Wellness & Self-Care in Graduate SchoolNew Graduate and Professional Student

Welcome and Orientation

Michelle Trotter-Mathison, PhD, LP

& Brian Post, PhD

Boynton Mental Health Clinic

Self Assessment

What does stress look like to you? How do you know when you are

stressed (what is your personal definition of stress)?

What are the primary stressors in your life?

Top 10 Ways to Stress Yourself Out in Graduate and Professional School

10. Convince yourself that you don’t belong in your graduate program and that at any moment you will be “found out.” Surely, you are on the verge of being discovered and kicked out of the program.

Imposter syndrome

9. Put your life on hold. Never pursue any interests or relationships outside of your program. When cutting out time from your social life to make room for more work be sure to start by decreasing time spent with those closest to you. They are most likely to understand.

Spend time with others

Talk it out! supportive family and

friends professional counselor

8. Define your identity by your perceived academic success. Spend all of your time ruminating about how every grade you receive and every professional decision you make defines who you are as a person.

Perceived success ≠ Identity/worth – unlinking the two

Take a different perspective (Reframing)

Look for the positive (gratitude journal)

7. Start telling yourself that you are too busy for exercise, cooking, or any other type of self-care activity. Make “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” your personal mantra. Bring a sleeping bag to the office so you never have to go home. Remember, caffeine is your best friend. Take rapid, chest-level breathes because you don’t have time for slow, deep belly breaths.

Get plenty of sleep Consistency is key Quality of sleep is as important as quantity

Exercise regularly

Eat a balanced diet Reduce caffeine intake Reduce intake of other substances

Practice deep breathing and relaxation exercises Diaphragmatic breathing/Meditation One-Minute Vacation

6. Act as if other students in your program are your arch rivals. Never ask them for help or admit your struggles to the competition. Be especially weary of the most senior students in your program because they are the most judgmental of all. Constantly compare yourself to your peers. Expect yourself to be the top student in your class just like you were during your undergrad years. Feel like a failure.

Peer support/mentorshipRespond to self-critical

thoughts with self-compassion

5. Develop a 24/7 work mentality. Graduate students who take breaks or vacations never get published or land the most coveted practice-oriented opportunities.

It is a marathon, not a sprint. Gas expands to fill the space it is given. Time Management

Reasonable schedule Break big projects into small chunks 45/15 rule Make room for self-care

4. Ensure that all of your work is perfect. It is important to remember that perfection is not only possible but necessary at all time.

Perfectionism vs. Good Enough. Prioritize which projects/assignments

need 100% effort versus which just need to get done.

Procrastination (inch by inch, 20 minute rule)

3. Say “yes” to every opportunity. It is never possible to be “too busy” in graduate school. Feel out of control.

Develop a sense of your interests Discuss opportunities with a

professional mentor Learn to set limits with others

(It’s okay to say “no.”) Introvert vs. Extrovert

2. Compare your graduate student stipend (if you are lucky enough to have one) to the salaries being earned by friends who started working in their area of study right out of undergrad.

Naming the “compare and despair” dynamic

Remind yourself of your long-term goals

Resource: Financial counseling at Boynton Health Service

1. Expect yourself to never get stressed in grad school. If you feel the least bit stressed you are a failure. Not only as a grad student, but probably as a human being too. Remember, nobody else is feeling stressed out.

No Stress

“Good/Healthy” Stress

Distress

Stress vs. Performance

Mindfulness/Breathing Experience

Campus Resources

University Recreation and Wellness Free Yoga Classes through the Comfort Zone at Boynton Health

Service Pet Away Stress & Worry (PAWS), Boynton Health Service Counseling available at:

Boynton Health Service University Counseling & Consulting

www.mentalhealth.umn.edu Student Conflict Resolution Center

Questions?

Thank you for your time