Psychological issues in preparing written assignments

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• Psychological issues in preparing written
  assignments
• 3.45 Wednesday 18 October 2006
• Adam Sandelson
• LSE Student Counselling Service

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Aims

• To examine common difficulties in writing
• To explore psychological issues in writing, with
  a focus on
• procrastination
• perfectionism
• To identify management techniques
• To review sources of advice

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Introduction

• What are the common difficulties involved in
  writing?

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Common Difficulties

• Getting started
• Putting things off (procrastination)
• Trying to do it perfectly (perfectionism)
• Feeling overwhelmed with material
• Adapting to a new style of learning
• Developing an independent critical voice

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The context for study includes

• Transition to different level of study
• Finding academic support
• Divergent tutor/ student expectations
• Adjusting to self-directed learning
• Sustaining momentum
• Coping with the academic cycle
• Pressures in all areas of my life - home, peer
  group, relationships, career, jobs

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The context for study includes

• Me
• Who I am
• How I feel about my life
• How Im getting on
• My past achievements and difficulties
• This can all lead to procrastination

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What is procrastination?

• Putting off a task which needs to be done
• It can affect our study and writing
• It may involve feelings of anxiety, stress,
  guilt, shame and depression.
• We may disguise avoidance by being very busy
• We may find things to do that are interesting or
  even useful, but don't contribute towards the
  main goal

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Why do we procrastinate?

• time management
• inability to prioritise
• overload of tasks at a specific time
• anxiety about the task
• not knowing what is required
• feeling overwhelmed
• concern about failing

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Why do we procrastinate?

• fear of success
• Perfectionism
• negative feelings - e.g. "I'm stupid",
• all-or-nothing thinking
• being bored by the task
• avoidance of things which are disliked or
  difficult

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Using time effectively

• If you were deliberately going to set out to
  make poor use of your time, what would you be
  doing differently?

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How could we AVOID making effective use of our
time?

• 1.Study
• 2.Planning
• 3.After Lectures
• 4.Procrastination
• 5.Files
• 6. Relaxation
• 7. Saying N
• 8. Time Log
• 9. Parkinsons Law
• 10. Rewards

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Personal Assessment

• How well do I use my time?
• Can I identify two areas where I could make an
  improvement?

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Use personal timetabling to

• acknowledge what you have achieved
• save mental energy and avoid panic
• be purposeful and realistic
• meet deadlines and keep up with work
• have effective study time and effective
  relaxation
• Be able to enjoy yourself without guilt and worry

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Looking behind the time issue

• What kind of internal pressure do I put myself
  under when preparing a written assignment?
• Lets look at a trait many of us experience to
  some degree
• Perfectionism

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Are you a perfectionist?

• Do you feel like what you accomplish is never
  quite good enough?
• Do you often put off handing in papers or
  projects, waiting to get them just right?
• Do you feel you must give more than 100 on
  everything you do or else you will be mediocre or
  even a failure?
• Are you working toward success or trying to be
  perfect - too perfect!

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Perfectionism

• Self-defeating thoughts and behaviours associated
  with high and unrealistic goals.
• Often mistakenly seen as desirable or even
  necessary for success.
• Recent studies have shown that perfectionist
  attitudes actually interfere with success.
• The desire to be perfect can deny you a sense of
  satisfaction and cause you to achieve far less
  than people with more realistic goals.

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Causes of perfectionism

• If you are a perfectionist, it is likely that you
  learned early in life that you were mainly valued
  for your achievements.
• You may have learned to value yourself only on
  the basis of other people's approval.
• Your self-esteem may be based primarily on
  external standards.
• This can leave you vulnerable and sensitive to
  the opinions and criticism of others.
• To protect yourself you may decide that being
  perfect is your only defence.

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Perfectionism can be associated with

• Fear of failure.
• Fear of making mistakes.
• Fear of disapproval.
• All-or-nothing thinking.
• Over-emphasis on should, must and ought.
• Never being good enough.

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Vicious circle

• Set an unreachable goal.
• Fail, as the goal was impossible to begin with.
• Constant pressure to achieve perfection and
  inevitable chronic failure reduces your
  effectiveness.
• This leads you to be self critical and
  self-blaming, which can lead to low self-esteem,
  anxiety and depression.
• At this point you may give up completely on your
  original goal and set yourself another
  unrealistic goal, thinking "This time if only I
  try harder I will succeed".

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Myth 1 I wouldnt be the success I am if I
weren't such a perfectionist

• REALITY
• There is no evidence that perfectionists are more
  successful
• There is evidence that given similar levels of
  intellect and talent perfectionists perform less
  successfully.
• Perfectionism does not lead to success and
  fulfillment.
• Success may be achieved despite compulsive
  striving.

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Myth2 Perfectionists get things done and they
do things right.

• REALITY
• Perfectionists often have problems with
  procrastination, missed deadlines, and low
  productivity
• They tend to be "all-or-nothing" thinkers, and
  see events as good or bad, with nothing in
  between.
• Seeking flawless work can make even small tasks
  overwhelming, leading to perfectionism.
• If it can't be done perfectly, it's not worth
  doing.
• Such beliefs often lead to undesired results.
  Work is handed in late or not at all, with
  agonizing over non-critical details.

