Self Care in Grad School

[clinamen]

5 minutes ago, Yanaka said:

The soccer thing sounds like a lot of fun!! I like those sports that make you run miles without you noticing haha

Yes! My feelings exactly! 

[Wabbajack]

 

@mk-8 Yes, a routine helps so much! I never went to a dermatologist. I stalked the skincareaddiction subreddit to find this routine, which @EspritHabile totally recognized!

Also, I love the idea of taking one day a week to focus on anything that keeps you centered.

[Wabbajack]

3 minutes ago, EspritHabile said:

I saw a dermatologist for the first time this year because I've lived for a very long time in very sunny, high-UV index states and haven't always been very good about sunscreen. . . so I figured I would make use of my decent health insurance before I return to the grad student life.

At the end of the very short, very fast visit (which included shaving off my favorite mole) they told me "Seeing you once a year would be overkill." :/

Hahaha. Ahhh doctors.

[Concordia]

Not having a kitchen full of empty carbs really helps.  Not that I don't cheat-- sometimes daily-- on the nutrition, but it's different when you have to buy the pain au chocolat or the glass of wine rather than simply reaching into the bread drawer or pulling a cork.

Walking helps, too. I lost close to 20 lbs in the fall term, because I was (for the first time I can remember) walking 3-4 miles/day.  My residence to the library, about .7 miles.  Maybe a mile from my room to downtown.  2 daily round-trips, and we're set.  The calories burn while the appetite shrinks.

I also have made an effort to join music groups (over-doing it, I'm afraid-- that is under adjustment), so I can meet people out of my daily routine and keep my brain full of something besides the reading.

 

[snickus]

Beachbody on Demand is a great program for access to a variety of workouts. Many are only around 30 minutes and are so effective. I also do batch cooking on the weekends so then it's really easy to throw meals together during the week. 

That said, the semester when I was student teaching (I recently completed an Ed.M. that included certification), my work week was about 80 hours after factoring in my commute and part-time job. I was sleep deprived and not working out.  I did keep up with meal prep, though, probably because I enjoy doing it and find it relaxing. My other semesters were far more manageable though, around 50-65 hour weeks, so keeping up with exercise was easier. I feel so much better when I exercise, so that helps me stick with it.

[FreakyFoucault]

My big weakness is definitely the liquors. It takes a lot of willpower (thanks alcoholic forebears and study-abroad semester), but as long as I limit booze to the weekends, it's all good. 

Why do the best things have to be bad for you?

[mk-8]

7 hours ago, la_mod said:

I LOVE talking skincare and considered taking an esthetician program at my local CC. Best advice re: skincare is just to start with anything and work from there. Oh, and to wear sunscreen everyday! I don't want to proclaim myself an expert, but if you want to chat about it, feel free to PM me

I’m totally going to PM you. Not that I’m a toad, but I have no routine. At all. I don’t know anything about skincare at all really if I’m being honest. Not the same thing, but I didn’t even know how to put on makeup until I was 21....

[Mise]

6 hours ago, snickus said:

Beachbody on Demand is a great program for access to a variety of workouts. Many are only around 30 minutes and are so effective. I also do batch cooking on the weekends so then it's really easy to throw meals together during the week. 

That said, the semester when I was student teaching (I recently completed an Ed.M. that included certification), my work week was about 80 hours after factoring in my commute and part-time job. I was sleep deprived and not working out.  I did keep up with meal prep, though, probably because I enjoy doing it and find it relaxing. My other semesters were far more manageable though, around 50-65 hour weeks, so keeping up with exercise was easier. I feel so much better when I exercise, so that helps me stick with it.

Beachbody on Demand! Thanks for the information. That's the kind of site and help I was looking for !

[CulturalCriminal]

I love how this thread sprung out of one of my posts from another thread. I should note that the point made before the quoted section was pointing the need of finding a hobby outside of lit/film/tv. That this thread has pointed to this need is really cool.

For those trying to figure out food, my partner and I use HelloFresh. They have a student discount. I know folks who are happy with other similar services. Most meal prep services make the food question less of a hassle (just chop and cook). You get the rewards of cooking, variety in your diet, and save time. For other meals, we grab snacks (carrots, apples, pretzels, cheese)and quick options (soup, bag salad, frozen pizza). 

