Now that summer is completely gone, it’s nice to just sit in my apartment, eat tons of food, write papers, and watch television during my spare time. See a problem here? Well, I’m naturally a very active person and summer is my time to shine. I’m out jogging all the time, riding my bike, swimming, and just playing outside. Once the cold weather hits, I become sedentary, my studies take over, and my physical condition plummets.
I saved my nickels and decided to go see a massage therapist earlier this week. The body work was painful and my muscles were tender. The masseuse told me that if I don’t stretch more and pay more attention to my body, I’ll end up like some of his older clients who can barely stand up straight. There’s nothing like a little fear to make you want to do something about your condition. Anyway, since the massage, I’ve been making it a point to go to sleep earlier, wake up a little earlier, and stretch while listening to this really cool CD by a Native American guy named Danny Many Horses. It is a great way to start my morning. I concentrate on deep breathing and stretching out the kinks from the night before. The deep breathing allows for oxygen to get to my muscles more efficiently and overall makes my day better. I’m not as sore and I have more energy to do what I have to do.
It’s easy to allow myself to become lazy in graduate school, especially during those Midwest winter months. But exams, papers, and assistantships are no excuse to just let my body go. I just have to remember to keep perspective. My spiritual and physical health is more important than graduate school should ever be. I mean, if I get a PhD and my body gives out on me, what good is all that learning?
