Grad School is My Life!
Really?!
How to find balance, meaning and
enjoyment in graduate school.
Workshop Objectives
Explore myths/misconceptions of grad students
 Explore values and goal setting
 Explore mindful meditation and relaxation

Partner
Father
Co-worker
Grad
Student
Friend
Son
Psychologist
Brother
Graduate Student Myths
I must perform well in everything to be successful
 I must do everything my advisor asks of me.
 I’m the only one who seems so stressed.

Myth Busters

I must perform well in everything to be successful
Make Peace With Imperfection – Decide where you
want to place your maximum effort and where you
can do enough effort to be just good enough.
Myth Busters
•
I must do everything my advisor asks of me.
Set boundaries that are not to rigid and not too loose.
“I would really like to help with your research AND I’m
just too involved with my ongoing research right
now – maybe we can connect on a future research
project.”
Being Assertive – paying attention to your rights and
choices while respecting others’ rights and choices
Myth Busters

I’m the only one who seems so stressed.
Focus on your goals. Comparisons with others who
may have access to different or more resources is
rarely helpful. Remember why you chose grad.
school.
Focusing on your Values
Values define not only what you want to pursue
from day to day but what you want your life to be
about.
 Values are chosen life directions.
 Values are always perfect.

Ten Valued Domains
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Marriage/couple/intimate relationship
Parenting
Family relations (other than intimate relations and
parenting)
Friendship/social relations
Career/employment
Education/training/personal growth and development
Recreation/leisure
Spirituality
Citizenship
Health/physical well-being
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
Making Goals from Values
Value:__________________________
 Long-term goal:__________________
 Short-term goals:_________________

Finishing Projects

Product
vs.
“I’m going to write three
pages”

Process
“I’m going to write for 60
minutes”
Staying Present – Mindfulness

The awareness that emerges through paying
attention on purpose, in the present moment, and
non-judgmentally to things as they are.
Cultivating Awareness
Get out of our heads and learn to experience the
world directly
 See our thoughts as mental events that come and
go
 Start living right here, in the present moment
 Disengage the autopilot

Peace
Peace can exist only in the present moment. It is
ridiculous to say “Wait until I finish this, then I will be
free to live in peace. “What is “this”? A diploma, a
job, a house, the payment of a debt? If you think
that way, peace will never come. There is always
another “this” that will follow the present one. If you
are not living in peace at this moment, you will never
be able to. If you truly want to be at peace, you must
be at peace right now. Otherwise, there is only “the
hope of peace some day.”
 -Thich Nhat Hanh, The Sun My Heart

Some mindful activities
Washing dishes
 Taking a shower
 Eating
 Brushing your teeth
 Driving the car
 Going up/down stairs

Benefits of Relaxation
Decrease in heart rate
 Decrease in respiration rate
 Decrease in blood pressure
 Decrease in skeletal muscle tension
 Decrease in metabolic rate and oxygen consumption
 Decrease in analytic thinking
 Increase in alpha wave activity in the brain

Benefits of Relaxation
Reduction of generalized anxiety
 Preventing stress from becoming cumulative
 Increased energy level and productivity
 Improved concentration and memory
 Reduction of insomnia and fatique
 Prevention/reduction of psychosomatic disorders
 Increased self-confidence and reduced self-blame
 Increased availability of feelings

Abdominal Breathing
Get in a comfortable position
 Place your hand over your belly
 Breath in through the nose (4 count)
 Hold breath (4 count)
 Exhale slowly (6 count)
 Think “relax” or “cool air in and warm air out”
 Pause (2 count)
 Resume

What is progressive muscle
relaxation?
A muscle can be relaxed by first tensing it for a few
seconds
 Especially helpful for people whose anxiety in
strongly related to muscle tension
 “An anxious mind cannot exist in a relaxed body”
Jacobsen

What are the benefits progressive
muscle relaxation?
A decrease in generalized anxiety
 Reduction in the frequency and duration of panic
attacks
 Improved concentration
 An increased sense of control over moods
 Increased self-esteem
 Increased spontaneity and creativity

Guidelines for Practicing Progressive
Muscle Relaxation






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Practice 20 min. per day. Two 20 min. sessions per day is
preferable
Find a quiet location to practice
Practice at regular times – on awakening, before retiring,
before meals are the best times
Practice on an empty stomach
Assume a comfortable position
Loosen any garments
Make a decision no to worry about anything
Assume a passive, detached attitude
Counseling Center
1810 Rocket Hall 419.530.2426
Counseling, Consultation, Psychoeducational
programs
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Currently enrolled students
Any type of personal concern
Call or come by to schedule an appointment
Licensed Psychologists, Counselors, Supervised
Doctoral Students

A Final Thought

One of the most satisfying experiences I know-is just
fully to appreciate an individual in the same way I
appreciate a sunset. When I look at a sunset…I don’t
find myself saying, “Soften the orange a little bit on
the right corner, and put a bit more purple on the
base, and use a little more pink in the cloud color. I
don’t try to control a sunset. I watch it in awe as it
unfolds. (Carl Rogers)