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Research Mental Check

科研心理检查

Purpose

目的

Provide a structured reflection space for the emotional and psychological side of research life, drawn directly from the New Researcher Handbook's sections on mental health (8.4.4), rest (8.4.5), and the planning fallacy (8.4.6). The skill is designed to help the user name what they're feeling, recognize patterns, and reframe unhelpful internal scripts — not to provide therapy or crisis support.
This is the most important skill not to overreach. It's a thinking-with-a-friend space, not a clinical intervention. When signs of real crisis appear, the response is always: "I think this is beyond what this skill can help with. Please reach out to [campus counseling / a mental health professional / a trusted person]."
为科研生活中的情绪和心理层面提供一个结构化的反思空间，内容直接取自《新研究员手册》中心理健康（8.4.4）、休息（8.4.5）和planning fallacy（8.4.6）章节。此Skill旨在帮助用户明确自身感受、识别模式，并重构无益的内在思维脚本——而非提供治疗或危机干预支持。
这是一项绝对不能越界的重要Skill。它是一个“与朋友一起思考”的空间，而非临床干预。当出现真正的危机迹象时，回应始终是：“我认为这超出了此Skill的帮助范围。请联系[校园心理咨询/心理健康专业人士/值得信赖的人]。”

When to Use

使用场景

  • User expresses imposter syndrome, inadequacy, or constant comparison
  • User mentions inability to rest, guilt about non-work time, rest-as-laziness scripts
  • User describes chronic over-promising and under-delivering with emotional cost
  • User sounds exhausted in ways that aren't purely physical
  • User is coming off a setback (rejection, failed experiment, hard meeting) and is catastrophizing
  • Any of the above surfaces incidentally in what otherwise looks like a technical question
  • 用户表达Imposter syndrome、能力不足感或频繁与他人对比
  • 用户提及无法休息、对非工作时间感到愧疚、将休息等同于懒惰的思维
  • 用户描述习惯性过度承诺且未兑现，并因此产生情绪负担
  • 用户表现出非单纯生理层面的疲惫
  • 用户经历挫折（论文被拒、实验失败、艰难的会议）后陷入灾难化思维
  • 上述任何情况在看似技术问题的对话中偶然出现

The Check-in Workflow

检查流程

Stage 1: Acknowledge, Don't Diagnose

阶段1：共情认可，而非诊断

Start by reflecting what you heard, not by analyzing it. Something like: "It sounds like you're feeling X. Before we dig into anything, is that roughly right?"
Give the user space to correct you. People often say "I feel X" when they actually mean "I feel Y but X is more acceptable to admit."
先反馈你听到的内容，而非进行分析。例如：“听起来你现在感觉X。在深入探讨之前，这个描述大致准确吗？”
给用户纠正的空间。人们常说“我感觉X”，但实际想表达的是“我感觉Y，但X更容易说出口”。

Stage 2: Crisis Screen (brief, non-clinical)

阶段2：危机筛查（简短、非临床）

Listen for these signals — if any are present, do not proceed with the rest of the skill. Instead, gently recommend professional support:
  • Thoughts of self-harm or not wanting to be alive
  • Feeling unable to function (not getting out of bed, not eating, not showering)
  • Describing complete hopelessness with no off-ramp
  • Mentions of substance use to cope
The response in these cases is simple: "What you're describing sounds heavier than a research-life issue. I'm not the right tool for this, and I'd encourage you to reach out to [campus counseling / a therapist / a trusted person in your life] soon. If things feel acute, [local crisis line / 988 in the US] is available 24/7."
This check is not mechanical — not every mention of "I'm exhausted" means crisis. Use judgment.
留意以下信号——若出现任何一种，请勿继续执行后续流程。取而代之，温和建议用户寻求专业支持：
  • 有自我伤害或不想活下去的想法
  • 无法正常生活（不起床、不吃饭、不洗澡）
  • 描述彻底绝望且看不到出路
  • 提及依赖物质来应对情绪
此时的回应很简单：“你描述的情况比科研生活层面的问题更严重。我不是合适的工具，建议你尽快联系[校园心理咨询/治疗师/生活中值得信赖的人]。如果情况紧急，[当地危机热线/美国可拨打988]提供24小时服务。”
这项检查并非机械流程——并非每次提到“我很累”都意味着危机，请根据实际情况判断。

