOOD LUCK!!!*
Thank you, and good luck to you too! I hope you’re able to find a path that is well-suited to you, and that you enjoy! 💜
Love your video! How do you keep track of what your own notes/ideas/info is and what a reference to an author in obsidian? I'm still looking for a way to keep this strictly seperated to prevent plagiarism for future papers...
Thank you so much! Within obsidian, I actually have separate pages for specific texts and my thoughts about them. So on a page for my reading notes, I’ll only write down the author’s points/quotes. Then I’ll have a different page where I’ll explore my own thoughts about the reading, and I’ll just have the pages linked to one another. sometimes if I do include my own notes about a text in that reading’s page, I’ll just put them in square brackets to make that distinction. But generally I find it’s just easier for me to use different linked pages, so I can be careful to avoid unintentional plagiarism
i just discovered your channel omg and I am a PhD student with ADHD and its just such a gift to find someone else who I can relate to!!! my very best to your winter semester I cannot wait to follow along more!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad it’s relatable, as it does often feel lonely doing grad school with something like ADHD 😅
Hey, I’m a bit late but thank you so much for this. Your honesty about your experience is so validating for people like me who also have ADHD and are struggling in academia. Regarding the talk you were quite anxious about, I totally get the thing of forgetting everything you ever knew about X topic when someone asks about it and the anxiety about everyone thinking you’re stupid (imposter syndrome sucks). However, they wouldn’t have invited you or asked you to speak if they didn’t seriously respect you and your work! Also, I’m not sure if it’s a thing where you’re from, but in the UK we have a scheme called Sunflower Lanyards which is a thing for people with hidden disabilities, including ADHD. It took me a long time to come round to the idea, largely because of the anxiety of people perceiving me better, but now that I have mine I feel more comfortable being myself and masking (slightly) less which is a lot less exhausting. The lanyard indicates that I have hidden disabilities and acts as a visual explanation for why I might be doing things differently or that I might need extra support. If you were interested, maybe something similar exists where you are? (I have to get back to work now but I might add to my comment as I’ve not finished the whole video yet) EDIT: ADHD burnout is so real, you are so right! I love the idea of tracking it and then adapting your behaviour (self care!)- I will try that myself. I’ve always found habit forming very difficult as it feels like I have to force myself to remember to do the thing every and if I miss one day that throws me completely off track. For me, even the habits everyone is supposed to naturally have like brushing your teeth require mental energy to remember to do them. Also, going back to the forgetting everything when someone asks you something, I think that’s such a relatable ADHD thing. The struggle with information retrieval is very real.
Thank you so much for your really kind and thoughtful comment (and sorry for taking so long to reply!) People do use the sunflower lanyards here as well, so that's something I will consider! I'm glad it's helped you to feel more comfortable being yourself <3 I really agree with you about the habit forming being really difficult. Even when I *know* it's something that will really help me feel better, or something that will make my life easier in the long run, getting into the habit is so difficult. And then like you, if I miss a couple days, I seem to just get completely derailed.
I don't understand why almost all videos on note-taking advise one to capture key words because you cannot capture everything verbatim, yet the same videos show neatly written notes in trendy notebooks. Most likely, what's depicted are the "oraganized" notes, but I'd like to see examples of the raw notes during a lecture (e.g.,) to get examples of how good note-taker captures information that will eventually be transcribed in those notebooks - and BTW, those translated notes would most likely be on a computer. Just my opinion..
For the most part, I think all of the notebooks shown in this video are actually my notes from class! I think I showed some from my undergrad classes, and some from grad school. My note-taking style has changed a lot over the years, and depending on the class, will range in terms of messiness. I used to care a lot about having neat/aesthetic notes, but not so much anymore!
An welcher Universität bist du?
Wilfrid Laurier/University of Waterloo
I so relate to the way you describe your procrastination, extending deadlines again and again and hating myself for it. How many papers and presentations I've finished the very last minute, even on the train to the conference. I feel like I'm aging so much from all the stress I keep putting myself through 😬
Ugh yes I really feel that about about the stress and feeling like it’s aging you… every time I’m working on something right up to the last minute or staying up all night to get something done I swear I’ll never do that to myself again… but of course it keeps happening! It seems like such unnecessary stress and pressure, but unfortunately I can’t seem to avoid it. I do hope you’re taking care of yourself though, and not getting burned out! 💜
Relatable!
