The PhD is often stressful and trying. Nevertheless, most people do get through it. Many PhDers keep a journal to help work through the difficulties, challenges and worries that they experience. 

Writing about the everyday can of course just be a wallow. A self indulgent moan that goes nowhere. However, verbalising concerns and putting them in writing can not only be cathartic but also lead to very helpful insights. Journaling can be a powerful way to both reflect on problems and resolve them.

Some people choose to make their journals public via a blog. Others keep them, analog style, in a notebook. And there is a cumulative running document on the desktop, with each entry dated so that ‘change’ can be tracked over time.

If you’re thinking of starting off a PhD journal, or you’re just a bit stuck on what to write about in a reflective journal, here’s a little listicle of prompts that might kick off a (new) line of thinking.

• Strategies that help me cope
• How stress affects my ability to get things done
• Something I’ve learnt from failing
• What I do when I feel inadequate
• Challenges that I have overcome
• Things that worry me about the PhD
• Am I too competitive?
• The best advice I’ve been given about the PhD was…
• I can best organise my time by…
• I am really motivated to/by…
• I need to work with my supervisors/advisers on…
• I am good at…
• I have learnt since starting the PhD that…
• The last time I did something difficult… 
• I deal with negative thoughts best when…
• Things that I have in common with other PhDers
• How I manage ‘the university’
• The key thing I have to remember is…
• The feedback that most helps me is…
• The PhD goals I’ve already reached are…
• Dealing with things I can’t immediately change means I need to…
• People who support me are usually …
• Am I too hard on myself?
• Risks I will and won’t take
• Academics I admire generally…
• I am really looking forward to…
• When and where I work best
• The book that has most stuck with me is…
• My favorite part of the PhD is… 
• Ethical issues I need to keep in mind are…