Coping Strategies?

[MPH(D?)]

So if you're like me, you're trying (desperately) to occupy your time with something, anything other than obsessing about the wait. I personally have started to obsess over Levenger notebooks for some reason: http://www.levenger.com/Circa-Notebooks-326.aspx

 

What are you doing to make it through days?

 

 

[redread]

I love Levenger's stuff, by the way. I work as a library assistant--a job that I don't necessarily love--and I find that I have actually gotten worse at this job because I obsessively try to find things to do to distract myself from obsessing over whether I will be accepted to a PhD program and what I will do if I am rejected. I exercise a lot, and I cook quite a bit. When I am at home and begin to freak out, I find myself just walking outside and taking some deep breaths to reset my mind. Taking the dogs around the block for a quick jaunt works, too. I don't remember freaking out this much when I applied for my master's. Good luck to you!

[misskira]

I'm watching the entire grey's anatomy series on netflix. 

 

I'm on season 5. 

[DarwinsBones]

Run.....Seriously I used to run as a way to release stress, now I'm going 5-6 miles almost everyday. I run 12 mile race tomorrow even just because it looked fun

[muro0901]

Running is usually my coping mechanism but I both live in Minnesota (which makes exercising difficult for half of the year), and I have mono. Apparently the world just wants me to sit around and stress about graduate school. You win this round world.

[tiarabun]

I have been working on my own vampire romance novel since November. I never knew I could love writing so much (even thought i was a reporter and I wrote for a living)

It's the best way to keep my mind off my applications

I've written 65000+ words and I can't be more proud

Once I'm done I'll pay amazon to have it professionally copy edited and sell it online

[CP3]

Ummm.. drinking too much wine every night and obsessively checking email and gradcafe

[madricka]

Genealogy research, it goes on forever and I get totally absorbed. At bedtime, need sleeping pills or I won't sleep because I start mentally re-writing my application bits and driving myself crazy wondering...

[chellinchen]

I'm watching the entire grey's anatomy series on netflix. 

 

I'm on season 5. 

I did the exact same thing.  Then had to take advantage of the free trial at Hulu Plus to see this season's episodes.

 

Now I'm working my way through The Walking Dead.

 

Ditto on working out as well - but I live in MN & running outside is crazy right now.  Instead, I spend a lot of time with Just Dance & I'm debating a gym membership.

[viggosloof28]

Exercising and working on my thesis: one stress reliever and one stress inducer, so I like to think it balances out.

[weymiller]

Hot yoga.  I'm in Wisconsin and I am not a fan of winter, so hot yoga has been my saving grace.  It warms me up and is a good distraction for waiting on applications.

[muro0901]

Well chellinchen, if you want something to do you could watch the hockey game between the two schools you're applying to tonight and tomorrow (St. Cloud State #10 vs U of M #1). Should be some good games. I am a recent SCSU grad myself. 

[pears]

Ummm.. drinking too much wine every night

 

spoken like a true grad-to-be, hah!

 

frustrating days: intense lifting or running, then a slow swim

good days: vinyasa yoga, blasting deadmau5 and swedish house mafia

days that end with "y": drinking a nice cold beer

[spacezeppelin]

I'm watching the entire grey's anatomy series on netflix. 

 

I'm on season 5. 

 

 

This is hilarious to me because its exactly what I was going to post. Except I just started season SIX!  :/

Edited February 9, 2013 by spacezeppelin

[Adri.H]

I'm still in school How am I suppose to focus on my midterms when my mind is elsewhere:(

[courtc8891]

Go for run on treadmill.
Reward self with checking on status of applications.

[God0PlayDice]

Mostly I watch everything I find interesting on Netflix. 4 seasons of Breaking Bad, 3 seasons of The Walking Dead, and 2 season of Surviving the Cut so far. Working out as much as I can, sometimes boxing to release the heat. Tried real hard to focus on school but I guess it is impossible for now. 

[ruckeme]

i am still in school too.  i can't get any of my school work done. *sigh"

[SLPjmar]

I have been doing a lot of retail therapy. I think my bank account needs a coping strategy too. 

[Halcyon17]

Just keeping busy in general. I'm still in school, so there's usually some work I can go do to keep my mind off it (focusing on getting THIS semester done keeps me from thinking about what will happen NEXT semester). Also, I've been reading a lot more and writing a lot more (working my way through Cloud Atlas right now while simultaneously writing my second novel @__@). 

 

I also do martial arts (aikido) 3x a week, so if you want to talk about a stress reliever, there's that. It's hard to think about grad schools when you've been turned into a human projectile, haha. It helps that most of the members of the club are also science majors, and we're a very tight-knit dojo, so we're all great friends.

 

And I let my friends drag me away from the computer screen to go do something when it becomes obvious that I'm obsessively checking my email/the grad cafe.

 

Video games also work in a pinch. Grad school stress? What grad school stress? *mashes buttons repeatedly while slaying dragons on Skyrim*

Edited February 9, 2013 by Halcyon17

[sweetpearl16]

I have been doing a lot of retail therapy. I think my bank account needs a coping strategy too. 

 

This. With me its mostly been bargain hunting at the local Goodwill, but even bargains add up over time. Also I've gone back to needlepoint, which is something I did all the time in high school, but stopped once I got to college. It is extremely monotonous, but it keeps me busy.

[Sophielynette]

I've been participating in February Album Writing Month.  Surprisingly, only one of my songs is about grad school.  So far. 

[DarwinsBones]

Just ran the Tough Mudder today.....afterwards today grad apps were the absolute LAST thing on my mind!

[MonkeyDr]

Genealogy research, it goes on forever and I get totally absorbed. At bedtime, need sleeping pills or I won't sleep because I start mentally re-writing my application bits and driving myself crazy wondering...

Ditto. I'm taking benadryl every night to sleep. By day, I'm obsessed with monkey research or reading... 

 

I'm on "Your Inner Fish" currently -- good stuff. 

[MonkeyDr]

Also I recently took a weekend vacation (I suggest this to all) where I actually managed to sleep and feel like a normal person again who was more interested in the best kayak/hike spots then grad school...

 

However, that was short lived....but worth it! I felt sane again.