Balancing grad school and hobbies

[Citizen of Night Vale]

I have been out of school for a few years now and am so excited to return this fall. While working FT since undergrad, I picked up a few hobbies to be more active in my spare time, like long distance running and volunteering at non-profits. I don't want to completely stop doing what I enjoy when I return to school and worry about balancing my grad life with my time-consuming hobbies.

Wise grad students, how have you balanced grad school and your hobbies?

Also, is there anyone on this site who is both a grad student and marathoner or triathlete?

Edited April 4, 2016 by Citizen of Night Vale

[TakeruK]

It's important to have hobbies! I think our own pressure on ourselves is the biggest hinderance to having hobbies in grad school (i.e. thinking that we're too busy or feeling guilty for doing these hobbies). So, do what you need to do to convince yourself to prioritize your hobbies too.

One way I do this is to adopt the philosophy that I need to be healthy physically and mentally in order to do good work. So, things like my hobbies are just as important to being alive as a human as eating, showering, brushing my teeth, sleeping, etc. I wouldn't go for a week without sleep, so why would I go for a week without my hobby?** 

(**I know it's not strictly the same and of course there are some weeks where it's crunch time for work, but adopting this outlook helps me remember the importance of self-care).

Practically, one of the hardest skills to learn in grad school, in my opinion, is saying no to yourself (and others). I practice this by setting a limit on how much work I'm willing to do, and then only taking on and doing work that fits in this time limit. It varies as my responsibilities and goals change from year to year and quarter to quarter. This semester, I am TAing and I want to get a couple of papers out before I go on the job market, so I am probably in the 50-60 hours per week of work (for the typical semester, I usually work 40-50 hours---the extra 10 hours is for TAing and I don't want to reduce my research productivity while TAing but I also don't want to do a lame job TAing either). After determining this number, I find it helpful to sketch out my time budget for each week. You don't have to stick to it precisely, but being aware of how you are spending your time can allow you to spend your time the way you want. Maybe you find that you are spending a lot of time on X but you would really be happier if it were on Y.

And lastly, I feel like a lot of people cut back on outside life when they start grad school and then plan to slowly add in outside stuff once they get settled in. I don't think this works very well because you end up in a routine and then it's hard to see that you actually have time for another thing. Instead, my advice is to start out doing everything you want to be doing. Do school and all the hobbies that you want to be doing that semester. Then, cut back on things if you do get overwhelmed. I think once that you get into a routine, it's much easier to maintain it! 

Of course, all of this is just what I found works for me, hope it was helpful for you!

[HopefulPHD14]

2 hours ago, Citizen of Night Vale said:

Also, is there anyone on this site who is both a grad student and marathoner or triathlete?

My buddy is in grad school and he runs marathons, so I know its possible.  And I am planning on finding a climbing gym close to my school so I can climb a few days a week.

Honestly from what my friends tell me grad school becomes a time where you really just have to get good at managing your time and making priorities.  If your hobbies are priorities then you should certainly make time for them.

[CBclone]

One of the girls in my program is a competitive triathlete and straight-up runner. The time she spends training and doing races is crazy at times.

For me, I block out gym time in my schedule and when it's nice out I plan a few outdoor bicycle rides on top of that. In the winter I'm relegated to spinning indoors, but hey it works. I also watch the football and basketball teams from my undergrad school religiously, and plan my weeks accordingly around those schedules. It's nice when I can lift or bike in the gym and watch at the same time  

For reference, I'm taking 12 credits, GA 20 hours, and do field placement for 2 hours each week. Might be crazier for PhD folks, but I like @HopefulPHD14's advice of make your hobbies into priorities. I plan out a schedule each week and time for hobbies and recreation are built into that.

[Citizen of Night Vale]

Thanks everyone for the helpful advice! 

@HopefulPHD14 and @CBclone I never really considered my hobbies as priorities before, but I guess they have been since I have revolved most of my spare time around running.  Being physically active and outside really helps with my mental health. For the past 2 years, I've always trained for something and have found that training for a race also keeps me motivated in other aspects of my life and hopefully, that will continue when I start my grad program.

