Student Wellness Tips

Here are some tips that I wished I had known when I started my PhD at the University of Chicago. Some of them are maybe specific to people who grew up in the Tropics—such as myself—who have no clue about how to tackle the Winter, others I did not think were important until I realized they were. Do not leave your mental health and wellness in the back burner. Your tip list might be different, I share mine below in case it’s helpful. And yes, basic gear and habit building can go a long way and completely change your PhD experience—for the better. Aiming at being happy during your doctorate matters.

Gear

Therapy Lamp. Use one hour a day when you are working to get your fix of light. After spying on a peer who used one, I ended up buying three of these on sale so I was sure to never miss a day (one for home, one for the University office, one for my Coworking office). I stopped feeling the Winter blues—aka SAD—completely.
Humidifiers. Radiators can be very strong on people’s skin and throat, especially for those that are not used to them. I realized in my third Winter I was having trouble breathing at night. These fixed the problem immediately.
A good Winter jacket. It doesn’t have to be a Canada Goose, there are tons of great brands. Having a good jacket will be the difference between you staying inside for four full months and going outside to clear up your mind whenever you fell like it (and building a habit of doing so).
Hiking/Winter boots. I discovered ON hiking boots for brisk walks during Winter, and these where a game changer. They’re light, almost like running shoes, and great for the snow. Tons of great alternative brands out there. I’ve recently switched to Vivobarefoot for walking, and honestly can’t believe how strong my feet are. Still use ON for running.
Grounding sheets. I started using these after the PhD. I use a Dutch brand.
EXTRA: Garmin. Also started using after the PhD. Ever thought that your exhaustion and overall lethargy is psychological? Guess what, it’s not. You might have your HRV completely floored. It might be because you’re not sleeping at all. Or perhaps your physiological stress levels are through the roof, draining your body battery throughout the day. This piece of equipment made me realize that it was not “all in my head”. The exhaustion is real and it is physiological. So now I know which habits work for me, and what I need to do to keep my energy leveled. And of course, this is what I use to plan my runs (i.e. by heart zones) and track my sports, all in one place. If you like data, this is for you.

Habits

Walk, a lot. I started hitting at least 10K steps per day (today I’m more around 20k). Even during Winter. I walk everywhere to clear up my head. Sometimes I have my iPhone read me some class material PDFs and books while strolling around. Most of the time I just daydream and listen to music. I ended up knowing exactly how much time it would take me to walk from my place to almost everywhere I liked in Chicago, and added that walk as my usual commute.
Do strength training. This is out everywhere, whatever works for you, gym, bodyweight, whatever.
Join a group sport. I did not do this for a while, and now I think really missed out. Volleyball is a great option. If you are a Chicagoan, there are tons of public beaches with courts where you can join recreational leagues and meet new people during the Summer. In the Winter gyms such as Center on Halstead offer courts on Mondays for people to go and play. Or join a run club. Being around people that are chasing endorphins has a way of brightening up your day. Your running peers also keep you accountable for getting outside. Tennis is a fantastic sport to work on managing negative thoughts and getting out of your head.
Make friends outside the University environment. Sports are a great way to do this. You can also join a local Coworking a couple of days per week to focus on your research; this is particularly useful when the University becomes too high-stress and intense. If you mention you are a student, owners are likely to offer you a deal. Local groups of people with all kinds of interests organize events in Meetup (sports, art, crafts, gardening, anything).
Find delicious easy-to-make food with tons of protein, veggies, and good carbs (my #1 go-to is corn tacos with cheese, gochuyang, chicken, onions, capers, chile, and tons of “bucket” spinach…). I am a bad cook, so a couple of easy to prepare delicious recipes that you look forward to eating are easier to stick to consistently after one too many a long day. Your brain needs good food to work and to rest.