You’re only human: a six-step strategy to surviving your PhD Behaving like one during your programme will leave you frustrated and unfulfilled, says Gauthier Weissbart

When I started my PhD in biophysics in Germany four years ago, I expected to encounter difficulties because I had seen other PhD students’ long working hours and difficult work–life balance. Now that I’ve completed my programme, I realize that the hardest moments were rarely about the work itself, but rather the psychological challenges that came with it — such as uncertainty, self-criticism and mental pressure.

Earning a PhD involves learning how to do research, but advice often focuses on productivity — organizing, planning, reading and so on. Although these skills are important, it’s crucial to remember that PhD students are not machines, but human beings with psychological and emotional needs.

Addressing this is key to improving PhD students’ well-being and research outcomes. For me, the psychological challenges, along with other factors such as adapting to a new country during the COVID-19 pandemic, made the start of my programme difficult. However, this experience pushed me to prioritize my well-being, and along the way, I regained motivation, fulfilment and satisfaction. Here are six rules for getting through your PhD not only as a researcher, but as a human being.

Embrace uncertainty

Research comes with many unanswered questions and unexpected findings, especially at the outset. This can be destabilizing, making the path forwards unclear. It is important to recognize that uncertainty is not an enemy, but an inherent part of the research process. If scientists had all the answers, we wouldn’t be doing research. We do it — by definition — because we don’t.

During my PhD programme, I studied the complex biological system of the leaf epidermis, aiming to understand how different cell types form spatial patterns during development. I was frustrated that I could not fully explain how the system worked. But its complexity made it impossible to completely understand all the processes involved, so I let go of the need for all the answers and focused instead on asking the right questions. Rather than looking for definitive statements such as ‘giant cells are organized in this way’ or ‘their formation is controlled by this mechanism’, I asked open-ended questions: ‘How are giant cells organized?’ or ‘How is the pattern affected in this mutant?’

Abandoning the need to understand everything has helped me to avoid the frustration that comes when you can’t find all the answers. Instead, you should embrace the unknown and use it to cultivate a ‘healthy uncertainity’ that, instead of stopping you, fuels your curiosity and drives your research.

Balance thinking with doing

Once you accept uncertainty, you have to navigate it. To do so, I feel that it is essential to balance reflection and action. To generate new ideas, you have to sit down and think. However, at one point during my PhD, I became so immersed in my thoughts, considering every possible model and hypothesis, that I ended up doing nothing else. Thinking deeply and writing down my ideas about potential genetic pathways didn’t always lead to new insights. I still remember my adviser telling me, ‘You like to think,’ which I understood as, ‘You need to act.’ This pushed me to run new analyses on the data that I’d already collected, and the results eventually led to fresh insights on the spatial organization of stomata, despite being related to a different question.

In the end, although reflection is useful, too much can lead to stagnation. In such cases, it is often better to take action to move forwards, even if you are unsure. Writing a plan helps by constraining your direction. Plans should not be rigid instructions that limit your thinking, but rather flexible guidelines that help to steer you. In summary, when you don’t know what to do, think. If you still don’t know, do. Both lead to new ideas.

Abandon perfection

Another common psychological challenge while earning a PhD is self-criticism. Many scientists strive for perfection, which can lead to frustration, negative emotions and unproductive outcomes. Imperfection is a natural part of being human and offers opportunities for improvement. But because things can always be improved, seeking perfection can leave us perpetually unsatisfied.

I struggled with perfectionism during my studies, probably owing to a fear of failure or not being recognized. I sometimes ended up working too much on things that weren’t useful. When I heard the advice that ‘done is better than perfect’ — or ‘good is the enemy of great’ — I learnt that “done” is a moving target that I can choose. There is no such thing as a final, perfect version, especially when writing a thesis. To move forwards, some things simply need to be done. Therefore, we should stop striving for perfection and instead strive for ‘good enough’.

Balance arguing and listening

Science involves many interactions — with your supervisor, colleagues and others — all of whom are psychological, emotional beings. Sometimes, having a constructive discussion can be challenging, but it can also enhance your research. At times, I struggled to communicate my ideas, for example when I was convinced of my hypothesis but couldn’t persuade my colleagues. To get them on my side, I had to provide solid evidence and analysis — as all scientists should do.

At times, I’ve struggled to truly listen to others. For instance, my adviser once suggested an alternative modelling framework, which I dismissed as irrelevant. But when I got home, I reflected and realized how his idea could provide valuable insights. Being receptive to the perspectives of others is essential to opening new doors.

We all have ideas that are shaped by different backgrounds, experiences, interests and ways of thinking. The beauty of science lies in this collective effort to make sense of our observations. For this reason, greater diversity — whether in culture, gender or perspective — drives innovation and leads to better outcomes¹. Developing the communication skills to both argue respectfully and listen attentively allows us to make the most of our interactions. Understanding other people’s ideas is just as important as communicating your own.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00967-7

This is an article from the Nature Careers Community, a place for Nature readers to share their professional experiences and advice. Guest posts are encouraged.

This story originally appeared on: Nature - Author:Gauthier Weissbart