Reading academic texts with ADHD feels like rubbing my brain on sandpaper 😭
Yup I feel that haha
Really love your video! I am also doing my PhD in American Studies/Religious Studies. I am located in Germany but have been to AAR conferences. I feel like the paper selection is really quite competitive, so don't beat yourself up about it too much! Maybe next time 🙂
Aw, thank you so much, I really appreciate it! The more I think about it the more I realize I would not have been ready to present my research anyways, so I think it’s a good thing 😅 I’ll try again next year maybe! What is your PhD focusing on?
@@sarahbestPhD My research is on progressive evangelical/xvangelical female authors and their feminism(s).
So surprised I’ve never seen one of your videos- but I immediately subscribed! I love seeing more adhd rep in higher education 🥰
Thank you so much!! Your videos help me feel much less alone in this struggle of getting through grad school as a neurodivergent person, which I really appreciate 💜
Where do you live?! It looks absolutely magical there! Good luck on your PhD and your book that is unbelievable. I have ADHD and chronic migraines too (without aura type) and have suffered with them all my life. I had tried all the usual treatments such as Sumatriptan (literally had no effect). I accepted that migraines were going to be something I would have to live with. But following a period of ill-mental health I was prescribed a medication called Venlafaxine XR and after around 6-12 months I started to recognise that my migraines had almost completely stopped but at the time I did not make the connection between Venlafaxine XR and the vanishing of my migraines, I just thought that I was growing out of it! Anyway, fast-forward 2 years and I stopped taking Venlafaxine XR. A month later or so later and my migraines were coming back so I asked my doctor if Venlafaxine could have a relationship with my almost total eradication of migraines and indeed, my doctor then told me that Venlafaxine is sometimes used as a migraine prevention treatment (prophylaxis). I was shocked but also annoyed that I had not been offered this sooner but like most people with migraines, you eventually give up seeking treatment believing nothing exists. I take the lowest dose of 37.5mg of the XR release everyday but have also been on 75mg as well (tend to fluctuate between the two) but both those doses are considered very low and usually the dose for migraine treatment. In addition to that, it significantly regulates my severe mood states due to my neurodiversity (ADHD and ASD). So it really has changed my life and that becomes more apparent the longer you take it and if you stop taking it. Anyway, I hope you give it a go if your migraines and your ADHD continue to invade your life too much. I should also add that Venlafaxine XR is also used for the treatment of ADHD!
Thank you so much for sharing your story, and for your advice! I'm so glad you found something that works for your migraines. I'm still on the waiting list to see a neurologist, but I'll ask about Venlafaxine--that's so interesting it's also used to treat ADHD. I live in Ontario, there are some magical spots around here for sure!
I loved hearing more about your research and the communities you will work with! 😊 sorry to hear your chronic pain took over so badly this week, the shame we feel when it happens is so unwarranted and so unfair that we do it to ourselves. We would never expect productivity from someone else in that situation! I’ve tried to build my life around my pain/fatigue, freelancing and part time work. It’s a juggling act for sure, sending you love 💕
Thank you! I really look forward to reading some of your work too! environmental posthumanism has been and continues to be so influential to my thinking and research directions. And thank you so much for your kind words 💜 it is definitely a difficult balancing act, and I definitely do need to learn to treat myself with the same kindness and understanding I would extend to others. I hope you’re doing well, and that it’s getting easier to navigate working with dealing with the pain and fatigue. Do you have any things you find really help?
@@sarahbestPhD Aw you remembered my area! 😁 ok here it goes! I’ve had chronic pain in my right arm, leg, neck, migraines, fatigue and sleep issues/ anxiety for about 5 1/2 years now and I’ve realised it’s unlikely to go away any time soon, realising I have to work with whatever this is has helped in a strange way. Preventative techniques: I exercise gently 2-3 times a week, mainly a 20 minute jog with my dog. This is a must for me or I go downhill fast. I went to therapy for a long time when things were bad too, nice to have somewhere to vent. Try to drink enough water, take vitamins and eat healthyish. Also mind my spoons on days where I feel good! Heat helps me, so I use hot water bottles. I use a weighted blanket, weighted eye mask, blackout blinds for migraines. Massages help, I self massage or get my husband to massage my arm and neck in particular, tiger balm is good for this or essential oils. A walk actually decreases my pain a lot, I don’t always do it when I’m bad but just 5 mins outside in fresh air seems to help. On very bad days I have strong painkillers but these come with a hangover effect the day after so more for an emergency. I hope some of that helps in some way 💕 it can feel quite lonely managing your own pain so I’m thankful to you for sharing some of your story x I’ll take any tips you have in your tool belt too 😊
really glad Mexie's content resonates with you! and yeah with regard to ADHD time not fitting into that ever-increasing forward march of capitalist time, it's kind of INTERESTING to me that if you go back in history and see how academics and scholars did research and wrote and so on, they often would take literal YEARS to write what we might consider an academic article today, just ruminating and researching and going back and forth with peers before finishing something and putting it out there, and this acceleration of time and urgency really isn't how even the way these structures worked in the past when, say, patriarchy and racism and some other aspects were worse compared to today...that was one way they did it better! letting people take the time it was going to take to make for quality academic work that contributes more to the furtherance of the learning of the scholar writing AND to the academic community writ large! it's just SILLY that we're doing this, frankly, anti-pedagogy of time constraints and quotas/metrics to meet and etc that capitalism has injected into academia
Yes! This is SO true… I really agree that this is one element of academia from the past that I wish we could have maintained. But unfortunately of course it doesn’t fit with today’s model of the university as business, and the intense competition for positions. Which is sad… I wish I had the time to write my dissertation over the course of many years, and through collaborative dialogue with others. Instead all the university funding and time constraints make everything feel so rushed and stressful.
