Writing Psychology

1

• Writing Psychology
• Wednesday 21 October
• Starting at 3.35 NABLG01
• Friday 6 November Repeat Session
• 3.00 4.00 NAB204
• Adam Sandelson
• LSE Student Counselling Service

2
Aims

• To examine common difficulties in writing
• Focus on psychological issues
• procrastination
• perfectionism
• To identify management techniques and sources of
  advice

3
Introduction

• What are the common difficulties involved in
  writing?

4
Common Difficulties

• Getting started
• Feeling overwhelmed with material
• Adapting to a new style of learning
• Developing an independent critical voice
• Procrastination
• Perfectionism

5
The context for study includes

• Transition to different level of study
• Adjusting to self-directed learning
• Sustaining momentum
• Coping with the academic cycle
• Pressures in all areas of my life - home, family,
  relationships, career, jobs

6
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 and/ or
  perfectionism

7
What is procrastination?

• Excessive habit of putting off tasks
• It can affect our study and writing
• We may disguise avoidance by being busy
• We may find things to do that are interesting or
  even useful, but don't contribute towards the
  main goal
• It may involve feelings of anxiety, stress,
  guilt, shame and depression

8
Why do we procrastinate?

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

9
Why do we procrastinate?

• fear of failure
• fear of success
• negative feelings - e.g. "I'm stupid",
• all-or-nothing thinking
• boredom
• habit of avoiding difficult things
• perfectionism

10
Using time effectively

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

11
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 No
• 8. Time Log
• 9. Parkinsons Law
• 10. Rewards

12
Use personal timetabling to

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

13
Looking behind the time issue

• What kind of internal pressure do I put myself
  under when preparing a written assignment?

14
Are you a perfectionist?

• Is whatever you do never quite good enough?
• Do you often put off handing in work, waiting to
  get them just right?
• Do you feel you must give more than 100 on
  everything, or else youll be mediocre or a
  failure?
• Are you working toward success or trying to be
  perfect?

15
Perfectionism

• Self-defeating thoughts and behaviours associated
  with high ideals, not realistic goals.
• Recent studies show that perfectionist attitudes
  actually interfere with success.
• Trying to be perfect can deny you satisfaction
  and cause you to achieve less than people with
  more realistic goals.

16
Causes of perfectionism

• Did you
• learn early in life you were mainly valued for
  your achievements
• learn to value yourself based on approval
• base self-esteem upon external standards
• feel vulnerable to criticism
• decide to protect yourself by trying to be
  perfect as your defence

17
Perfectionism can be associated with

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

18
Vicious circle

• Set an unreachable goal.
• Fail, as the goal was impossible to achieve
• Constant pressure and failure reduces
  effectiveness.
• Growing self criticism and blame, exhaustion,
  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".

19
Myth 1 I wouldnt be the success I am if I
weren't such a perfectionist

• REALITY
• No evidence that perfectionists are more
  successful, more likely the reverse!
• Perfectionism does not lead to success and
  fulfillment.
• Success may be achieved despite compulsive
  striving.

20
Myth 2 Perfectionists get things done and they
do things right.

• REALITY
• Procrastination, missed deadlines, low
  productivity
• Small tasks can become overwhelming
• If it can't be done perfectly, it's not worth
  doing.
• Agonizing over non-critical details.

21
Myth 3 Perfectionists are determined to overcome
all obstacles to success

• REALITY
• Pursuing the goal becomes a liability
• Cant concentrate on the process of getting the
  task done.
• Writers block, depression, and social and
  performance anxiety.

22
Myth 4 Perfectionists just have this enormous
desire to please others

• REALITY
• May start as an attempt to win approval.
• Low self-esteem makes it harder to see the needs
  and wishes of others.
• Relationships become complicated
• Achievers are willing to make mistakes and risk
  failure. Imperfection is part of being human.

23
What can I do about it?

• Realize that perfectionism is undesirable
• perfection is an illusion that is unattainable.
• Challenge self-defeating thoughts and behaviours
• that fuel perfectionism.

24
Strategies to move forward I

• Set realistic 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.

25
Strategies to move forward - II

• Check your feelings. Monitor feelings of anxiety
• "Have I set up impossible expectations for myself
  in this situation?"
• Face your fears
• "What am I afraid of? What is the worst thing
  that could happen?"
• Celebrate mistakes
• "What can I learn from this experience?"
• Discriminate the tasks that require high priority
• Work with others, break up the inner dialogue!

26
Writing is personal

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

27
Dynamics of writing include

• Trying to please
• 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

28
Dynamics of writing
29
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

30
Writing Strategies - I

• Free yourself up
• Bullet points, mind maps, scribble ideas
• Go for a walk Talk out loud
• Wait for a structure to arrive
• Give yourself time to work it out
• Learning and writing involve unconscious
  processes
• Work with others, use study groups, etc.

31
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

32
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
• Brainstorm, research answers, and learn
• Through thinking and asking questions become more
  selective in your choice of material
• Allow a structure to emerge, and be prepared to
  revise it

33
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 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
• Remember - is it a book or an essay?

34
Conclusions

• Look after yourself (diet, sleep)
• 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.

35
Sources of advice and help

• Academic Adviser Disability Office
• Departmental Staff Student Services Centre
• TLC study skills advisors Learning World
• Student Union and Advice Centre Medical Centre
  
• Mental Health and Wellbeing Advisor Deans

• Don't wait until problems have grown impossibly
  large
• Its OK to ask for help earlier

36
LSE Student Counselling Service G507

• Free and confidential
• Mainly short term counselling
• Book appointments in advance
• Urgent appointments (phone early in the day)
• See Website for
• Confidentiality Policy
• Stress management handouts
• Self help resources on a wide range of student
  issues (study related and personal
  difficulties)
• Relaxation MP3s

37
Future Presentations

• International Students Workshop
• Wednesday 4 November, 200 300 Old Theatre
• Acclimatising To London Life - Mid Term Review
• Wednesday 11 November, 1200 - 100 H216
• Psychological Challenges Faced By MSc Students
• Friday 13 November, 300 - 400 Graham Wallace
  Room

38
Forthcoming Groups

• Stress Management Group (3 weeks), Thursday 2
  4, 19 November
• Self Esteem Group (3 weeks) Friday 11 - 1, 20
  November
• MSc group
• PhD group
• Places on all groups need to be booked in
  advance.
• Please see the website, Call Ext 3627, visit
  G507 or email student.counselling_at_lse.ac.uk,

39
And finally