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Myth 3 Perfectionists are determined to overcome
all obstacles to success

• REALITY
• Instead of concentrating on the process of
  getting the task done, perfectionists focus
  exclusively on the outcome of their efforts. Far
  from an asset, this relentless pursuit of the
  ultimate goal becomes a liability
• Perfectionists may be vulnerable to writers
  block, depression, and social and performance
  anxiety.

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Myth 4 Perfectionists just have this enormous
desire to please others and to be the very best
they can

• REALITY
• Their tendencies may begin as an attempt to win
  love, acceptance and approval.
• They can be driven by low self-esteem, and find
  it harder to see the needs and wishes of others.
• Relationships may be complicated not enhanced.
• Great achievers are willing to make mistakes and
  risk failure. They recognize that mistakes,
  failure, and imperfection are part of the reality
  of being human.

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What can I do about it?

• Step 1 - realize that perfectionism is
  undesirable. Perfection is an illusion that is
  unattainable.
• Step 2 - challenge self-defeating thoughts and
  behaviours that fuel perfectionism.

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Strategies to move forward I

• Set realistic and reachable goals
• Set subsequent goals in a sequential manner
• Experiment with your standards for success. try
  for 80 or even 60
• Focus on the process of doing an activity not
  just the end result.
• Evaluate success in terms of what you
  accomplished and whether you enjoyed the task.

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Strategies to move forward - II

• Check your feelings. Monitor feelings of anxiety
  and depression to ask yourself, "Have I set up
  impossible expectations for myself in this
  situation?"
• Face your fears that may be behind your
  perfectionism by asking yourself, "What am I
  afraid of? What is the worst thing that could
  happen?"
• Celebrate your mistakes and ask "What can I learn
  from this experience?"
• Discriminate the tasks that require high priority

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Writing is personal

• What psychological and personal issues of mine
  are evoked through the challenge of writing?

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Dynamics of writing include

• Trying to please others
• Wanting to be clever
• Wanting to achieve as highly as others
• Envy and competitiveness
• Trying to keep the family together
• Historic patterns, such as last minute success

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Dynamics of writing
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What can I do?

• Look at my internal dynamics
• Write down any historic messages I am carrying
  about myself
• Record a more realistic assessment of your
  ability and worth as a person

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Writing Strategies - I

• Free yourself up
• Bullet points, mind maps, scribble ideas
• Go for a walk
• Talk it out loud
• Wait for a structure to arrive
• Give yourself time to work it out learning and
  writing involve unconscious processes

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Writing Strategies II

• Practice relaxation exercises
• Allow regular time to switch off (and process
  your task in the back of your mind)
• Recall past achievements
• Challenge negative thoughts
• Write down what is worrying you in your life
• Imagine looking back at this task in 2 or 6
  months time

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Thinking and planning

• Dont ignore the essay title, plunge into
  reading, make copious notes, get overwhelmed with
  information and then start worrying about
  producing a coherent account.
• Instead give yourself time to think after you
  choose the topic.
• Give yourself about an hour brainstorm
  questions, turn to the references to research
  answers, and in the process learn more
• Through thinking and asking questions become more
  selective in your choice of reference material
  and more economical with notes
• Allow a structure to emerge, and be prepared to
  revise it

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The final stage of writing

• Budget about an hour for each sheet, half of
  which will be allocated to the draft.
• Dont worry about being stylish.
• Clarity is much more important.
• Keep on asking questions and finding answers.
• Let go of the tortuous process of putting the
  essay together like a jigsaw
• Use the essay to examine answers to your own
  curiosity.
• Allow yourself to discover the essay that is
  right for you to produce at this time in your
  life.

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Conclusions

• Look after yourself
• Keep a supportive structure for your day to day
  life
• Let go of persecutory demons
• See writing as a time of discovery about
  yourself, your learning, your topic.
• Remember the end point you will have written
  the essay that only you could have written at
  this time in your life.

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Sources of Help

• TLC Study skills advisor (Peter Levins)
• LSE Learning world http//learning.lse.ac.uk/
• Speak to other students
• Tutor or Departmental Tutor
• Student Union and Advice Centre
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor
• Teaching and Learning Centre
• Deans
• Don't wait until problems have grown impossibly
  large!

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LSE Student Counselling Service

• Free and confidential
• Available to any current student
• Mainly offers short term counselling
• Appointments need to be booked in advance
• Urgent appointments can be seen the same day
  (phone early in the day for this)
• We are located in the Teaching and Learning
  Centre, Tower 1, Floor 6

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LSE Student Counselling Service

• Website has information about the Service
• Confidentiality Policy
• Stress management handout
• Links to self help resources on a wide range of
  student issues, including study related and
  personal difficulties
• Group for new students starting in 4 weeks
• Wed 29.11.06 Presentation for MSc students on
  Reviewing Progress and anticipating the next stage