1 Avoiding Burnout Ashl ey and Phaedr a’s D ecl assi f i ed Gr ad School Sur vi val Gui de

Ashl ey D avi s, Ph.D . Candi dat e- Biomedical , Cellular and Molecular Phaedra Norrell, Ph.D. Student - Bi omedi cal Sci ences, N eur osci ence

Graduate Student Orientation - Fall 2019 Kent State University

2 Get to know a little about us! - Br eaki ng t he I ce

● Phaedra Norrell ● Ashley Davis ○ Secon d-year Bi omedi cal Sci ences ○ Fifth-year Bi omedi cal Sci ences N eur osci ence St udent Cellular and ○ Research focus on addiction PhD Candi dat e and ○ Resear ch f ocus on obesi t y and neuroendocrinology of disease metabolism ○ Lover of cat s, cof f ee, and sl eep ○ Loves t o r ead, bi nge wat ch net f l i x, and pl ay pokemon

3 Welcome to Kent State!

● T oday we’l l t al k about t aki ng car e of your sel f i n Gr aduat e School ● Some topics we’ll cover

○ Sel f -Car e and W el l ness

○ St r ess and i t s causes

○ M i ndf ul ness Pr act i ces

○ U sef ul Resour ces at t he U ni ver si t y ( and i n t he sur r oundi ng ar ea)

4 W h at i s Sel f -Car e i n Pr act i ce?

● D o you t ake car e of your sel f ? ○ Some exampl es ■ D o you have t i me ever y day t hat i s dedi cat ed t o j ust you? ■ D o you have a hobby? ■ D o you have sel f -car e r out i nes of any ki nd? ● I n what ways do you t ake car e of your sel f ? ○ D o any of t he above appl y? ○ I s t her e anyt hi ng el se you do t o t ake car e of your sel f ? ■ Goi ng t o t her apy ■ Exer ci se ■ Gr oup Fi t ness Cl asses ■ H eal t hy D i et ■ Taki ng a Soci al M edi a Sabbat i cal ■ Get t i ng enough sl eep!!!!

5 D ef i ni ng Sel f Car e

● Sel f car e i s…

○ Deliberately taking care of our mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health

○ Vital for our well-bei ng

○ Thi ngs t hat r echar ge your bat t er i es

● M ake sel f -car e a pr i or i t y i n your dai l y l i f e!

6 Ex am pl es of Sel f -Car e ( I n addi t i on t o t hose ment i oned ear l i er )

● H eal t hy l i f est yl e choi ces

● M ai nt ai ni ng a wor k-l i f e bal ance

● Set t i ng boundar i es ( and set t i ng t hem ear l y)

● Exer ci si ng r egul ar l y

● St r ess management

7 W h at Sel f -Car e I SN ’ T

● SEL FI SH ○ Sel f -car e i s N EV ER a sel f i sh act . ○ Sel f -car e does not equal l azi ness ○ Isolating yourself - j ust because you need t i me f or you doesn’t mak e you sel f i sh!

8 W el l ness - What is it?

“... a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being, and not merely in t he absence of di sease or i nf i r mi t y.” - T he W or l d H eal t h Or gani zat i on ( W H O)

“ A consci ous, sel f -di r ect ed and evol vi ng pr ocess of achi evi ng f ul l pot ent i al .” - The National Wellness Institute

9 T ypes of W el l ness - Si x D i mensi ons of W el l ness M odel

● Emotional Wellness ● Physical Wellness ● Spiritual Wellness ● Social Wellness ● Intellectual Wellness ● Occupational Wellness

10 A ddi t i onal A spect s of W el l ness

● Financial Wellness

○ Attend the Breakout Session on Grad School Finances at 12:20 or 3:05 for more

information on managing your money while in graduate school!

● Fami l y W el l ness

○ At t end t he Br eakout Sessi on Panel on Fami l y Resour ces at 2:10 f or mor e i nf or mat i on

from our graduate students with families!

11 W hat i s St r ess?

● St r ess i s our body’s physi cal , emot i onal , and behavi or al r esponses t o event s t hat ar e i dent i f i ed as t hr eat eni ng or chal l engi ng.

● St r ess i s subj ect i ve ○ I t ’s di f f er ent per son t o per son ● St r ess i s cont ext ual ○ Stress can be related to certain situations

● D i st r ess vs. Eust r ess

12 Causes of St r ess

• Ext er nal vs. I nt er nal Causes • Ext er nal • Financial difficulty • M aj or l i f e changes ( get t i ng mar r i ed, l osi ng a l oved one) • Rel at i onshi ps ( f r i ends and f ami l y) • Internal • N egat i ve i nt er nal di al ogues • U nr eal i st i c expect at i ons • Per f ect i oni sm • Fear of Fai l ur e • I t ’s okay t o f ai l and t o be i mper f ect . You can al ways t r y agai n.

