It’s August. Gulp. In this first episode of my dissertation diaries, I’m easing myself back into PhD life as September doth approaches ever closer — and yes, that familiar end-of-summer fear turns up like a bad smell hovering around. I talk through that “I’m rusty” feeling (because ur gurl is rusty), make coffee, and have a little real chat about what it’s like to return to deep work after a wobblier season. The vibe is gentle but very much: we’re getting straight into it. I also share what I’m working on research-wise and how I’m using Notion to keep my brain from melting. Then we do a proper body-doubling moment to beat procrastination, because sometimes the only way through is having someone else “there” while you do the thing. And the biggest takeaway — the most important thing I’ve learned — is honestly simple: to get PhD research done, you’ve just got to… get the PhD research done. Not perfectly. Not fear-free. Just started, and then continued, one small, unglamorous session at a time.