I haven't slept in three days. My dissertation is due in two weeks

[Jane]

I'm not sleeping. I'm not eating. I'm writing. Then deleting. Then writing again. My eyes hurt. My head hurts. My hands shake when I hold the mouse.

I called my mom. She said I need to rest. I said I need to finish. She was quiet. I said I'm scared. She said she knows. She didn't tell me to sleep. She didn't tell me to rest. She just listened.

I hung up. I opened my laptop. I'm still writing. I'm still scared.

 

[Elisa]

Hey Jane
I did this. Four days no sleep before my thesis deadline. I ended up in the ER. Missed my deadline anyway.

Don't be me.

Your mom didn't tell you to sleep because she knows you won't listen. She just listened because she's scared for you. I'm scared for you.

The dissertation is not worth your health. It's a document. You are a human.

Take 4 hours. Lie down. Put a cold cloth on your eyes. Breathe.

Then call your mom back. Tell her you rested. She needs to hear that.

Then write. But write slowly. Write gently. You're not a machine. You're a person who is very, very tired.