Managing Stress

[alethicethic]

So, a lot of us are really stressed out. But, the truth is, academia is stressful. It's only going to get more stressful. According to the Chronicle, associate professors are some of the busiest and unhappiest people in the academy. So, if you're going to make it, you'll need some solid stress management techniques. Actually, you'll probably need those regardless of your career, because it seems that most people are stressed these days. So, I thought I'd start this thread, to share what I do, and to see what you guys do.

 

First, calm.com is amazing. You can set a timer to take a short break from work, or do a short guided calming exercise. They also have an app, so you can fit it in on public transit or between classes or whatever. Try committing to doing just one short 2 or 5 minute calming exercise for a month straight, and see if it makes a difference.

 

Second, I run almost every day. I don't have time to run very far, but I run at least a short 2-3 miler, which takes barely 20 minutes, and another 10 or so with post-run stretching. It's easy to fit into my day. I find that I get more done, because I am more energetic, more able to focus, and more calm throughout the day. Also, they've shown that exercise boosts your ability to learn and retain information.

 

Tip on building a running habit: you will never feel like running, so don't put that emotional burden on yourself. That is a lot harder than simply lacing up those shoes and heading out the door. You will feel better by the end of the run, and be really glad that you went out. Morning runners have a higher rate of success in maintaining a habit.

 

Good luck!

 

[shelbyelisha]

Thanks for the info!  I totally agree with getting physical exercise; I try to go for a 7-10 mile bike ride (usually at the gym because it's freezing out) every day.  It helps me sleep better at night and uses up some of my built up anxiety-energy.

[Monadology]

This is a great idea for a thread. Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions beyond what has been suggested, but I do have a quote!

 

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.” (Søren Kierkegaard, Journals)

 

I find it helps me, on top of managing stress, that I think I have ways to manage stress. It makes me much more optimistic and keeps me from feeling out of control. 

[Table]

Thanks for starting this thread, it's a great idea.

 

I think mental health professionals are a great but too-often overlooked resource when it comes to managing stress. Many universities provide free mental health services to students. If yours does and you have been feeling a lot of stress, consider making an appointment. I very sporadically meet with a psychologist. Talk therapy is really effective at relieving stress for many people—verbalizing your worries to someone who won't feel awkward and say things like "oh you'll definitely get in somewhere!" can be a huge relief. Even if talk therapy isn't appealing to you, a therapist can be a great resource: when I meet with my psychologist, we primarily talk about different behavioral strategies for managing stress, procrastination, etc. Basically, I go to her to get the kind of advice alethicethic is providing here, except coming from an expert and tailored to me. If I try something and it doesn't work, she has many more suggestions. Regularly seeing someone can also really help keep you accountable for actually trying to implement these strategies in your life. 

 

I know many people are really hesitant to see themselves as the kind of person that could benefit from seeing a mental health professional. But really everyone could—they're not just experts at dealing with mental illness, they're experts at dealing with the rougher periods everyone goes through in life.

 

Also… depression and anxiety are hugely prevalent among graduate students. If you end up dealing with these issues, how quickly you get help can have a huge effect on the outcome. If the idea of going to a therapist makes you uncomfortable, now is a great time to get over that. 

Edited February 3, 2014 by Table

[Monadology]

Thanks for starting this thread, it's a great idea.

 

I think mental health professionals are a great but too-often overlooked resource when it comes to managing stress. Many universities provide free mental health services to students. If yours does and you have been feeling a lot of stress, consider making an appointment. I very sporadically meet with a psychologist. Talk therapy is really effective at relieving stress for many people—verbalizing your worries to someone who won't feel awkward and say things like "oh you'll definitely get in somewhere!" can be a huge relief. Even if talk therapy isn't appealing to you, a therapist can be a great resource: when I meet with my psychologist, we primarily talk about different behavioral strategies for managing stress, procrastination, etc. Basically, I go to her to get the kind of advice alethicethic is providing here, except coming from an expert and tailored to me. If I try something and it doesn't work, she has many more suggestions. Regularly seeing someone can also really help keep you accountable for actually trying to implement these strategies in your life. 

 

I know many people are really hesitant to see themselves as the kind of person that could benefit from seeing a mental health professional. But really everyone could—they're not just experts at dealing with mental illness, they're experts at dealing with the rougher periods everyone goes through in life.