I'm so happy you're posting more regularly now! <3 I find your research topic incredibly interesting and important - I hope we get to hear more about it! And I resonate with your chat about how capitalism's time goes against our animal nature. I hope we can all work towards a society where we get to live at our own pace, rather than at the frenetic pace of capital.
Thank you so much, hopefully I can keep up some kind of regular schedule. And I really agree, that would be an ideal kind of society to work towards… and I hope that it is something that can be achieved, even if it’s only on small scales for the near future 💜
Just subscribe and respect for your channel
Thank you so much 💜
really enjoyed it thx!!🫶 very cozy vibe, I dig it!!
Thank you for sharing and your vulnerability. I definitely find a lot of this relatable. I’m very interested in your energy tracking system and would love to hear more about! E.g how you distinguish different types of energy spent (particularly academic vs mental) and whether it’s just energy spent or do some activities bring energy etc.
I’m glad it’s relatable for you, though I’m sorry if you’re struggling with these things too! For the energy tracking, I think of mental energy as encompassing things like emotions too, and also things like playing a complex game or something, or doing something that requires a lot of focus and attention. But it definitely also overlaps with academic energy. I also hadn’t thought about including tracking things that help me recharge or give me energy-that’s a great idea though, and something I think I will start to incorporate!
Binge watching your videos today, I take a low dose of nortriptaline at night for my migraines and it has helped a lot. I hope your semester off is going good for you! The PhD is intense for sure, glad to meet someone in a similar boat, feel better soon x
Thank you so much! The PhD is a wild ride haha. I’m sorry you deal with migraines too, but it’s great that the medication is helping you! I’ve been taking amitriptyline nightly for migraines for years, and have been increasing the dose over the past few months… I think it helps somewhat, but may also see if I can explore other options too
I know I've said it before on your vids, but it is 𝘴𝘰 affirming to see someone going through a humanities grad school having the same struggles as I do with ADHD and constant pain (I'm starting to think there should be an ADHD Academics Club!). My current project on that front is a bit like what you were saying about "giving yourself grace", so I'm trying to give myself a schedule based on time rather than my own internal "get more done" clock, since mostly what that does is wear me all the way out. It's also great to see how often you talk about subjects that cross into my field so much! I have some reading suggestions you might enjoy in line with what you're talking about at 17:30 : the one I'm working through right now is "What is Anti-Racism? And Why It Means Anti-Capitalism" by Arun Kundnani, some others on the docket are "The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism" by Clara E. Mattei, and "Free Them All: A Feminist Call to Abolish the Prison System" by Gwenola Ricordeau. I hope you'll put up the info for your articles, I'd love to read them!
Thank you so much for your comment. It sucks that you’re struggling with these things too, but it also helps me feel less alone with all this (and I’d totally join an adhd academics club haha). I’ve also been thinking a lot about time, and how it’s something I need to learn how to navigate differently as someone with ADHD, and now with chronic pain too. Thank you so much for the reading suggestions! I just got What is Anti-Racism from the library and I’m looking forward to getting into it, as well as checking out the other books! It’s exciting that our research interests overlap so much 😊
the youtuber and academic Mexie talks a lot about what you're talking about in your book review of The Story Is In Our Bones, as you talked I was reminded so much of her videos on the intersection of climate justice, decolonization, anti-capitalism, antiracism, etc
Thank you so much for the recommendation! I basically binged so many of her videos-they’re fantastic, and have really resonated deeply with me
@@sarahbestPhDsuper glad you dig her! she's one of my fave channels on here for sure!
ummmm youre a woman? whats your phd in, psychology? baking?