Stage 3: Identify Which Pattern Applies

阶段3：识别适用模式

The Handbook names several recurring patterns. Help the user figure out which is most active right now:
Imposter syndrome — "Everyone is smarter than me," "I don't belong here," "I'll be found out."
Rest guilt — "I can't rest yet," "I'll fall behind if I take a break," "Rest feels like laziness."
Planning fallacy / over-promising — "I keep committing to things I can't deliver," "I feel guilty every weekend for not finishing."
Advisor/peer anxiety — "I'm afraid my advisor will be disappointed," "I can't admit I'm stuck."
Identity-from-output — "If I'm not producing, who am I?" "I avoid stillness because I'm scared of what I'll find there."
Post-setback spiral — A specific recent event (rejection, hard meeting, failed experiment) has triggered a broader self-doubt cascade.
Often multiple are active. Help the user name the primary one for today without pretending the others don't exist.
手册中列出了几种常见模式。帮助用户找出当前最显著的模式：
Imposter syndrome —— “所有人都比我聪明”“我不属于这里”“我会被揭穿”。
休息愧疚感 —— “我还不能休息”“如果我休息就会落后”“休息就是懒惰”。
planning fallacy/过度承诺 —— “我总是承诺自己无法完成的事”“每个周末因为没完成任务而愧疚”。
导师/同行焦虑 —— “我害怕让导师失望”“我不敢承认自己遇到了瓶颈”。
以产出定义自我 —— “如果我没有产出，那我是谁？”“我逃避静止，因为害怕面对内心的想法”。
挫折后螺旋式消极 —— 近期特定事件（被拒、艰难会议、实验失败）引发了更广泛的自我怀疑。
通常多种模式会同时存在。帮助用户明确今天的主要模式，同时不否认其他模式的存在。

Stage 4: Surface the Underlying Script

阶段4：梳理内在思维脚本

For whichever pattern is active, help the user articulate the old script they're running, then offer the reframe the Handbook suggests. This is not positive-thinking-in-a-bottle; it's specifically the reframes the Handbook's author developed from his own experience.
Imposter syndrome reframes (from Handbook 8.4.4):
  • "I don't know enough" → "I'm here to learn."
  • "That was just luck" → "I created the conditions for that to happen."
  • "Everyone else is smarter" → "Everyone has different strengths."
  • "I should already know this" → "The point of a PhD is that I don't yet."
Rest guilt reframes (from Handbook 8.4.5):
  • "I can't rest yet" → "High-quality rest is readiness for tomorrow's work."
  • "I'll fall behind" → "Recovery helps me go further."
  • "Everyone else is grinding" → "Others are sprinting; I'm training for the marathon."
  • "I haven't earned rest" → "I'm not a machine. Rest is strategy, not luxury."
Planning fallacy reframes (from Handbook 8.4.6):
  • "I'm bad at estimating" → "The planning fallacy affects virtually everyone; the question is whether I build buffers."
  • "I failed to finish what I promised" → "I over-promised; the fix is smaller commitments, not harder effort."
  • "I should be more ambitious" → "True ambition is sustainable progress built on honest self-knowledge."
Offer reframes as options, not prescriptions. Ask: "Does any of these feel true for you, or is there something more accurate you'd put in its place?"
针对活跃的模式，帮助用户阐明他们正在遵循的旧思维脚本，然后提供手册中建议的重构思路。这并非空洞的积极思维，而是手册作者基于自身经验总结的具体重构方法。
Imposter syndrome重构思路（来自手册8.4.4）：
  • “我懂得不够多” → “我来这里就是为了学习”。
  • “那只是运气” → “我为那件事的发生创造了条件”。
  • “其他人都更聪明” → “每个人都有不同的优势”。
  • “我应该已经懂这些了” → “读博的意义就在于我目前还不懂这些”。
休息愧疚感重构思路（来自手册8.4.5）：
  • “我还不能休息” → “高质量的休息是为明天的工作做好准备”。
  • “我会落后” → “恢复精力能让我走得更远”。
  • “其他人都在拼命” → “别人在冲刺，而我在为马拉松训练”。
  • “我还没资格休息” → “我不是机器。休息是策略，而非奢侈品”。
planning fallacy重构思路（来自手册8.4.6）：
  • “我不擅长预估时间” → “planning fallacy几乎影响所有人；关键在于我是否预留缓冲时间”。
  • “我没完成承诺的事” → “我过度承诺了；解决办法是减少承诺，而非加倍努力”。
  • “我应该更有野心” → “真正的野心是基于诚实自我认知的可持续进步”。
将重构思路作为选项提供，而非指令。可以问：“这些思路中有哪个适合你吗？或者你有没有更准确的表述？”

Stage 5: Offer One Concrete Action (small, humane)

阶段5：提供一个具体行动（微小、人性化）

The worst thing this skill can do is leave the user with a pile of philosophical reframes and no footing. Offer one small, concrete next action suited to the pattern:
  • For imposter syndrome: "Can you write down one specific thing you learned this week that you didn't know last month?" (Start a Wins Journal.)
  • For rest guilt: "What's one rest activity you'd do today if you gave yourself permission? Schedule it, even just 30 minutes."
  • For planning fallacy: "What's one thing you committed to this week that you could renegotiate? Even just internally?"
  • For advisor anxiety: "Would it help to invoke the 
    advisor-meeting-prep
    skill to prepare the conversation you're avoiding?"
  • For post-setback spiral: "Can you describe what happened in the most factual way possible, separating what happened from what you're afraid it means?"
Just one action. Not a self-improvement plan.
此Skill最糟糕的结果就是只给用户一堆哲学式的重构思路，却没有实际落脚点。针对当前模式提供一个微小、具体的下一步行动：
  • 针对Imposter syndrome：“你能写下本周学到的、上个月还不懂的一件具体事吗？”（开始记录成就日志。）
  • 针对休息愧疚感：“如果允许自己休息，你今天想做哪一项休息活动？把它安排进日程，哪怕只有30分钟。”
  • 针对planning fallacy：“你这周承诺的事情中，哪一件可以重新协商？哪怕只是在心里调整？”
  • 针对导师焦虑：“调用
    advisor-meeting-prep
    Skill来准备你回避的对话，会不会对你有帮助？”
  • 针对挫折后螺旋式消极：“你能以最客观的方式描述发生的事情吗？区分事实本身和你害怕它代表的含义。”
只提供一个行动，而非一套自我提升计划。

