[Grad-postdoc-assn] Tips for feeling better

Fri Mar 20 11:47:38 MDT 2020

Thanks for the message Valerie, your thoughts are very much appreciated!

A friend and colleague told me about this Slack group, created by and for
grad students/early career scientists in climate science during these
work-from-home times, and I've found it to be a helpful online community.
I'm passing the link if anyone is interested!

https://join.slack.com/t/climategrad/shared_invite/zt-cuo21p8l-V3bldIghoPN_7Dy~oloGWw

Take care,
Xiaoning

On Thu, Mar 19, 2020 at 10:24 PM Valerie Sloan via Grad-postdoc-assn <
grad-postdoc-assn at mailman.ucar.edu> wrote:

> Dear all,
>
> We realize that being a grad student or postdoc has enough challenges
> without adding extra stress. I'm hoping for you that you feel safe,
> assured, and supported. May we all feel a sense of calm.
>
> From what I am reading, staying as positive as possible and connecting
> with others can make a big difference to one's spirits. Notice the small
> pleasures of life. Try to practice being grateful. Consider Skyping
> (Facetime, etc.) with each other and with family and friends regularly, and
> notice how it can lift up your mood. Also, please feel free to chat with me
> if you need a little moral support. Just send me an email and I'll send my
> cell number. I'm sure that others on the ASP team would say the same thing.
>
> Below is an article with some suggestions on how to feel happier in these
> times. The important idea not mentioned is that of reaching out to people
> you care about by phone/video, which can really help to energize and
> diminish feelings of isolation.
>
> Also, here is a candle to bring some warmth and calm into your evening or
> morning.
> [image: candlelight.png]
>
> Tips for how to stay happy in troubling times
>
> *By dwelling less on stress and reflecting on the positives, BBC Future’s
> guide to happiness will help you to feel less overwhelmed by world events.*
>
>
> With the unfolding global coronavirus pandemic leading to people being
> confined to their homes, borders being shut and economic instability, it
> can be hard not to feel overwhelmed by the state of the world at the
> moment. The good news? *Even in times of stress and anxiety, you can take
> proactive steps to lift your mood*
> <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51873799>.
>
>
> The science of emotions is incredibly complicated, but it is also
> well-studied. Over the years, BBC Future has interviewed dozens of
> world-leading experts in psychology who shared with us practical, everyday
> tips for coping better with stress. We recently trawled through the
> research. Here are some of the top tips we found – some of which may
> surprise you.
>
>
> *1. Distract yourself.*
>
> It’s easy to run over and over the topic that’s stressing us out, whether
> that’s the new coronavirus outbreak, the state of the climate or something
> else. But *stopping people from ruminating on a recent stressful event –
> by offering a distraction – can lower their blood pressure back to normal
> levels* <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20846182> quicker than
> offering no distraction.
>
>
> *2. If you meditate, be aware that it might not work for everyone.*
>
> In times like these, many people might find meditation and mindfulness
> helpful. But others might not – for precisely the reason above. For some
> people, practicing stillness might simply invite rumination. It can be
> difficult not to think about stressful events when trying to clear our
> minds. This may be why *evidence for the benefits of mindfulness and
> meditation is patchy*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190813-burnout-anxiety-stress-proof-relief>.
> For those people, a more compelling distraction than meditation might be
> required.
>
>
> *3. Reframe the situation.*
>
> How we interpret our emotions is largely down to how they’re framed – in
> other words, the context. *While talking about his 2017 book Happy*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190605-a-mentalists-guide-to-being-happy>,
> Derren Brown gives the example of a tennis player going into a match
> thinking “I must win”. If they set an expectation that winning is
> everything, if they start to lose, they feel like an abject failure. This
> is a trap perfectionists tend to fall into, and it’s why *perfectionists
> tend to respond with more guilt, shame and anger*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180219-toxic-perfectionism-is-on-the-rise> when
> they feel they aren’t succeeding. They may even be more likely to give up.
>
>
> The player who goes into a match thinking “I will play the best I can”,
> however, believes that they are less hurt by losing, so long as they are
> doing their best. The signs of failure are interpreted differently by both
> players based on the expectations that they set for themselves.
>
> It’s worth thinking about how you can apply this in your daily life: can
> each moment or day be about doing the best you can in a stressful situation
