It’s okay to be a glowstick. Sometimes we have to break before we shine.
~Unknown
In my previous VoR post, I spoke about my new direction with my project in Archaeology/Mathematics. The decision to change projects and forge a new path for myself took a lot of courage, and has led me on a path that truly demonstrates the ups and downs of PhD research, mentally speaking. Although the overall trajectory has been extremely positive and I am ultimately glad of my decision, there were a few hurdles that I had to overcome as a result of restarting my PhD. This blog post will reflect upon my experiences in the past year, discuss mental health in the context of academia, and why it’s sometimes necessary to break down before starting fresh.