[midwest-ford]

My friend and I have this simple mantra: "Food, water, sleep." Basically, if I'm feeling extra despondent about my work--as in, stressed about irrational things and jumping to irrational conclusions about my future prospects and worth--I think about whether I've had enough to eat, enough water, and enough sleep. It sounds way too simple, but I swear that nearly every time I've been teetering on the edge of something, I've realized that I need food, water, or sleep. It doesn't take away the normal stress that comes with academia, but it does help me identify situations in which I'm completely overreacting because I'm not in the right state of mind. Even the worst, most stressful times (hello, PhD application season!) have felt more manageable after I've taken care of my basic needs.

Lately, I've also been using the water tracking feature on my Fitbit. While I can't always get 10,000 steps a day, I can always make sure I get enough water, and I know it's helping me in other ways, too. 

I've been going to the gym regularly this year, which is good, but I think I'm beginning to realize that working out is a time commitment, and it will never be something I can do quickly or fit into my schedule without affecting other stuff--and that's okay. I feel like I spend a lot of time thinking "Okay, I'll get up earlier to go to the gym so that I'll still be able to get to campus at exactly the same time as when I don't work out," and that absolutely never works. But staying physically active is an entire component of my life, just like cooking or working or spending time with my boyfriend. It will have an impact on the rest of my schedule, and it should. This was a huge realization for me, and it's helping me be okay with reorganizing my schedule so that I can prioritize physical health. 

[nichts]

Gym rat here. If you hadn't considered it before, think about learning how to weightlift. You can teach yourself using Starting Strength and YouTube videos or ask a friend. It's more rewarding than cardio for some people, and can be especially empowering for women.

[M(allthevowels)H]

19 hours ago, la_mod said:

3a / 4. ^^ that being said, I love skincare. Not sure if anyone else here masks for stress relief or hoards serums (if so, can we talk about how good and cheap Deciem is???), but if you feel instantly better when your skin feels soft as heck yet are daunted by paying more than a dollar for a sheet mask, I'd recommend this exact set on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/value-Dermal-Collagen-Essence-Facial/dp/B0722LVW3B/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1517777023&sr=8-4&keywords=sheet+masks

(Just because I might be failing to get more than 6 hours of sleep doesn't mean I have to look so tired, you know?)

Thanks a lot. I put that in my cart and then fell down the rabbit hole of "other purchasers also bought..." What is Indian Healing Clay and do I need it? Why are all of the face scrubs gold? Do I need the gold scrubs?

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@M(allthevowels)H I'm allergic to gold so you definitely don't need gold face scrubs or masks.  

[mk-8]

12 hours ago, CulturalCriminal said:

I love how this thread sprung out of one of my posts from another thread. I should note that the point made before the quoted section was pointing the need of finding a hobby outside of lit/film/tv. That this thread has pointed to this need is really cool.

For those trying to figure out food, my partner and I use HelloFresh. They have a student discount. I know folks who are happy with other similar services. Most meal prep services make the food question less of a hassle (just chop and cook). You get the rewards of cooking, variety in your diet, and save time. For other meals, we grab snacks (carrots, apples, pretzels, cheese)and quick options (soup, bag salad, frozen pizza). 

Yeah, I'm really glad I started this thread. Self care is so much more than just eating right and working out, but all the other things that have been mentioned thus far. I started there because IMO that's the hardest thing for me personally (especially eating. I love cooking, but never have time and hate cleaning). It's also something I think a lot of people don't think about when they start grad school (me, lol).

[la_mod]

3 hours ago, M(allthevowels)H said:

Thanks a lot. I put that in my cart and then fell down the rabbit hole of "other purchasers also bought..." What is Indian Healing Clay and do I need it? Why are all of the face scrubs gold? Do I need the gold scrubs?

Indian Healing Clay is muuuuch too harsh, imho  

[M(allthevowels)H]

58 minutes ago, la_mod said:

Indian Healing Clay is muuuuch too harsh, imho  

Out of reacts (as always) but thank you!

