It is relatively well-known both within and beyond academia that doing a PhD can be an isolating and lonely experience. Mental health in academia is now an increasingly prominent area of discussion, and many are working hard to cultivate an environment in which wellbeing is prioritised. In this blog I will discuss one area that could benefit from receiving more attention, especially in relation to PhD student isolation, namely the reality of lone-working. 

PhD students: Going it alone

Given the central role of conducting independent research, it is unsurprising that much of PhD life is characterised by working in solitude. There may be opportunities for networking, such as reading groups, research seminars, writing groups, and the occasional conference – but ultimately the task of researching and writing a thesis can only be completed by the researcher themselves. This will usually be done from home, a library, perhaps sometimes a coffee shop, or (for those who are lucky) a designated desk or departmental study space. 

This means that for many students, accepting a PhD place also means committing to 3-4 years (if full-time) of predominantly lone working. Often, this is a commitment made unknowingly. As a postgraduate research degree, a PhD is the first long-term academic research project students will undertake. Although they will have (presumably) a background in academic study, and may have submitted a short thesis as part of a previous degree, the day-to-day realities of PhD working will be somewhat unfamiliar. Those pursuing the industry expectation for research with ‘impact’ could be especially isolated – stuck in the predicament of producing unique research (and maybe receiving funding for it) partly because no one else is really doing it. Such research could feel isolating at times. The researcher may be the only one at their university, in their region, or even their country working in that particular area.  

My experience: the reality of isolation and loneliness

I’m a 4^th year PhD student based in the arts and humanities, with significant crossover in the social sciences – but ultimately funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council. When I went through the process of PhD applications, I gathered information on universities, supervisors, projects, and PhD life, to figure out whether this was the right decision and, if so, where I would best be suited. I tried to arm myself with the necessary information to make a decision. I felt prepared. But when I arrived, I discovered I’d vastly underestimated how isolating it would be. Even with supportive supervisors, even when actively networking on Twitter and looking for research groups to be a part of, and even when seeking out other PhD students, the unwelcome sensation of solitariness persisted.

I transitioned from a motivated, engaged undergraduate student managing a bustling social life, extra-curricular commitments and academic enthusiasm, into a solitary PhD student, struggling to self-motivate myself alone in a new city, and feeling like I was no longer in my academic prime. I struggled as my mental health took a hit amidst the stresses and loneliness of PhD life. I felt burnt out from years of pushing myself, trying to just get through the next module/year/degree/stage of life, wondering if all of it was truly worth it. I contemplated these feelings in solitude – sitting at my desk in my bedroom, just me and my laptop, trying to ignore the weight of this mental burden and carry on researching, carry on typing, while the boundaries between personal and professional increasingly blurred.

When I looked online, I realised I was not the only one – far from it. I was relieved to find a plethora of articles, blogs and online forums that discussed the widespread isolation and loneliness amongst PhD students due to the very nature of doing a PhD, and especially one in the humanities. People were talking about it on Reddit (in r/PhD and r/GradSchool threads, for example), PostgradForum, LinkedIn, and on platforms such as the Independent. I felt that strange sense of reassurance you experience upon discovering that others have shared your unfortunate circumstances. 

Of course, I cannot speak for STEM students; I imagine that the isolation is lessened by being situated within a broader research team, lab or project. I don’t think any PhD students are immune from loneliness from time to time, but in my experience doing doctoral research within the humanities can be especially solitary. 

In a broader social context where loneliness is already quite profound – 49.63% of adults in the UK reported feeling lonely occasionally, sometimes, often or always in 2022 – PhD students are especially susceptible. As mentioned earlier, pursuing independent research can mean a large proportion of the PhD is conducted alone. Doing a PhD also means forgoing the social interaction with colleagues that peers in employment may enjoy. This reality has only been compounded by the events of recent years: an international pandemic which significantly altered our work, day-to-day lives, and collective mental state, and a cost of living crisis which has deeply impacted PhD students. 

Starting the conversation about lone working 

Thankfully, mental health and wellbeing in academia is becoming an increasingly de-stigmatised topic of conversation. The current attention being paid to academic and postgraduate working conditions, alongside resources like Academic Voices and Managing your Mental Health During Your PhD (Ayres, 2022), have helped establish this culture. One next step in this fruitful development could be a focus on lone-working as the modus operandi of postgraduate research. 

It’s important to note that lone working and feeling lonely are not the same thing. So engaging in conversations about lone working during a PhD is different (although related) to discussions about loneliness and its relationship to mental ill-health in academia. Loneliness is a subjective feeling that can cause psychological distress, whereas lone working is simply an objective state. There are, therefore, two key things to consider here:

1. Acknowledging that lone-working is a big part of doing a PhD

The structure of PhD projects in the UK (and elsewhere) is unlikely to change any time soon, if ever. So it’s worth acknowledging that lone-working is going to be a big part of it. This kind of routine might be well-suited to some people more than others; not as a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ professional lifestyle, but simply based on personal preference. 

