Grad School Struggles

zwaag16 · December 2017

Hi everyone,

I am a young grad student struggling with depression and anxiety. The combination makes it hard for me to find a routine that is successful in having a healthy routine. I'm reaching out to see if anyone is in a similar situation or has been through something similar. While some people manage stress and anxiety by not eating, my inclination is to eat EVERYTHING.

A few years ago, I lived in a house with 5 women and had a routine that ensured healthy snacks and good meals most days of the week (each of us only cooked one night of the week). At this time, I was running often and was at my lowest weight. Now, since living on my own, I struggle to have healthy meals every day and never feel like cooking, so I just eat out a lot. I've stopped running and working out and can hardly convince myself to get up and get active.

Anyone in a similar situation? Any tips for making food that I will actually crave? How do I make the transition from eating out often to eating and making healthy meals at home?

DaisyCynthia · December 2017

Hey there! I went through something when I was in law school, and unfortunately I did not manage it the best. The negative coping methods I adopted in law school (over eating and no longer working out) stuck with me long after the stress of law school went away.

One thing I realized was that due to stress/anxiety I was trying to do too much when it came to my schoolwork. I felt guilty anytime I did something not related to schoolwork. And the only acceptable ‘break’ to me was to eat food - because you know sustenance.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would prioritize taking breaks from the stress of school. What better way to take a break than to go for a quick walk (you’ll see puppies / kiddos / beautiful flowers) and by the time you come back you’re less stressed and usually happier. Why not look at meal prep as another way to take breaks? I’ve recently discovered that I LOVE baking! There’s something about measuring out the ingredients and mixing them together that just seems to calm my nerves. Why not look for some healthy(ish) recipies to make when the stress/anxiety gets to be too much? I normally find that by the time I’m done making a dish, the overwhelming desire to eat everything in sight had passed. And to ensure you don’t eat it all, you can pass the extra goodies on to friends.

I encourage you to make delicious foods (real butter!) that will taste good going down. Don’t make food a punishment, and don’t make food a reward. Learn how to make your favorite dishes from restaurants, and take it day by day. Start with the promise to only eat out x amount of meals each week, and eventually get it down to the number of meals each week that is acceptable to you. And when you do eat out remember to select decently healthy options.

Hope that helps!

RadishEater · December 2017

Hello,
Fellow grad student here. I recently finished one of the most stressful semesters in my 3.5 yrs of grad school and one of the most helpful things for me was taking short 10-5 min walks. Although it felt like I was overwhelmed and couldn't possibly leave my work for a break, the 5-10 min walk gave my a chance to regroup my mind and as a bonus a bit of low exertion exercise. Sometimes going to an exercise class or running is too mentally daunting, but taking small walks throughout the day can add up to more exercise than you thought you could do. I would suggest for eating out, try adding in more vegetables and protein in your order i.e the difference between a burrito and a salad bowl with all the fillings. I phased eating out less into my life very slowly because abupt changes don't work for me as a person. For cooking, the slow cooker really is a great place to start for minimal effort cooking or buying rotisserie chicken and just making sides. I love Pinterest for slow cooker recipes too. For food I crave, I slowly transition to a smaller amount and found what I could not live without. For me it's dark chocolate cheese peanut butter apples beer, but I all eat those nearly daily and have been reducing the amount slowly. Knowing that I budgeted to eat chocolate later or cheese with dinner helps motivate me to bypass the pizza leftover from some meeting. My grad school has free dropin informal counseling session and regular sessions, hopefully your grad school has something like that too which you could visit. Lastly just because you tried one day or one week don't give up, it took me over a year with many attempts to add in daily morning streches and planks which I highly recommend to get the blood moving and help me feel awake.

DebLaBounty · December 2017

Buy some food to cook. If you chose chicken and broccoli, search online for recipes that use those ingredients. Add the word "quick" if you're pressed for time. Have spices on hand to experiment with. And pack a good lunch and snacks to put in your backpack. You'll save money and not be so tempted to eat out.

Oh, and the suggestion to take breaks and walk is great advice. Study for 45 minutes, take a 15 minute walk. Drink some water. Repeat.

acswanson2 · January 2018

I agree with @kballsocc. I just finished graduate school and had a really hard time with work-life balance through most of it. It wasn't until my last year that I figured out what really worked for me. I began compartmentalizing my time and space so that I only worked in my "designated" work spaces at home or at school. I purposely scheduled in time everyday for making and eating meals and exercise. For example, instead of eating lunch at my computer working, I would force myself to sit outside to eat and would give myself a full half hour like any normal job. During a period of bad depression, I start doing yoga for an hour almost every day and after a month I started feeling better. I found that managing my time and space and planning for the week ahead really helped me follow through with my food and exercise goals while staying focused and productive.

Grad School Struggles

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