[JustPoesieAlong]

For those looking for a feasible workout routine on a tight schedule, I highly recommend T25. I think it's one of the Beachbody routines. 25 minute workouts, plus a short cool down. I literally have no time for anything else, so this is definitely the one for me. There's a modifier who takes you through a lower impact option, since it's heavy on the jumping. 

[CulturalCriminal]

For skincare, even just body butter/scrub (depending on skin) after a shower every few days can go a long way.

[rising_star]

In grad school, I prioritized living in locations where I could walk/bike to campus and various social engagements on a regular basis. During my PhD, I used my bike to do the majority of my commuting (including buying beer from the liquor store, buying groceries, going over to friends' houses, etc.). That definitely helps with self-care in that it's exercise and gives you a chance to clear your head before getting home. 

I also worked on cooking easy, healthy meals, mostly in my slow cooker. The Year of Slow Cooking blog was incredibly helpful when I was in grad school and I made a lot of the recipes. I also (in part for financial reasons) switched to a mostly vegetarian diet. (I'll also admit that I made a variety of pasta salads like every single day for lunch in grad school, rather than eating out.)

I found a hobby (a martial art in my case) that I enjoyed and which added physical activity to my life. I also had a gym buddy for a while that I'd lift weights with. Before the martial art and the gym buddy, I would go to the gym to watch my favorite shows (they had TVs on each cardio machine and I didn't have an antenna or cable). Basically, I'd decide to watch my usual 1 hour show, which meant doing about 60 minutes of cardio at a time (elliptical mostly). I also sometimes did reading on the recumbent bike. 

One thing I would add to what I did in grad school is taking a sabbath. By that, I mean no work, no email, no TV, etc. I actually have implemented this in my life as faculty and it is amazing for relaxation. It also frees up time to do things like read for pleasure, clean, cook, etc.

[FreakyFoucault]

29 minutes ago, rising_star said:

One thing I would add to what I did in grad school is taking a sabbath. By that, I mean no work, no email, no TV, etc.

Taking a Sabbath is excellent advice! But I've often found that, when attempting it, I'm foiled by the perennial pitfall: "The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

[grumbles about technology ruining everything ... then appreciates the irony thereof]  

[rising_star]

1 hour ago, FreakyFoucault said:

Taking a Sabbath is excellent advice! But I've often found that, when attempting it, I'm foiled by the perennial pitfall: "The Spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

[grumbles about technology ruining everything ... then appreciates the irony thereof]  

Hahaha, yea, it wasn't easy to stay disciplined with it. I found it led me to actually use the cookbooks I own, since I wouldn't let myself look up recipes online. I also didn't text but would answer phone calls, so I wasn't completely free of technology. The real thing I learned was just how reliant I've become on streaming music, so I had to start planning around that if I didn't want to be in silence all day long. 

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

I've found dairy-free chocolate. This may not end well... puts the chocolate in the pantry...tries to forget where the chocolate is

 

In semi-related news, I really need to start compiling slow cooker recipes that I can eat so I'm ready to go as soon as I move. Also probably need some tupperware for my prepped meals.  

[mk-8]

6 hours ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

I've found dairy-free chocolate. This may not end well... puts the chocolate in the pantry...tries to forget where the chocolate is

 

In semi-related news, I really need to start compiling slow cooker recipes that I can eat so I'm ready to go as soon as I move. Also probably need some tupperware for my prepped meals.  

I  chronically am running out of Tupperware. Or losing it. Or breaking it. I break it a lot....

[GreenEyedTrombonist]

@mk-8 I'm definitely worried about the losing it, haha.

On the skin-care side, I just picked up 16 washcloths so I can wash my face without reusing a previously wet, potentially germ-infested cloth (sensitive skin leads to a persnicketty me). Thank you Target for having a clearance sale! (set of 8 for 3 bucks)

[mk-8]

1 hour ago, GreenEyedTrombonist said:

@mk-8 I'm definitely worried about the losing it, haha.

On the skin-care side, I just picked up 16 washcloths so I can wash my face without reusing a previously wet, potentially germ-infested cloth (sensitive skin leads to a persnicketty me). Thank you Target for having a clearance sale! (set of 8 for 3 bucks)

A Target run is definitely in my future....