Week Four: Working alone does not mean you are alone

This week’s blog post is a bit shorter as I am currently finishing my master’s dissertation, but I did have a great realization this week around reaching out for support. As someone who is currently working independently both as a full-time student and someone looking for a job. Although my master’s program has a supportive cohort structure and incredible professors, this pandemic world has caused changes which has led to mostly independent and isolated learning. This week I was reminded of the importance of reaching out for support even in the emotional sense.

               At times independent work can be isolating. Especially in these pandemic times, and in my current situation of living and working alone this feeling has been multiplied. The ability to self-motivate, setting deadlines, and not needing anyone else to hold yourself accountable are skills and abilities which I am proud to hold. However, such skills hold a downside as just because you have that ability does not mean you have to close yourself off from asking for help or either advice from others. This week I was reminded of the immense help of simply talking through the work I was doing. After spending months on my dissertation simply with myself and my own thoughts, the act of sharing my work and talking through my thinking helped to solidify my work and added to my motivation to receive targeted encouragement. I needed the reminder that just because I am working alone does not mean I have to work in isolation.

               Working on the final steps of my dissertation, I was reminded of the huge advantage of simply having someone to speak with. But at times taking that first step to reach out for help when you have settled into a routine of being your sounding board and motivator can be a skill you need refreshed. Rejecting the idea that reaching out for help is a weakness is one that I feel not only must be learned but relearned. There is also a need to remember the difference in relaxing and self-care and getting outside your thoughts on a project you are working on individually. Reaching out to friends to relax and take a break is essential, but there is also a need to reach out for support in your own achievements and goals even if you are perfectly capable of achieving them on your own. Just because you work on your own it does not mean you are on your own.