 

Also… depression and anxiety are hugely prevalent among graduate students. If you end up dealing with these issues, how quickly you get help can have a huge effect on the outcome. If the idea of going to a therapist makes you uncomfortable, now is a great time to get over that. 

 

I ran out of positive votes for today so I'm just going to say this is an excellent suggestion. There is no shame in talk therapy. 

[murial]

This is a great idea for a thread. Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions beyond what has been suggested, but I do have a quote!

 

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.” (Søren Kierkegaard, Journals)

 

I find it helps me, on top of managing stress, that I think I have ways to manage stress. It makes me much more optimistic and keeps me from feeling out of control. 

 

 

This is a great idea for a thread. Unfortunately I don't have any suggestions beyond what has been suggested, but I do have a quote!

 

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.” (Søren Kierkegaard, Journals)

 

I find it helps me, on top of managing stress, that I think I have ways to manage stress. It makes me much more optimistic and keeps me from feeling out of control. 

Me ran out of positive votes too but one ups for this. 

[warrior3]

yoga! there a lot of really good poses that target anxiety, but it really just helps in general because you have to keep your mind on your body rather than just wondering if anybody emailed you

[iExcelAtMicrosoftPuns]

Meditate.

Call it what you want. Just find time to be with yourself. Let things go. And observe your state.

[Monadology]

Meditate.

Call it what you want. Just find time to be with yourself. Let things go. And observe your state.

 

I have a question: I think I would find it hard to let things go if I were turning my attention towards my own state. Could you elaborate a little more on how it works?

[idol.chatter]

Meditation is great. I'll admit that sometimes it's not exactly relaxing, but it provides a sense of... centered-ness? 
 

 

I have a question: I think I would find it hard to let things go if I were turning my attention towards my own state. Could you elaborate a little more on how it works?

 

The goal of meditation (or at least what I've studied, which is Soto Zen meditation), is not to clear your mind of all thoughts, or think of absolute nothingness, but to observe your own thoughts without judgment or attachment. So you're not observing your "pure mind," or something impossible like that, but you're just letting thoughts come up, and then letting them go. I think of it like watching a movie reel. You have a thought, you recognize it, and then you just let it pass by. 

I've often heard to "just notice," if you find yourself clinging to any one idea or thing. Sometimes it's helpful to count to ten, and start over each time a new thought enters your mind - you just can't get compulsive or goal oriented about it. 

Is that of any help? 

[idol.chatter]

And I totally second the yoga suggestion. It's probably my favorite activity for relaxing and feeling as if everything is back in order. 

[ianfaircloud]

Thanks for starting this thread, it's a great idea.

 

I think mental health professionals are a great but too-often overlooked resource when it comes to managing stress. Many universities provide free mental health services to students. If yours does and you have been feeling a lot of stress, consider making an appointment. I very sporadically meet with a psychologist. Talk therapy is really effective at relieving stress for many people—verbalizing your worries to someone who won't feel awkward and say things like "oh you'll definitely get in somewhere!" can be a huge relief. Even if talk therapy isn't appealing to you, a therapist can be a great resource: when I meet with my psychologist, we primarily talk about different behavioral strategies for managing stress, procrastination, etc. Basically, I go to her to get the kind of advice alethicethic is providing here, except coming from an expert and tailored to me. If I try something and it doesn't work, she has many more suggestions. Regularly seeing someone can also really help keep you accountable for actually trying to implement these strategies in your life. 

 

I know many people are really hesitant to see themselves as the kind of person that could benefit from seeing a mental health professional. But really everyone could—they're not just experts at dealing with mental illness, they're experts at dealing with the rougher periods everyone goes through in life.

 

Also… depression and anxiety are hugely prevalent among graduate students. If you end up dealing with these issues, how quickly you get help can have a huge effect on the outcome. If the idea of going to a therapist makes you uncomfortable, now is a great time to get over that. 

 

Really good advice here.  I've visited therapists for various reasons.  I know that the institution with which I'm associated offers very inexpensive access to therapists.  Also it's pretty easy in the United States to access free therapy; people who train to become licensed therapists or to earn relevant professional degrees are required to complete a lot of therapy hours, and they do many (all?) of these hours at no charge.  It's usually easy to access this resource near a university, for obvious reasons.  

 

The only caveat is that some therapists really aren't very good at what they're doing.  Also some therapists aren't a good fit.  Don't be afraid to try several therapists to find one that meets your needs.  (Good therapists know that this is par for the course.)