@TakeruK, I liked your tip on starting off grad school by doing everything I want to do. You're probably right, if I completely stopped taking the time to do all of my hobbies and just immersed myself in school, I might not actually return to doing activities I really enjoy.

[Need Coffee in an IV]

I'm not a wise grad student yet but I also thought about this! Tbh I usually plan things out if advance. This way I get stuff done on time and have a set time for my hobbies. I know that if I don't take the time to relax, I'll get stressed out and actually be less productive! Not a runner though, I do yoga at times, walking, and reading are my main hobbies. Plus is binge watching hgtv count as a hobby?

[rising_star]

I definitely pursued my hobbies in grad school. And, unlike @TakeruK, I actually didn't schedule these in from the beginning. Rather, I picked up a couple of hobbies during grad school and found the time to do them regularly. One of them was to attend a particular martial arts class, which I did 3-5 times a week throughout my PhD, including while doing my comps. It was definitely worth it for my mental health and I scheduled social time and work time around my hobbies (not the other way around).

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@rising_star Fortunately, running is usually my social time too. It's how I've met friends since I left undergrad and it's usually when I see people. I'm hoping I can join a running club when I move to meet people outside of my program.

@Need Coffee in an IV I binge watch the Food Network and I absolutely count that as a hobby. An unhealthy one, but still a hobby.

[Neist]

Ever considered audio books or text-to-speech while running?

I've been looking into it, and I think I'll try to use it a bit to free up some time for fitness activities.  

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@Neist I used to listen to audio books and podcasts while running but I've taught myself to run without any headphones so I can be more aware of my surroundings. When I belonged to a gym, I would sometimes read a book or play my 3DS while on a stationary bike or the stair climber. That was great because I was really distracted and would end up working out longer than expected!

[Neist]

Just now, Citizen of Night Vale said:

@Neist I used to listen to audio books and podcasts while running but I've taught myself to run without any headphones so I can be more aware of my surroundings. When I belonged to a gym, I would sometimes read a book or play my 3DS while on a stationary bike or the stair climber. That was great because I was really distracted and would end up working out longer than expected!

I completely understand! And I love it too because it does distract one from how long they've been at it.  Unfortunately, I don't have any other suggestions. One of my faculty members is a triathlete who's competed internationally, but I realize that's different than being a graduate student.

Also, love your screen name.

[runjackrun]

Hey @Citizen of Night Vale, thought I would chime in here also since I'm in a similar situation (been working FT for a few years, dedicated runner). I'm not a grad student just yet (starting this fall) but I've been a distance runner since middle school and did my first marathon while in undergrad, working 25-30 hours a week, and writing an honors thesis. I found my mental health depended largely on my weekly mileage, but I also refused to sacrifice my academic goals in order to meet my running goals (and vice versa). 

Because I'm not yet a grad student, I don't really have any authority to speak on how to balance this hobby and grad school, but I know I plan to keep up my running mileage in grad school without a doubt. Tools I've found to be helpful:

1. Timing is everything: For me, this doesn't mean scheduling as much as being flexible with when to run. I would run at 5 a.m., I would run at 10 p.m. Obviously, those weren't my ideal times, but if it meant run then or don't run, I usually went for it. Running in the morning is obviously nicer because you get it out of the way, but I also found that it can be really tough when you were up late the night before writing a paper. And keep time in perspective: it takes me 6-8 minutes to do that extra mile. Am I really going to miss that 6-8 minutes of sleep that night? Probably not. Am I going to kick myself for missing my weekly mileage goal by one mile? Probably. 

2. Run outside as often as possible. This can be tough depending on location (I was born and raised in the Midwest). But it really makes life SO much easier when you don't have to trek to a gym. It's one less barrier to completing your hobby and that goes a long way when you are prioritizing activities in your schedule. 

