Why is PhD thesis writing so stressful? And what can we do about it?

Why do so many PhD students find thesis writing so stressful, and what can we do about it? In this video I go through some of the main causes of stress, the standard advice (and why it makes things worse) and 5 key strategies to make the writing process easier.

Check out my PhD thesis writing masterclass: https://phd.academy/the-writing-course

0:00 Why is it so stressful to write a PhD thesis?
1:47 The standard PhD thesis writing advice (and why it causes more problems than it solves)
4:00 Introduction to my approach
4:52 Focus on what you want to say (not what you think the examiner wants to read)
6:54 Separate the process of exploration from communication
9:45 Start with the introduction and work in sequence
12:20 Allow your pace to vary
14:28 Perfectionism (it's usually just indecision)
16:44 Structuring your writing
20:00 Some questions...