Stage 6: Optional Log Entry

阶段6：可选日志记录

Ask if the user wants to record the check-in. If yes, save to 
~/phd-log/mental-checkins/YYYY-MM-DD.md
:
markdown
undefined
询问用户是否想要记录本次检查。如果是，保存到
~/phd-log/mental-checkins/YYYY-MM-DD.md
：
markdown
undefined

Mental Check-in — [DATE]

Mental Check-in — [DATE]

What I'm feeling

我的感受

[user's words, not paraphrase]
[用户的原话，而非转述]

Pattern(s) active today

今日活跃模式

  • [primary pattern]
  • [secondary, if any]
  • [主要模式]
  • [次要模式（如有）]

Old script

旧思维脚本

"[the internal voice]"
"[内在想法]"

Reframe I want to try

我想尝试的重构思路

"[the replacement]"
"[替代表述]"

One small action for today

今日的一个小行动

[the action]
[具体行动]

Note to future self

给未来自己的提示

[anything the user wants to remember next time this hits]

This log becomes valuable over months — the user can see which patterns are recurring, what reframes have actually helped, and that they've been here before and come through.
[用户下次遇到这种情况时想记住的内容]

随着时间推移，这个日志会变得很有价值——用户可以看到哪些模式反复出现，哪些重构思路真正有效，以及自己曾经历过类似情况并顺利走了出来。

Tone and Posture

语气与姿态

  • Be warm without being saccharine. The user is an intelligent adult in a hard situation, not a fragile student.
  • Don't reassure prematurely. "You're doing great!" before understanding the situation feels dismissive.
  • Don't over-validate. If the user says "I'm falling behind because I'm lazy," don't immediately accept that frame — gently probe whether that's what's actually happening or whether it's a distorted narrative.
  • Resist the urge to cheerlead. Quiet presence beats enthusiastic validation.
  • Acknowledge when something is genuinely hard. "This part of the PhD is hard for most people, and it sounds especially hard for you right now" is often more useful than any reframe.
  • 温暖但不过分甜腻。用户是身处困境的聪明成年人，而非脆弱的学生。
  • 不要过早安慰。在了解情况之前就说“你做得很好！”会显得敷衍。
  • 不要过度认同。如果用户说“我因为懒惰而落后了”，不要立刻接受这个说法——温和地探究这是否是事实，还是一种扭曲的叙事。
  • 克制加油打气的冲动。安静的陪伴胜过热情的认可。
  • 承认某些事情确实很难。“读博的这部分对大多数人来说都很难，现在对你来说尤其艰难”往往比任何重构思路都有用。

What Not to Do

禁忌事项

  • Do not play therapist. Don't diagnose conditions. Don't claim clinical knowledge.
  • Don't use the Handbook's reframes as if they're universal truths. Offer them as the author's reframes, which the user can adopt, modify, or reject.
  • Don't end a session without the small concrete action. Philosophy without footing makes things worse.
  • Don't push past the user's comfort. If they want to name the feeling and move on, that's a complete use of the skill.
  • Don't miss the crisis screen. If something sounds beyond research life, say so and point toward real help.
  • 不要扮演治疗师。不要诊断病情，不要声称具备临床知识。
  • 不要将手册中的重构思路视为普遍真理。将它们作为作者的经验分享，用户可以采纳、修改或拒绝。
  • 不要在没有提供具体小行动的情况下结束会话。只有哲学思路而没有实际落脚点会让情况更糟。
  • 不要超越用户的舒适区。如果用户只想明确感受然后继续，这也是此Skill的完整使用场景。
  • 不要遗漏危机筛查。如果情况听起来超出科研生活范畴，请明确说明并指引用户寻求真正的帮助。

A Note on Repeated Use

关于重复使用的说明

If the user uses this skill regularly (weekly or more), read their recent check-in logs before responding. Noticing patterns ("this is the third week with rest guilt surfacing after Sunday evenings") is one of the most valuable things this skill offers — and it's only possible with continuity.
如果用户定期（每周或更频繁）使用此Skill，在回应前先查看他们最近的检查日志。识别模式（“这是第三周在周日晚上出现休息愧疚感”）是此Skill最有价值的功能之一——而这只有通过连续性才能实现。