![]() ![]() She can always be found with her nose in a book. Laura (she/her) is in the third (and hopefully final!) year of her Master's degree studying Classical Languages. You’re doing your best, you’re working hard, you’re doing everything you can but you’re also human. ![]() I personally have a tendency to be extra tough on myself no matter what, and I’ve realized that sometimes you need to give yourself a break. Check out Christine's story on time management to help get started! Remember to be kind to yourself There are tons of different time management strategies and tips out there! I recommend trying a bunch of different tips to see what works best for you. You pay for it so don’t be afraid to use it! And you can see a doctor right on North Campus at the University Health Centre. My back hurt, my stomach was bothering me, and I didn’t realize until I went to see a doctor and physiotherapist that my back and stomach pain were preventing me from focusing on my research! Don’t forget that you have medical benefits with your student plan. They gave me tons of strategies to help deal with the things that were going on and I highly recommend that anyone else who is struggling reach out to any of U of A's Wellness Supports services. When things started to get overwhelming and difficult for me to handle without breaking down in tears everyday, I sought out a psychologist! Counselling and Clinical Services was so amazing and so helpful. So, I recommend trying to set aside a bit of time to do something you love that is non-academic! See a psychologist when things get too overwhelming If I don’t do something unrelated to my research every day, I find I can’t transition out of “research mode” and back into “human mode” where I can talk about non-academic things. (Tip: Try to move around every 30-15 minutes!) Do something non-academic every day Whether it's gentle yoga, a walk, going to the gym, or whatever you have time for and the ability to do, movement is important to help with blood flow especially when you’ve been sitting for 10 hours straight. ![]() Set aside time every day to move your body Journaling can be a great way to release those feelings in a healthy way and can help with your productivity! I have found that journaling has really helped me stay healthy and practice sticking to a schedule (which is important for thesis writing too!). Sometimes feelings build up in grad school and you don’t have the time to process them because you are so busy. This will prevent you from missing meetings with your supervisors or lunch dates with friends. I recommend putting LITERALLY EVERYTHING into your Google Calendar and then setting up reminders 10 minutes before each event so that you have time to disengage from whatever you’re doing and transition into something else. I tend to have so much going on between working as a TA, research, and volunteering that I forget plans really easily. By scheduling time away from studies, you give your brain time to rest and recover which will help maintain both your mental and physical health. It’s important to have free time to do things that make you happy (I like to listen to audiobooks and knit!). I am terrible for working 12-16 hours a day until I literally crash-this is not healthy AT ALL. Schedule your time so that you actually have a break from your studies Prioritizing the relationships in your life will also help you maintain your mental health. You need them during grad school to help you during the tough times, so it’s important to make sure you spend time with them when you aren’t struggling and when you can have fun with them. It’s important to make an effort to put time aside to spend with friends, partners, and family. It is really easy to get completely absorbed in your work and spend days and days doing nothing but reading and writing, but your relationships will suffer if you do that. I am going into the third year of my master's program and while I’m definitely not perfect, here is what I have learned about staying organized: Prioritize relationships ![]()
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