Happy Almost December! Last week’s posts show this is definitely a tough time of year for many of us--whether grappling with winter health bugs, end of semester crunch, or family awkwardness. I am trying to focus on how incredible it will be to put my feet up, read a novel, and enjoy some time off with the idea that the only way to get to that place is to get through this one. Any coping mechanisms to share?
Allan Wilson: 1) eat chocolate on no more than 3 days. 2) finish next draft of whk paper, and sort out coding for the next wee bit of analysis that needs to be inserted into it, that he can do. 3) on site interview re funding proposal.
Amstr: 1) write 2x; 2) walk 3x (to counteract the pumpkin pie); 3) prep for the next three weeks: a) plan for healthy eating and exercise, b) plan for effective work, c) get the house in order.
Contingent Cassandra: 1) make a bit more fence progress; (2)make soup (and side dishes for family Thanksgiving feast); (3) maybe a bit of house-straightening/recycling/etc., and definitely some laundry; (4) deal with professional-association stuff; (5) make progress on grading backlog; (6) relax a bit on Friday.
Daisy: No check in.
Der Modell Wissenschaftler: No check in.
Earnest English: get my grading done. Also, I probably should limit my daydreaming.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell: No check in.
Good Enough Woman: 1) Maintain my equilibrium and patience with four extra people in my house for the holidays, several of whom are very ungracious guests. 2) Walk the dog at least twice (my standards are slipping). 3) Make sure all bills are paid. 4) Finish Christmas shopping for all recipients except for my kids. 5) Read at least 25 pages of primary source (I doubt this will happen, but I feel remiss not included *something* dissertation-related. 6) Each day, today thru Sunday, write down something for which I'm grateful.
humming42: 1) Serious TRQ grading. 2) Write abstract and submit tiny project. 3) Write/research 15 minutes a day.
Ivy: 1. last lot of fieldwork for the year and deal with all the samples in the fridge / drying oven 2. read through paper and send to postdoc advisor. 3. exercise - yoga and/or swimming
JaneB: Sleep - I had to cancel my last class and come home for a nap today, I just felt horrible - flu-y and feeble and sick - so that's ANOTHER thing I have to catch up on... and makes me think that perhaps I need to cancel that conference, just so I can have an extra couple of class days and to avoid the Germs.
KJHaxton: make a start on Christmas related stuff in the evenings/weekend or no one is getting gifts (or cards) this year :(
Matilda: 1) Finish the important article. 2) Work on the book and the book plan. 3) Write for 15 minutes or more a day. 4) Exercise for 5 minutes everyday.
Susan: Goals for the week ahead: try not to let this cold actually happen. (We can dream, right.) Finish tragedy 1, read 2 and 3. map out the relevant sections of the chapter. Since I'll be traveling, a lot of TLQ stuff is off the table, but I want to keep walking three or four days. Especially given the amount of eating we'll be doing. . .
Amstr here.
ReplyDeleteGoals for last week:
1) write 2x: yes
2) walk 3x: yes
3) prep for the next three weeks:
a) plan for healthy eating and exercise: okay
b) plan for effective work: okay
c) get the house in order: made lots of progress
I got more accomplished than I thought I would with kids home all week and the holiday. I did take advantage of staying on a great hiking hill over the Thanksgiving holiday. I probably need to do a little more early this week to shore up my plan for the next three.
This week I have some writing-related TLQ stuff that will become TRQ within three weeks. Staying consistent with sleep, exercise, and eating healthfully are the best things I know to do to cope with the craziness of December. This is the first year in many that I haven’t had a huge deadline or a family crisis, so I’m hopeful that the month may not be overwhelming!
Goals for next week:
consistent bedtime; 2) exercise 4x; 3) send off 2 drafts to 2 readers for critique; 4) read 2 diss chapters; 5) get caught up on finances + declutter 3x20min.
There's such good balance in your goals and accomplishments. I hope December brings more sweetness than craziness.
DeleteAllan Wilson:
ReplyDeleteLast weeks goals1) eat chocolate on no more than 3 days. I think YES- but I can't remember. However, better than last week where I almost lived on it.
2) finish next draft of whk paper, and sort out coding for the next wee bit of analysis that needs to be inserted into it, that he can do. YES
3) on site interview re funding proposal. YES
So, I caught up on a few things. And I now have a clearish run until Xmas to hopefully catch up on a few more. So here goes- goals for this week:
1) complete all work on the WHK draft, including revised abstract
2) revise abstract TET paper and other promised revisions
3) measure required animals for a new TLQ paper
4) clean up spreadsheet for the new TLQ paper
5) do the logistic regression for FS
6) exercise 3x
We have summer coming, and I have just survived a really busy period. Admittedly, I still have house moving and other things happening, but I can manage that. It is the constant travelling that wears me down, and I won't be doing any more for work, for ages. AND I get a short holiday, which I am really really looking forward to. PLUS scheduled watching of Game of Thrones with friends - which must be my tip for a coping mechanism. Along with exercise.
Best wishes for a good week to everyone.
one of our admin people keeps sending out emails saying free chocolate (to help you through the last of the year). I'm guessing that would be really bad for you!
DeleteHoliday, Game of Thrones, and exercise sounds like a great set of strategies for decompressing away from campus. I'm inspired to ask for good escapist movies and TVs next week, and I'm also looking for a couple of good novels for the holiday break...
DeleteI missed last week’s check-in. I don’t have any good excuse, but was in the doldrums and being a hermit. I wish I had better coping mechanisms than to read mysteries by the fire and to knit/quilt/stitch until my fingers cramp. I’d love to hear some better ideas.
