12: The Best Way to Survive This Journey? Balance.
It’s time to talk about the mental toll that pursuing a graduate degree can take on every aspect of your life. What folks do not tell you about the pursuit of doctoral degree is that it is equals parts academic rigor and mental rigor (read as: self care). Graduate school involves a consistent mental dance to get yourself to go to class, complete the readings, submit assignments, conduct your own research, assist faculty with their research agenda, read harsh feedback from advisors on work that is deeply personal, and meet for study group.
In the upcoming weeks and months, we will offer tips to help you push through to the end. We may just share some personal stories because we have been there!
We will start with self-care and tips you can implement today!
Establish a productivity routine that works for you. I don’t remember where I read this, but the most successful professionals set a timer for 1 hour and break for 5-10 minutes, no matter where they are in their work. Working for endless hours without standing, drinking water, getting fresh air, is just not conducive to productivity in the long run.
Establish a fitness and wellness regimen that works for you. We all face mental blocks. Taking an hour or 2 to exercise is a sure way for me to clear my mind to make that paragraph flow, settle on a theme in my data analysis, or simply take a break from looking at a computer screen. Eat healthy food to promote energy- minimize refined sugar and eat more fresh fruit.
Listen to your body, seek professional help, and learn productive coping mechanisms. Time to get personal: As a doctoral student with an intense school schedule trying to have a semblance of a personal life, I started to grind my teeth which led to lots of oral surgery. I also began to develop migraines for the first time in my life. The sensitivity to light sent me to bed for 2 days. I still get migraines, but have learned to identify and fall back on my intense schedule. My physical health supersedes my goals. That is not negotiable.
Be kind to yourself and give yourself the benefit of the doubt. I have had to learn to NOT push myself to the brink. Unfortunately, my years training my body to push myself to the max as a dancer had an adverse impact on certain aspects of my life. In other words, mental strength also means knowing when to take it easy. I no longer push myself to keep going past exhaustion. I strive for 8 hours of sleep. Do I fall short often? Yes, but it is a goal. I’ve learned that I work best in short spurts (see above). If I don’t feel like it, I don’t force myself. I can come back to it later. Full disclosure: if that means that an assignment will be late, I have learned that, for my sanity, I’d rather submit quality work late than just anything thrown together. For friends and family, “NO” is a full sentence answer in which I do not need to provide an explanation.
Share your thoughts with us!
-Jennifer
