At 14, I suffered a fall from my horse which nearly killed me. I landed at 30mph flat on my back underneath four panicked hooves and quite literally had the wind knocked out of me. I had a punctured lung, sever trauma to the spine, but luckily (thank god for helmets) no concussion. The physical injuries were not the kicker though. I walked away from my accident with PTSD and a fear of horses. The one thing I loved most.
I was sports psychologists and as I got older, returned to riding and competing as a teenager and later adult who went pro at 18, I sought out specialists in supporting athletes through mental rehabilitation. My physical injuries subsided (mostly) over time but the fear still lingered. These mental coaches taught me how to use vision exercises almost daily not only to prepare for competitions and improve my performance but to overcome the fears which plagued my mind.
I have used these exercises to build mental resilience and have even applied them to scenarios such as when I was applying to college or when I prepare to give a talk. It has been a part of my daily ritual for nearly a decade. So I was surprised when I attended a talk with Mental Fitness coach and visualisation specialist, Maya Raichoora. I hadn’t applied these methods to my work and life as a PhD Student and I was suffering for it.
Visualization isn’t a gimmick. It isn’t manifesting and vision boards for the aesthetic. It is a cognitive practice intended to develop new neural pathways. To teach your body and mind to repeat an action in a sort of costume rehearsal so that when the time comes, you are stepping into a familiar state, not one of fight or flight.
Maya led a session at a retreat for Creators and Entrepreneurs. I felt like I had nothing to learn. I knew how to practice visualization. I had for years. How would this help me? I’m not trying to scale a business or prep for a Tedx talk. I just want to finish my PhD.
But that’s it right there. What I needed to learn.
“I just want to finish my PhD.”
Words used to describe my experience follow a well worn path. Academics complain cynically about the grind of research. Of writing and publishing. It is our shared struggle. Our common language.
But this pattern teaches our brains and our peers that this is something we have to “just get through.” That our research is not a journey or adventure. It isn’t an active choice nor something we enjoy. It is a set of steps demanded of us.
Is it though?
Did I not choose to apply for a PhD? Did I not request the chance to be challenged?
This isn’t to say: just be positive.
Bad days happen. Its about how we speak to ourselves and others about the process. Of how we register it in our bodies.
I choose to enjoy the process. I choose to immerse myself in the challenge.
I choose to love it.
I choose to appreciate each stage: the discover, the crash outs, the good days and the bad
To see them all part of the whole. My research deserves my appreciation. So does yours.
Start each morning with 1-2 words to frame the day using the sentence: “I choose to be [insert word].”
Why it works: Rather than “I am [insert]”, I choose frames it as a verb, an action you must take and seek out.
Make it visible, such as on a post it note attached to your computer screen
Start small: visualize something mundane like making a cup of coffee
Close your eyes and feel your body and the sensations of going to the fridge to collect your coffee beans or cold brew. Follow the steps in your mind and try to really feel it through your body.
Get granular: visualize working on your research or going to the archive. Picture the mundane and granular experience of opening a book or sifting through paper. Picture writing on your computer. Look at the word count ticking up and imagine the feeling of the keyboard beneath your finger tips.
Repeat: Each day repeat the exercise of visualizing the thing you are struggling with (for me this is writing). Feel the emotions and redirect them to positive actions. Imagine the words flowing or standing before your committee with confidence. What will you say? How will you feel? Remember to breathe.
Start each study/writing session with “Today, I am excited to (or looking forward to) [insert activity related to your research].”
No posts
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.