ReplyDeleteI did get some things done in the week before last, but then I just . . . crashed. My brother and mother and a niece died this year, and I felt deeply their absence at my Thanksgiving table. My sons were home from college, and it was truly lovely to see them. The four of us had a quiet, reflective day.
Accomplished the past two weeks:
Finish first draft of article by Friday. Yes! It is rough, but it is done.
Write to my “known” referees to ask if they will write a letter if contacted. No, but at least I gathered all the necessary information.
Write or call my friends. Call my sister, who is recovering from thyroid cancer surgery. I did call my sister several times, and my father several times, as he is feeling bereft this holiday season. I didn’t manage to call any friends, though.
Get more sleep, watch less television, and spend more time in conversation. Yes. A little too much television, but all in all, more sleep and more conversation.
This week’s goals:
I am revising the article, probably on Thursday and Friday.
I have a day full of medical tests tomorrow, so my goal is just to get through it.
My husband has minor surgery on Wednesday, so the goal is to get through that.
To be totally honest, I’m still a mess. Positive thoughts are welcomed.
Lots of good thoughts headed your way! I'm sorry to hear about your difficult holiday and about upcoming medical events. All of it adds so much strain to an already busy season.
DeleteThank you, Amstr. I think your suggestion of eating healthily will help me cope, especially with the overeating olympics fast approaching.
DeleteI thought when you mentioned this the other week that you had a lot of loss. We carry it in our hearts, but also our bodies. (Soon my husband died, I felt a weight on my heart -- a heavy heart is a real thing.) So my only advice is to be kind to yourself; good eating is helpful, as is getting some kind of exercise, even if it's just a short walk.
DeleteI also hope you can call some friends. They do help!
You certainly don't need an excuse for not checking in! I hope you find some solace, and let yourself grieve in whatever ways will be healing for you.
DeleteI think 'slow' days are critical to both continued mental health and critical thinking on projects. Best of wishes.AW
DeleteWell, of the goals for last week, I failed on the cold front. I have a cold. I think it's not a bad one, but I've been low grade sick all week. It didn't help that my brother & SIL and niece and nephew were also sick.
ReplyDeleteWhat with the Thanksgiving holiday, and staying with family, I didn't get a huge amount done, but I finished with tragedy 1 & 2, and got into 3. I'm feeling OK about this chapter, I think. I didn't get much walking done -- always feeling under thew weather makes walking unattractive.
Goals for this week: Finish tragedy! Start comedy. I have a bunch of interruptions, but want to keep focused on this. I'd like to walk three days (I bailed this morning between a totally stuffed head and rain.) I also have to prepare for a research trip I'm taking next week: part of that will be catching up on secondary works I can't get easily here, and some archival work. But I have to be ready. I'm also trying to get a little bit prepared for the holiday season: a few more presents purchased, etc. There's not much TLQ here. I've completely flopped on redoing my house, and I've done a small amount of gardening, but I need to week, and maybe harvest the lemons.
Coping strategies? I always find that somehow I have survived. Getting good sleep is key; also, eating healthy food when I'm not being sociable. Getting some exercise.
Out of context, I'm imagining this as a social media update: "Finish tragedy! Start comedy." Sounds like a good coping scheme.
DeleteWell, I suppose one of my coping strategies *is* to retell some horrible story in a semi comic way, so a friend and I can laugh about some part of it.
DeleteGoals for last week:
ReplyDelete1. last lot of fieldwork for the year and deal with all the samples in the fridge / drying oven - yes, did the field work and getting through the samples
2. read through paper and send to postdoc advisor. - nope, goal for this week
3. exercise - yoga and/or swimming - nope…
Was hideously sick on Sunday - (summer) tummy bug going around and am still feeling a little fragile. We have lab Christmas party on Friday, heading to a park for a bbq so hoping it doesn't rain!
Coping strategies - well the reason we're going on holiday by ourselves the week before Christmas is to be able to cope better with Christmas than we have in previous years. This Christmas is likely to be chaotic with three new members (babies, two of which are due any day now) and other members returning from years overseas. So timeout prior to the events will hopefully help…
I hope you are feeling better! It's hard to enjoy party season with a fragile tummy.
DeleteMissed last week due to falling down a rat hole of classes and grant panic and admin. (Not a rabbit hole - that seems too nice and fuzzy :)
ReplyDeleteLast goals: Any work on paper? WIN! I am in final edit-reading for one, very happy about that.
This week's goal:
Work on other paper A LOT!!
Coping strategies:
Chocolate - not great because that doesn't help in the long term.
Running - fantastic.
Running while talking to friends on dorky bluetooth headset - the BEST!
Congrats on the paper progress!
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteI missed check-in two weeks ago and I am very late this week.
Last goals:
1) Finish the important article. - done, but not yet analysed.
2) Work on the book and the book plan. - a little.
3) Write for 15 minutes or more a day. - 3 days.
4) Exercise for 5 minutes evedyday. - 5 days. Good.
Analysis:
Some administrative project pushed me a lot in physically and mentally. Also, many students come and ask comments because this is the season of submission of their papers. It is enjoyable to talk with them, while taking time a lot more than I planned. My poor book project, you have been left and untouched for a while. I remember you. You are THE TLQ for me, actually.
Next goals: being modest.
1) Work on the book and the book plan.
2) Write for at least 15 minutes a day.
3) Exercise for 5 minutes everyday.
4) Prepare for Christmas and 2015.
Have a happy December!
ReplyDeleteنقل عفش واثاث جدة
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