Sometimes, “stress” and “academia” seem synonymous. I know it’s not the only job with that distinction, but it is the job that I have the most experience with, and well, stress is absolutely not a stranger to me. In fact, I know stress as well as I know the incredibly huge number of deadlines I have to face in the coming weeks.
Surviving stress takes practice, and since everyone deals with stress in different ways, these tips aren’t going to work for everyone. But I hope that this can serve as a starting point, and from there, maybe you can tailor your stress approach to meet your needs. But here are the tips and tricks I’ve learned from workshops, books, and personal experience.
- Go for a walk. This might be bad advice to give at the beginning of winter, but the walk doesn’t necessarily have to be outside. I take walks to get coffee from the coffee shop that’s furthest from my office, so it’s like I get double bonus ““ delicious beverage and a break. If the weather is truly terrible, though, I just take a way around the building, take the stairs to the basement, get a drink of water from a weird floor. For me, movement helps me process the information that I am thinking about. This is especially helpful since stress can sometimes block up the thought-cycles, and walking around can really destroy those blocks.
- Mindfulness exercises ““ the mindfulness technique is one that’s often talked about in the context of stress. It’s about letting go of judgments: observe your thoughts and your body, but don’t attach judgment to it. One way of thinking about it is, well, sort of creepy when I write it out like this, but it’s to pretend you’re an alien-scientist in a human body for the first time and you’re observing and making note of the feelings, emotions, and physical sensations without saying that feeling, emotion, and/or physical sensation is good or bad. The good thing about this is that it can work quickly and you can do it anywhere
- Square breathing exercises ““ this is another common stress relief technique that can be done anywhere. It is a pretty centering technique, since it draws you in to your breath, and when it’s done well, at least for me, it feels like I am being anchored (in a secure, not a suffocating way) through my chest. Here’s how it works:
- Think about your breathing.
- Take a breath in through your nose. Let the inhale last for 3 or 4 counts.
- Hold your breath for 3 or 4 counts.
- Release your breath through your mouth for 3 or 4 counts.
- Repeat as necessary.
How about you? What are your techniques for battling stress?
7 replies on “Women in Academia: Tips on Handling Stress”
Afternoon martinis?
I’m a bad person, but this is genuinely how I survived my PhD.
I think “take a walk”is nearest & dearest to my heart. Some sort of regular exercise (usually cardio) keeps my moods & stress a lot more even – it’s also time where I’m not thinking about assignments or deadlines.
But if I’m having a moment of intense stress, or stress that borders on anxiety, I use lavender essential oil as aroma therapy, which has a calming & very mildly sedative effect. There’s fair amount of research on lavender oil, but not much that’s conclusive in people. Regardless, it works for me. (I don’t use it before tests, cause I usually want the adrenaline flowing when I’m in that situation.)
I had to convince myself that what I do is not who I am; you need to be able to leave your work in the office and go home to your life.
THIS. Essential.
The breathing thing is critical for me. If I focus on my breathing well enough, my whole outlook can turn around.
Taking a walk is critical for me. Â Sometimes it’s to let an idea process, sometimes it’s just to walk away for a minute and think about something else. Â I’m also a big fan of shoulder rolls. Â Most of my physical stress settles in my shoulders and it feels good to shake it off.
When I was still in academia, and now that I’m working commercially with a tight schedule that’s deadline-driven, I’ve found that anything I can do to pamper myself or decrease stress while I work is really vital. To this end, real aromatherapy with essential oils is good. Ensuring that I’m getting the basics in terms of physical care – daily bathing, exercise, and adequate sleep – are also vital whenever possible. Also, eating a balanced diet of things I like is really pivotal; forcing myself to eat diet food stresses me out, but piling a bunch of junk into my system makes me feel fatigued and adds to stress symptoms. Finally, I try to take a break for some form of entertainment. It can be tough to fit it in, but even just an episode of Parks and Rec or a chapter of a favorite book in a tight, stressful day can help me to refocus my mind and remember to laugh.