3. Consider a group - Sounds like you are already doing this. I am not much of a group runner these days (I like having my alone time to think while running) but many find this provides extra motivation. 

As for multi-tasking, I've tried most everything while running. I've taken conference calls; I've responded to e-mails on the treadmill; I've gone through flashcards; I tried recording essays and going back to type them (really does not work for me at all). I've gotten away from this as I want running to be restorative for me, but I have found if I have just social calls (i.e., haven't talked to my parents in awhile, need to catch up with an old friend) I can take those while running. It's not ideal, but it can check multiple things off my to-do list. 

Anyway, this is probably a lot of info that is just common sense, but it has actually been helpful for me to reiterate for myself. At the end of the day, I've viewed grad school as a time to devote myself to  work/research and excel academically, but I also know I won't cease to be me just because I've been accepted to a graduate program. Running has been a part of me for the better half my life and can say with confidence I will find a way to make it work. I am sure you will be able to as well. Good luck!

[TakeruK]

One of the grad students in my cohort took up marathon running after starting grad school. There is a PE class at my school that helps you train for a marathon, for those who find structure helpful. My friend even finds time to travel to marathons in-state and out-of-state (often combining with a personal visit or giving a talk at the institution!) But depending on where you live, there are also lots of local races. In planetary sciences & astronomy, marathon running seems to be a pretty common hobby actually. The old department chair and his wife are both ultramarathon runners---they recently did a 100km race. Another professor in the department decided to try to start training for and then completed a triathlon a few years ago. I think the goal is to eventually complete an Ironman race. 

It's true that professors have different time constraints, but I don't think it's any less. If anything, I think professors work as much or even more than grad students and generally have additional responsibilities/commitments. Sometimes I use this fact to motivate myself to schedule more time for hobbies!

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@runjackrun My mental health also largely depends on my weekly mileage! It may be unhealthy, but I get disappointed in myself if I don't hit that mileage or don't follow my training schedule. I've been living the Midwest for a few years now and I run outside year-round. 90-degree long runs - doing it. Below-freezing runs with snow -  doing that too! My running schedule has been the same for a few years now - after-work midweek runs and early morning Saturday long runs. I'm not sure I'm going to like having to adjust my runs depending on my weekly schedule, but I would much rather run than not run. 

I actually prefer running alone than with a group, but as you may already know, there are benefits of group running. Also, I don't feel obligated to hang out with friends outside of running if I just run with them once or twice a week. 

@TakeruK I'll be moving to Texas for grad school so I'm excited for the many races that are down there that I would have otherwise missed out on! It's probably not going to happen but I would love to meet a professor in my program who shares some interests outside of our field. I'm not sure how but I also hope to meet grad students (even outside my program) who also have some similar running/fitness goals.

[runjackrun]

@Citizen of Night Vale I've been in winter running mode for what feels like forever that I had kind of forgotten what those 90-degree long runs feel like! Yeah, not a huge fan of those either. I'm leaning heavily toward my grad school option in California so it will be nice to have a more moderate climate for running. Adjusting the schedule is really tough, though I've found my mileage actually doesn't change much based on my workload. I think for me it is one of those "productivity begets further productivity" things. When I am swamped with work and I am finishing a paper and pulling all nighters, losing sleep for a run at 5 a.m. doesn't feel like that big a sacrifice. Now, when I'm working full time and trying to meet friends once a week, even though my schedule is actually much clearer, I find waking up at 6 a.m. to run feels like a tremendous burden. It's interesting. 

I think having a race on the calendar for which to train is helpful, too. I haven't raced in a couple years but I do think it commits me to training in a way that I otherwise wouldn't do. And it helps me vary my workouts--speed work, hills, long runs, tempo runs, rather than just falling into my usual average mile, average pace slump. Then again, for me it's sometimes nice to keep running as a form of meditation or relaxation and not worry about making splits or reps, especially with the stressful curveballs grad school is likely to throw at us. 