13 St r ess i n Gr aduat e School

● D eadl i nes ● Cl asses ● H omesi ck ness ● I sol at i on ● Fi nances ● W or k/Li f e Bal ance ● Feel i ng Over whel med ● Work, TA, GA, or other responsibilities ● Cu l t u r e Sh ock ● Sense of Belonging ● Language Bar r i er s

14 Exer ci se on I dent i f yi ng St r essor s - Internal Audit

● Take 3 minutes to reflect on one (or more) of the following questions:

○ What are the five most stressful things in your life?

■ Rat e t hem on a scal e of 1-5 ( 1 bei ng t he l east st r essf ul t o 5 bei ng t he most st r essf ul )

○ W hat ar e some t hi ngs t hat make you anxi ous?

○ H ow do you t ake car e of your sel f when you ar e st r essed out ?

○ Can st r ess be posi t i ve? W hy or why not ?

15 Internal Audit - Phaedr a’s Responses

● Take 3 minutes to reflect on one (or more) of the following questions: ○ W hat ar e t he f i ve most st r essf ul t hi ngs i n your l i f e? ■ Rat e t hem on a scal e of 1-5 ( 1 bei ng t he l east st r essf ul t o 5 bei ng t he most st r essf ul ) ● 1 - Cl asses ● 2 - TA Responsibilities ● 3 - Ti me M anagement ● 4 - Lab Responsibilities ● 5 - M anagi ng my out si de-of-work life (bills, relationship, etc) ○ W hat ar e some t hi ngs t hat make you anxi ous? ■ Fear of maki ng someone angr y, t he f eel i ng of not bei ng l i ked/accept ed, f ear of f ai l ur e, f ear of t he unknown. ○ H ow do you t ake car e of your sel f when you ar e st r essed out ? ■ If it comes to it, I cry it out and let it happen. I always feel better afterwards even though I hate crying. If it hasn’t come to that point, I’ll take a day to do nothing when I get home and just have a chill evening. ○ Can st r ess be posi t i ve? W hy or why not ? ■ Somet i mes. I f i nd t hat deadl i nes keep me or i ent ed whi l e al so i mposi ng an amount of st r ess t hat i s motivational, but test taking makes me too nervous for my own good.

16 Internal Audit - A shl ey’s Responses

● Take 3 minutes to reflect on one (or more) of the following questions: ○ W hat ar e t he f i ve most st r essf ul t hi ngs i n your l i f e? ■ Rat e t hem on a scal e of 1-5 ( 1 bei ng t he l east st r essf ul t o 5 bei ng t he most st r essf ul ) ● 1. Anal ysi ng my dat a ● 2. Writing my dissertation ● 3. Finishing up experiments ● 4. TA responsibilities ● 5. Balancing work/life responsibilities (ie. Bills, housework, social, and family time ) ○ W hat ar e some t hi ngs t hat make you anxi ous? ■ Fear of not finishing on time, finding a job after graduate school, medical bills, moving to a new house when t he t i me comes ○ H ow do you t ake car e of your sel f when you ar e st r essed out ? ■ I t ake a nap, vent t o my f ami l y, f r i ends, and f i ancé, r ead, go f or a wal k/ exer ci se at t he gym, wat ch something on netflix ○ Can st r ess be posi t i ve? W hy or why not ? ■ Yes it can be, but only in moderation. It can help motivate you to get stuff done and stress means that you care about your responsibilities, too much of it though can cause burnout!

17 Let ’s T al k About T hat

● I f you f eel comf or t abl e di scussi ng and shar i ng some of your answer s, l et ’s do t hat !

● W e ar e al l i n t hi s t oget her , and we ar en’t her e t o j udge, we ar e her e t o hel p!

18 W hat i s M i ndf ul ness?

M i ndf ul ness i s t he basi c human abi l i t y t o be f ul l y pr esent , awar e of wher e you ar e and what you ar e doi ng, and not over l y r eact i ve or over whel med by what i s going on around us.

19 Pr act i ci ng M i ndf ul ness

● Choose one (or more) of the following to spend the next 3 minutes doing:

○ D r aw somet hi ng t hat makes you f eel r el axed

○ Use the time to list things that give you joy

○ W hat ar e you gr at ef ul f or t oday?

○ Write down what motivates and inspires you!

20 M i ndf ul ness Pr act i ce - Phaedr a’s Responses

● Choose one (or more) of the following to spend the next 3 minutes doing: ○ D r aw somet hi ng t hat makes you f eel r el axed

○ Use the time to list things that give you joy ■ M y Cat s ■ My boyfriend ■ Fr i days ○ W hat ar e you gr at ef ul f or t oday? ■ I ’m gr at ef ul f or t he oppor t uni t y t o do r esear ch and t o bui l d knowl edge ever y day ○ Write down what motivates and inspires you! ■ Carrying on the legacy of my grandma by discovering new things about Alzheimer’s Disease, so one day a f ami l y won’t have t o gr i eve i n t he way we di d.