> (“I will practice proper hygiene and social distancing”), rather than
> focusing on an outcome out of your control (“I will not and cannot get
> sick”)?
>
>
> That control part is key. Stressful situations are often beyond our
> control, and we create anxiety and worry when we try to control what we
> can’t. Focusing on what can be controlled, on the other hand, can decrease
> feelings of anxiety.
>
>
> *4. Don’t obsess over being positive or happy.*
>
> This one may seem counterintuitive: it can be a bad idea to chase positive
> emotions. Actively pursuing happiness can lead to the reverse effect. For
> one thing, *the more we focus on our own happiness, the less we focus on
> the happiness of the people around us*
> <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/51631109_The_Pursuit_of_Happiness_Can_Be_Lonely>,
> which has been shown to contribute to feelings of isolation and
> disconnection. There is also *a link between searching for happiness and
> feeling that time is slipping away*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181218-whats-the-quickest-way-to-happiness-do-nothing>
> .
>
> And again, if you’re focused on an outcome like “I must feel happy”, you
> may feel worse about yourself if you don’t succeed – even though it’s
> perfectly natural to have a more difficult time feeling happy in stressful
> times.
>
>
> *5. Focus on the small things.*
>
> It may be wise, then, to spend less time trying to *become* happy, and
> focus more on the little things that make us happy.
>
> In her book Ten Minutes to Happiness, Sandi Mann, a lecturer at the
> University of Central Lancashire, *advocates keeping a daily journal*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20181016-how-to-boost-your-mood-with-one-10-minute-exercise>.
> Her strategy is based on “positive psychology” – a well-established area of
> psychology that suggests we can improve our mood by focusing on the small
> things that bring happiness to us each day. Mann says that answering the
> following six questions, a task that should only take 10 minutes, can help
> us to find more happiness in life.
>
>
> 1. What experiences, however mundane, gave you pleasure?
>
> 2. What praise and feedback did you receive?
>
> 3. What were the moments of pure good fortune?
>
> 4. What were your achievements, however small?
>
> 5. What made you feel grateful?
>
> 6. How did you express kindness?
>
>
> The benefits of keeping a short journal like this are two-fold. When we
> write, it helps to remind us of the small things that brought us happiness.
> It also provides us with an archive of everything that has made us happy in
> the past, which we can reflect on at a later date.
>
>
> *6. Clean up – maybe. *Should you find yourself quarantined, take this
> opportunity to clean your house. "Kondo-ing" your home has been shown to
> carry many benefits. *Clutter makes it harder for us to focus on tasks*
> <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3072218/>, so should you
> find yourself working from home, a quick tidy up might help you to get your
> jobs done. A *messy bedroom has been linked with difficulty sleeping*
> <https://www.stlawu.edu/news/student-faculty-sleep-research-published-presented>,
> and *messy kitchens with making poor health choices, like reaching for
> junk food* <https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2711870>.
> If you are going to be spending more time in the house, it will be worth
> your while getting your living spacesin order.
>
>
> However, de-cluttering is not for everyone. Hoarders use physical objects
> to reinforce feelings of comfort and security. For those people, *tidying
> up activates the brain’s pain-processing regions*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190515-can-decluttering-your-house-really-spark-joy>
> .
>
>
> *7. Balance your social media consumption.*
>
> Social media might appear to be filled with bad news, but for many it is
> also a key way to stay updated and connected with friends and loved ones. *Keeping
> your phone out of your bedroom, or self-imposing screen-free time*
> <https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20180202-how-to-stay-happy-and-healthy-on-social-media>,
> can help you to balance the negativity with the benefits social media
> brings.
>
>
> So the next time you find yourself worrying about the world, consider
> taking some of these steps instead of ruminating, refreshing your social
> media feeds or, perhaps for some, even meditating. Remember: emotions are
> what we make of them.
>
>
> By William Park  18th March 2020
>
>
> ***
>
>
> Take care of yourself, and please reach out if you want to chat.
>
>
> Val
>
> and the ASP team
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Grad-postdoc-assn mailing list
> Grad-postdoc-assn at mailman.ucar.edu
> http://mailman.ucar.edu/mailman/listinfo/grad-postdoc-assn

-- 
*Xiaoning Wu 吴小宁*
*PhD Candidate*
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000
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