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@runjackrun I'm training for my 1st spring marathon and have found winter training is just SO weird. My runs have been in all kinds of weather. Snow, rain, sleet, 10 degrees, 60 degrees, -20 windchill.. I've always kept a race on my calendar to keep me accountable. I don't know if I would continue keeping up my weekly mileage if I didn't have a goal to work towards. Even though I'm always training for something, I do find running very meditative. I love spending a few hours Saturday morning doing a long run and not thinking about anything. 

[Neist]

Man, all this running talk makes me wish I could still run. My knees just aren't what they used to be. Years of long distance running, along with a few unfortunate injuries, makes it difficult for me to run any distances greater than perhaps 5k. 

I think I might try to take up rowing. Oklahoma has one of the best rowing channels in the CONUS, and the university gym has a few rowing machines. I think I might enjoy that.

56 minutes ago, TakeruK said:

It's true that professors have different time constraints, but I don't think it's any less. If anything, I think professors work as much or even more than grad students and generally have additional responsibilities/commitments. Sometimes I use this fact to motivate myself to schedule more time for hobbies!

I agree! But I didn't want to make any harsh assumptions on my part. Frankly, I don't know when he sleeps during training season. Triathlons must be hellish to train for. You have to squeeze in a lot to stay well-rounded.

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@Neist I've only ever used a rowing machine and I am kind of afraid of water, but rowing is such a good workout! If I did run, I would probably take up some other outdoors exercise like cycling.  If I was a faster runner, I would probably like to do 5k races. I'm kind of slow and building distance than speed is easier for me.

I actually hope to start training for my first triathlon next year. I just need to get over my dislike of water.

[Neist]

13 minutes ago, Citizen of Night Vale said:

@Neist I've only ever used a rowing machine and I am kind of afraid of water, but rowing is such a good workout! If I did run, I would probably take up some other outdoors exercise like cycling.  If I was a faster runner, I would probably like to do 5k races. I'm kind of slow and building distance than speed is easier for me.

I actually hope to start training for my first triathlon next year. I just need to get over my dislike of water.

Oklahoma even has a rowing crew, and its small enough that they actively recruit new members. I'm not sure if I want to dedicate myself to something that involved, but it has crossed my mind.  

Have you considered duathlons? Not sure how common they are, but you could just bypass the whole swimming part.

Edited April 5, 2016 by Neist

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@Neist Yes, I've thought about doing a duathlon but they don't seem as popular as a tri. I like races with a ton of people and I don't think many people do duathlons.

[Sajid]

good to see people not giving up on hobbies in grad school ! I ran many halfs and survived one full. looking forward to running the snow. 

[Citizen of Night Vale]

@Sajid If you're coming to the US for grad school, specifically Northwestern (as you mentioned in the Evanston, IL thread), I hope you can find time to do a few races. Chicago has a several fun half marathons throughout the year and the Chicago marathon is a pretty big deal.

Also, have fun running in the snow. Winter running is my favorite since the running paths get less crowded since it's colder.

Edited April 14, 2016 by Citizen of Night Vale

[Fallen]

On 4/5/2016 at 11:54 PM, rising_star said:

I definitely pursued my hobbies in grad school. And, unlike @TakeruK, I actually didn't schedule these in from the beginning. Rather, I picked up a couple of hobbies during grad school and found the time to do them regularly. One of them was to attend a particular martial arts class, which I did 3-5 times a week throughout my PhD, including while doing my comps. It was definitely worth it for my mental health and I scheduled social time and work time around my hobbies (not the other way around).

Do you mind disclosing the martial art? 

I'm a BJJ purple belt and I'd like to be able to train 3-5 times a week (on average) throughout my graduate career. Hoping I can find a way to fit it in. 

[rising_star]

9 hours ago, Fallen said:

Do you mind disclosing the martial art? 

I'm a BJJ purple belt and I'd like to be able to train 3-5 times a week (on average) throughout my graduate career. Hoping I can find a way to fit it in. 

I do. It's not BJJ though. The key for me was finding a location convenient to home/campus, which wasn't hard where I was living.