Make sure to exercise and eat well during your Doctoral studies. The typical college meal has large amounts of sugars and starches; try to avoid these and aim for a more wholesome approach when it comes to dieting. Ensure healthy eating habits by regularly eating small meals throughout the day. Exercise can also help regulate stress, as well as make you feel and look good. According to Mayoclinic, regular exercise can also help improve your mood, help manage your weight, as well as boost your energy.
Make sure to sleep seven to nine hours per night. Enough sleep will help reduce stress. Before you go to bed, write down a rough outline of the next day's activities on a piece of paper or notepad. Having activities written in chronological order can help you stay organized throughout the day. Once in bed, turn on soothing music. If the music causes you to hum -- or worse, dance -- then the music is not a means to make you relaxed, but one that distracts you. Turn off the music and head right to bed.
Learn how to say "no." As a student trying to obtain their Doctorate, you will have many deadlines, assignments and responsibilities. Treat these assignments, corresponding homeworks, and projects as a job, and avoid piling unnecessary clutter in your life. Your friends will understand if you reject an invite to a party -- there's always next weekend. When you're over-committed in a slew of responsibilities you will be prone to feeling run down. Prioritizing is key if you want to be successful in your Doctoral studies.
Orient yourself with your limits. You know how fast you can read a chapter in a textbook or a book, so plan around it. Dissect long reading passages into smaller bites to help avoid monotony. Reading and analyzing material in sections instead of sitting down and tackling the material in one go can help reduce stress. If you are struggling, make sure to communicate that to your professors. They can help you if you are having difficulty in their classes.
Set aside time to relax. According to Professor Roger Hiemstra, Instructional Design and Adult Learning professor at Syracuse University, regular journaling can help facilitate personal insight. Maintaining a journal will encourage self-reflection and promote an inner dialog -- aspects that may get lost during the hustle to obtain your Doctorate degree.
Maintain positive, supportive individuals in your life. If living away from family is making you feel a bit homesick, pick up the nearest phone and call a loved one back at home. Surround yourself with people that advocate your endeavors and are supportive of your educational career. Positivity can help offset stress during your Doctoral studies; if things are completely going against the grain, then do not hesitate to voice your concerns with a school counselor.