For some, solitariness can contribute to feelings of isolation and combine with other factors to lead to feelings of loneliness. For others, it is a preferred way of working, and they may thrive by working predominantly on their own. If you’re someone for whom frequent solitude could worsen your mental health – but nonetheless skilled at, and wanting to pursue, academic research – it might be worth reflecting on protective steps you could take to safeguard your wellbeing. Over the course of my PhD I’ve discovered that this is something I’ve very much needed to do. I’ve found articles, such as these from Togetherall, The PhD Proofreaders and Nature, to be helpful. They recommend strategies like seeking out connection with others (whether that’s in or outside of academia), prioritising self-care and life outside of the PhD, and (if you can) finding other PhD students for support and community. 

2. Prioritising health and wellness when working remotely and/or alone

Secondly, if PhD students are going to be working alone, and probably remotely, it’s important to prioritise health and wellbeing in these contexts. PhD students are not considered to be employees, at least in their capacities as PhD researchers (and those who are funded are on tax-free stipends and therefore not salaries). So no one is accountable for PhD working conditions, and the legislative protections that members of staff enjoy don’t extend to PhD students. So what can we do here? In lieu of systematic changes that acknowledge – and promise to mitigate the negative effects of – lone working in PhD projects, it makes sense to turn to recommendations from outside of academia. 

Best practice for remote and lone work 

Perhaps a way forward is to incorporate suggestions from other sectors. For example, guidance from employers and industries which involve a significant amount of remote and/or lone-working could be useful, as could their strategies for promoting employee wellbeing within this context. Some of this guidance relates to the physical environment (such as potentially hazardous equipment or environmental risks), but much of it is still applicable.

The Health and Safety Executive (the national regulator for workplace health and safety in Britain) have documents such as Lone working: The basics for employers and also added a section on home working to their guidance in 2020. The British Assessment Bureau provides insight on remote working, and the Robert Walters Group have produced a useful report for businesses on mental health and home working. Though the health and safety law underpinning these documents does not apply to PhD students, I believe the advice can still be useful. 

The overarching relevant guidance from these documents relates to mental health and ergonomics of the working environment. Combined recommendations that are relevant to PhD students (and indeed, many academics) include: 

• Staying in regular contact with colleagues and managers to prevent feelings of disconnection, stress, and reduced work performance. For PhD students, this could look like regular contact with supervisors and engaging with organised activities like research seminars or PGR groups. 
• Periodically moving around and taking breaks. This could look like walking around the house, stretching, or exercising; moving around study spots on campus; scheduling in regular breaks throughout the day.
• Following DSE (display screen equipment) regulations to prevent visual issues and fatigue. This could involve avoiding screen glare, keeping computer screens at a distance, using adjustable screens, and taking breaks away from screens.
• Taking measures to prevent musculoskeletal problems. This might be using a stable and adjustable desk chair with lumbar support; a footrest if necessary; preventing putting pressure on the wrists; having enough legroom and space to allow for posture changes.
• Creating a dedicated working space to maintain work-life balance. For PhD students and even many academics this can be tricky, but having an area of your home/bedroom that is solely for work could help (even if small), as could only using your laptop for work when it’s at a desk. 

Conclusion

While these strategies might help address social isolation and working conditions, there is only so much you can do when the structure of your day involves working independently and alone. Applying this to the academic context that PhD students find themselves in, I would therefore also recommend that funding bodies, doctoral colleges, departments, and universities which host PGRs acknowledge the central role of lone-working to doing a PhD. Further to this, they could provide resources on how to do this in a sustainable and healthy way for the duration of a PhD (usually 3-4 years full-time). 

Additionally, the recommendations above can be hard to implement for some people – for example, due to disability, financial background or personal circumstances. So it would be helpful to see these organisations take into account that peoples’ abilities to implement these recommendations will not be equal. And, as a result, that PhD students’ own working environments will not necessarily share the same standard of comfort, or the same amount and intensity of barriers to working well. 

Ultimately, starting to reflect on remote and solitary working for PhD students could build on advancements made in recent years in making mental health and wellbeing in academia an important conversation. The first step involves being aware that academia is an industry built largely on lone-working – and that the impact of this on the researcher can vary based on subject, department, and resources. 

Chrissie Thwaites is a PhD candidate in sociology of religion at the University of Leeds, funded by the AHRC. She is passionate about redressing social inequalities (especially in access to and engagement with education) and advocating for mental health and wellbeing. You can find her on twitter at @thephdiaries. 

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