I find a lack of resources followed by an overwhelming # of resources when researching new technology and cutting edge developments can be extremely difficult to manage. Don’t start over, but work to incorporate the latest resources into your already strong premise. This can be discouraging if you were hoping to be the first to publish a new theory, however strong theories are easily adaptable and complex. Pivot and continue but also know when to put down the research and submit your work. Important to avoid analysis paralysis in these situations and make sure you are still consistently making progress towards your goals.

Stressors may have to do with the volume of information, complexity, or the unwieldy collection of disparate results that don't exactly fit together neatly. Other stressors may have to do with how competent you feel about processing the results. Do you have the time you need, the methodology to decipher, the expertise to understand?

Stress can come if you have an imbalance of inputs to outputs. If you are reading and reading without capturing the essence in some structure that shows what you have gleaned or learned, the gathering cup may overflow to overload.

At some points along the way, when the puzzle of what you seek to find or understand is still a big jumble, you may feel blocked, frustrated, impatient, and judgmental of self (if that is how you are inclined). That is a normal part of the process. Sometimes taking some time away from the search doing a completely different task helps clear the mind and open up thinking to some unusual connections that might help make sense of what you are learning. It can at least refresh you to resume the work.

In my experience, constructive criticism can either make or break a research project. Asking a colleague, “I took a look at this and came to this conclusion…what do you see?” establishes trust and boosts your credibility as someone willing to listen to other perspectives. Criticism, however, should be viewed in an objective vacuum free of emotional bias and implication. Take a step back, internalize the feedback, and ask yourself, “what do the facts tell me?”

I disagree with the last statement of the original article. Post hoc revisions of hypotheses are known as a form of HARKing ("hypothesizing after results are known"). Doing so greatly increases the risk of spurious findings and runs counter to the hypo-deductive component of the scientific method. Instead consider the Open Science movement and using elegant studies that try not to test so many hypotheses at once. If you want to collect a lot of data to explore, be open about the exploratory nature of such analyses. KISS - Keep it simple, sweetheart. I recommend Googling: Open Science in psychology, HARKing, questionable research practices, the garden of forking paths.

When I’m researching for a paper or a project, it’s easy to burn out and to lose interest. This is where empathy comes into play. Move beyond what the facts say and ask yourself, “how does this make me feel?”, or, “how would I feel in this person’s shoes”. My best sources are primary. Just when I lose interest or find the substance difficult to digest, I reach out to an industry expert for an informational interview. Often hearing the perspectives of others forces us to be interested in forming our own.

I totally agree, when I became burnt out at work, I became pivoted to become passionate about publishing my findings about Neurostimulation, the Neurophysiology field, and how they relate to health, wellness, and human performance. I had the experience of recovering from burnout by investing in my personal health, wellness, and research in neurophysiological health. Check out the stories and science behind some of the most profound neurostimulation devices here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CWPRDBR

Coping with research stress and burnout calls for a balanced approach, combining self-care, professional development, and systemic changes. Begin by cultivating mindfulness and resilience. Practices like meditation can help center your mind and manage stress. Prioritize work-life balance, ensuring time for rest and rejuvenation. Recognize the role of the environment. Seek supportive, communicative environments that respect your well-being. Advocate for changes when necessary, addressing workload, control, reward, community, fairness, and values - the six areas identified as key to preventing burnout.