Don't Fill Your Suitcase with Books

When I was a graduate student, I often filled my suitcase with books and articles I was going to read over the Christmas holiday. There were times when I'm sure I brought home as many as 14 books. It limited what I could fit in my suitcase and it nearly broke my back. And, if I'm honest, the books and articles rarely (if ever) actually came out of the suitcase.

Don't get me wrong -- holidays can be a great time to get work done. I've written a book chapter on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day before. I've written an article during my summer vacation. I've spent Thanksgiving editing. You may recall that last month I penned a blog post titled Holidays Are For Writing, encouraging you to use the unscheduled time productively -- and holidays can be a great time to get some reading and writing done. But the operative word is "some."

The reality is that you also need a break between terms. If you're going back to school in January, you need to be fresh and rested to start the year right. If you work through all of the holiday season, that won't happen. I give you permission to marathon your favourite show. Stay in your PJs all day, curled up on the sofa, and enjoy some brain candy. You've earned it. And hopefully your mother will agree and maybe bring you a cup of tea and some cookies!

You need to take time to be with family and friends. It's important for your mental health. It's important for work-life balance. So make sure you do all of the festive things that you enjoy doing -- whether it's baking cookies, volunteering at your chosen charity, visiting family, or filling stockings for the less fortunate. Now is the time to make yourself a priority. Sure, you're in an intense relationship with your thesis now, but eventually you'll move on. You'll see other projects. One day, that thesis will just be a memory. You can't break up with yourself however! So treat yourself well.

And if you are feeling inspired to be productive in an academic way this holiday season, be realistic. Choose one book instead of 14. Bring home two articles instead of a binder full. Choose something reasonable to accomplish so that you can feel good about what you've done instead of setting yourself up for failure and letting that suitcase of books become thesis baggage (which quickly leads to self-loathing).

Happy holidays!

Holidays Are For Writing

So you've got a writing deadline and you need to make some progress on it, but you're finding it difficult to carve out the necessary block of time to really get into it? Lucky for you, Wednesday is a holiday in most areas of Canada.

There's no question that you should take time to remember and to attend services in your community. But for the rest of the day, when classes are cancelled and many stores and offices are closed, you should write. (And if the stores aren't closed in your area, pretend they are!)

A holiday is a big gaping hole in your schedule. Your usual commitments aren't there. You can roll out of bed, stay in your PJs, make a cup of coffee, and get down to business. You can be wildly productive even if you dedicate only half of the day to your writing project (and the other half to a worthy endeavor, like watching a marathon of Suits).

So make the most of your holiday time -- remember and then write!