21 M i ndf ul ness Pr act i ce - A shl ey’s Responses

● Choose one (or more) of the following to spend the next 3 minutes doing: ○ D r aw somet hi ng t hat makes you f eel r el axed

○ Use the time to list things that give you joy ■ M y f ami l y and f i ancé ■ Pet s ■ Chocolate ○ W hat ar e you gr at ef ul f or t oday? ■ The opportunity to teach and to do research ○ Write down what motivates and inspires you! ■ The abi l i t y t o hel p peopl e and t o one day wor k i n a cancer r esear ch l ab or t o wor k f or t he CD C!

22 Let ’s T al k About T hat v2.0

● I f you f eel comf or t abl e di scussi ng and shar i ng some of your answer s, l et ’s do t hat !

● W e ar e al l i n t hi s t oget her , and we ar en’t her e t o j udge, we ar e her e t o hel p!

23 Organizing, Balancing, and Being Mindful

● M anage your Gr aduat e School Responsi bi l i t i es! ● Prioritize the important things (like your health!) ● Incorporate mindfulness into your school routine ○ Taki ng a moment each day whet her i t be at home, i n your of f i ce, or somewher e t hat you enjoy to just take in the moment, and live for now. ● What can you do to avoid being overwhelmed? How do you assess your limits? ● T he KEY t o avoi di ng bur nout i s t aki ng pr event i ve act i on!!

24 Coping Mechanisms

● Shar e what pr act i ces or hobbi es hel p you cope wi t h st r ess per sonal l y. W hy and how do they work for you?

For Phaedr a, For A shl ey, humor i s a exer ci se i s val uabl e essent i al f or coping r educi ng mechanism. st r ess .

● W hat ar e some ot her i deas t o consi der ?

25 Sel f -Car e T i ps and T r i cks

● Lear n t o say “ N o.” ○ You can be diplomatic: “I don’t have time right now” ● Know when to say “No.” ○ Feeling like there’s too much on your plate? Time to say it! ● Be kind to yourself ● Exer ci se r egul ar l y ● Eat heal t hy ● Separ at e wor k and f un ● A sk f or hel p ● Bui l d a suppor t syst em ● Plan your work Art Credit: TheLatestKate (Redbubble) ● Schedul e “ me” t i me

26 Useful Resources at Kent State

● Kent St at e U ni ver si t y D eW eese H eal t h Cent er ○ Women’s ○ Psychol ogi cal Ser vi ces ○ H eal t h Car e ser vi ces ○ Immunizations ● Kent St at e U ni ver si t y Recr eat i onal Ser vi ces ○ I ce Ar ena ○ Group-X Cl asses ( i ncl udi ng Yoga) ○ Pool , exer ci se equi pment , nut r i t i on assessment , and mor e! ○ M assages

27 M or e Resour ces at Kent St at e!

● The Counseling Center (White Hall, Room 325) ● St u den t A ccessi bi l i t y Ser vi ces ( SA S) ● LGBTQ St udent Cent er ● W omen’s Cent er ● Sex u al an d Rel at i on sh i p V i ol en ce Su p por t Ser vi ces ( SRV SS) ● St udent Legal Ser vi ces ( Acor n Al l ey) ● Campus Pol i ce

28 Resources in Kent and the surrounding Area

● One Love Yoga ( D ownt own Kent and Si l k M i l l Locat i ons) ○ Student Pricing ● Cent er Peace Yoga Kent ● Kent Psychological Associates ● Col eman Pr of essi onal Ser vi ces ○ Behavi or al H eal t h Ser vi ces and Emer gency Ser vi ces ● T ownH al l I I - Portage County Residents ○ Rape Cr i si s Cent er ○ Addiction Counseling ○ W omen’s H al f way H ouse ○ Emer gency Ser vi ces ● Com m u n i t y Su p p or t Ser vi ces - Summit County Residents ○ M edi cal and Psychi at r i c Car e ○ Emer gency Ser vi ces

29 M or e Resour ces i n Kent and t he Sur r oundi ng Ar ea

● Por t age Pat h Behavi or al H eal t h - Akron ● A xessPoi nt e H eal t hcar e - multiple services and locations ● Pl anet Fi t ness - super cheap r at es f or exer ci se! ○ Kent ○ St ow ○ Cuyahoga Fal l s ● Stark County Crisis Intervention and Recovery Center - St ar k Cou n t y Resi dent s ● Ravenna RAC Cent er - Offers discount on gym membership for those who wor k at Kent St at e U ni ver si t y!

30 Emer gency and W al k-In

● University Medical Centers ○ Kent ○ Ravenna ○ St r eet sbor o ● Cleveland Clinic Hospitals and ○ Kent ○ St ow -Falls ○ Akr on Gener al H ospi t al

31 Thank You!

● Thanks for coming! ● I f you have quest i ons or comment s - ask now or contact us!

Phaedra Norrell pnor r el l @kent .edu

Ashley Davis adavi s96@kent .edu

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