Stress!

[anonemouse 1]

Anyone else feel like they just want to run around screaming or tear their hair out? I do. Seriously, that's what I feel like. There's just SO much to do! I have less than 4 weeks to create a 45-50 minute long seminar presentation on my thesis material, and I haven't even started it. I know that doesn't sound like a whole lot, but it's a lot more complicated. For my thesis, I have to watch about 75 videos get data off of them, analyze the data, and present my results with my conclusions, plus have a pretty long review of the current scientific literature that's pertinent to my project. I've only watched about a dozen of the tapes, I've not got enough data to analyze, the literature review section of my thesis is painfully thin, and I'm still waiting on my library to get me some articles. On top of all that, I'm waiting to hear back from my insurance!

I figure I have a few more days of "eat everything in sight" stress before the "completely forget to eat" stress hits.

[derbygirl 0]

Yeah. Stress is really affecting my calorie intake. I've been eating a lot of chocolate lately. It's not just in my head--it really improves my attitude! I feel silly saying it, but it works. And when I don't get that fix, I'm so mean and rotten and bratty at work that I'm surprised I haven't been fired.

How the heck am I supposed to fix this?

[flabuless 18]

haha Laurend...I feel exactly the same way...I have 1000 things to do and people depending on me...and other people delaying me. but I can only do so much I just try and find something I can do and do it...it may not be much but at least I feel like I am doing something proactive...instead of just running around pulling out my hair...But GOD it is FRUSTRATING!

becky

[juliegeraci 7]

Lauren, take it in steps. YOu can do it.

[Wheetsin 714]

I felt that way for the past 3 weeks, only not so adversely affected. I take it in stride. Get through today, tomorrow is probably going to be the same thing but that's one less day.

Take a mental health day if you need it. I know time is a major force, but it's one day, and can do so much to help you get the rest of your work done.

If all else fails, personally - I do my best when I procrastinate. Truly. I always score higher when I've just "whipped something out" than when I've gone through revisions and edits and planning. I know it's different with a thesis because you can't just write and that's the end of it, but... hmm...

I assume you have some type of thesis committee or review board you will have to present to? Are you in the lucky situation of having it so that no one on your committee is an expert in your own area? Haha. I've let that influence my thesis topics before. Oh, door #1 that's what you did your dissertation on? Then I think I will go with door #2!!

[waterlily1072 5]

I agree, I always do my best work when it is last minute too. Hard to do with a thesis though. I was a music major so I had juries and recitals, whoopee, gosh those juries were the most stressful. But seriously take a day to go to the beach and throw rocks and just sit and relax, go to a park and swing or whatever you find relaxing and therapeutic, ooh maybe a nice massage. Even if you just take a few hours to yourself it can go a long way in making you more productive and in clearing your head of the clutter. Remeber you ar enot on a deadline for the lapband, so don't stress about that, I know you want to get it done but we are only human. Just take it a day at a time and you will get there.

[anonemouse 1]

I assume you have some type of thesis committee or review board you will have to present to? Are you in the lucky situation of having it so that no one on your committee is an expert in your own area? Haha. I've let that influence my thesis topics before. Oh, door #1 that's what you did your dissertation on? Then I think I will go with door #2!!

I don't have that much luck. My presentation is to the entire biology department of my university, including all the professors (well, those that bother to come) and all the graduate students. I wish I had the luck to have a committee that isn't knowledgeable about my topic, but my advisor basically handed the topic to me and told me that was what I was doing. He's the type of advisor that listens to what you would like to do your thesis on and then says, "Well that sounds good, but let's have you do this instead." To add to all the stress, my advisor is worse than I am about procrastinating. He's one of the better ornithologists in the nation and he's the editor of a major ornithological journal. This adds to the problem because between his editorship, the classes he's teaching, and his own research, he has more things to do than he has time for, so his grad students (he has about 15, by the way) suffer.