Stuck in the middle of a PhD… how to keep it together?

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it."
                ..............Plato

Recently I have been trying to stay focus on my work, meaning that work is what surrounds me the most. For the past two months my social life has been nonexistent. 

When you’re a PhD candidate, depression is always around the corner, no matter how much of a happy person you are. I have known many PhD candidates these past years and believe me it is not easy. You feel lost because you wonder where you’re going way too often. You feel useless/worthless because you ask yourself what is the purpose of the research your doing and who cares about your work anyway? 

You end up doubting a lot and nobody helps you much because reality is that you are on your own. A thesis is not a team work; it is a single man/woman’s work. You feel lonely because your subject becomes you best and only friend, a secret friend. A secret because you can’t talk about it with much people considering most people on the surface of the planet would either not understand what you’re on about, or simply not care – I am not sure which one is the toughest to swallow… 

What’s helping keeping me keep it together? 

 

So my life these past months consists in staying home, helping out my mother with the kids she is caring for whenever she needs me too (but that doesn’t do it much for me – more on that some other day), I do some cooking which I enjoy cause food is part of what makes you happy and healthy and I work out. 

I’ve been working out a lot actually. I work out on a daily basis with a day of rest here and there. For some reason it helps me with my self-esteem – cause when you don’t have a social life, you don’t have anyone to help you project a picture of who you are. Working out is just an interesting alternative to help out with self-esteem. Not just because my body gets fitter and fitter and because my strength and resistance increase. No, it is not just about having muscles pop out and improve my body image, cause honestly I never really had a problem with the way I look, I’ve always been quite accepting of it. So if it does help with self-esteem it is because I stick to a schedule and I push myself over my own limits. Consequently, I feel more confident with my capacities to achieve and succeed in something. Plus, I am sure working out releases chemicals and other stuff in your body that triggers a feel-good mood and just makes you happy… 

However, you must know that I don’t do easy workouts. I don’t do lengthy aerobic style workouts; no, I like short and intense workouts, workouts that make me want to drop and lie down motionless on a cold floor because my body is burning inside and out. Such experience can be attained with anaerobic training, strength and resistance training, interval training and so forth. I’ve recently started Insanity: The Asylum and it’s pretty awesome, but also freakishly tough and, indeed, completely nuts! But I love it.  Before The Asylum I was putting together my own workout routines. I create them from what I know about working out (I use to go to a lot of classes back when I was living in Swansea, UK) and from some awesome fitness programmes on the internet, like Zuzka Light’s workouts aka ZWOW. I actually still do my homemade workouts after I complete an Asylum session, it’s just so addictive. 

So I just wanted to send out this message to all PhD students, or whoever is going to a very stressful and hermit-like experience: workout. Even spending as little as 20 minutes a day working out, can dramatically help you with not just being fitter, but happier and more focused. So try it out - and don't forget to keep a nice light diet throughout the day (and please stick to superfood!).

Of course, in all honesty, I am realizing that although working out makes me much happier, focused and confident, it does not entirely make up for the flatness of my social life. I have many virtual friends, and I am glad I do have friends to chat with, or call… but who am I kidding? We are social animals and we need contact… so my next workout moves is calling up my mates and just go out for a tea or a nice lunch in the park or along the docks, the sun is shining so let’s enjoy!