Electronic Health Reporter

You’ve got to agree – academic writing is always an intensive process. You are required to spend endless hours researching, drafting, interviewing people, correcting data, and so on. In this relation, expert writers and coaches at Mydissertations.com opine that there will be a significant difference in your health by the time you graduate.

Many of the health impacts of intense academic writing are caused by the long hours you have to spend working on the paper. The effects can be felt physically but also psychologically. Here are some of the effects of intense academic engagement and the ways to overcome its negative consequences.

Stress

Academic writing requires intense physical, mental, and psychological engagement. A dissertation, for example, requires you to read voluminous books, articles, and journals, among other reference materials. As a result, the body has no time to rest and fully relax.

The mind never rests until you complete all the work at hand. Even though you could be resting after working for hours, the deadline still looms over your head as you think of the next chapter or submission. Finding resource materials is also challenging for most students. That leaves the body and mind fatigued to the point of stress and depression.

A student can avoid stress by planning their time to include intervals for relaxation. You must prepare mentally for the task at hand before commencing your academic work. Supervisors, mentors, and seniors are to help whenever you feel stuck. This way, completing a paper of such intense nature as dissertation will not be a depressing affair.

Long Sitting Hours

Academic writing requires you to sit long hours in the library or the desk perusing through reference materials and drafting the paper. That has a dangerous effect on your body because of immobility. Your body frame and bones may be affected alongside bowel movement.

Experts have recommended that students sitting for two and more continuous hours should stretch a bit before rising up. The desk should be comfortable – it shouldn’t strain any part of your body, like your hands or buttocks. There are ergonomic seats and tables to be used whenever you have to study for long hours.

Drink a lot of water and healthy liquids that support bowel movement. Stretch your academic hours like research, literature review, drafting, and editing within a reasonable duration. It saves you the stress of having to sit long hours as you rush to beat the deadline. You should gradually increase the hours you sit instead of being abrupt in the increase. In case you feel pain or back strain, consult a specialist, and make adjustments on your sitting space as well as the schedule.

Poor Diet

Diet is a significant struggle for students working on their PhDs and theses. Students preparing for the exams also lack the time or nerve to eat well because they need to cover a lot of reference materials within a short time. A lot of PhD and Masters students will show signs of poor health or diet as all focus goes to the paper they are working on. 

Diet must form part of your plans when pursuing a PhD. Work in places like the library or institution where you can access quality food on the regular basis. Take a lot of liquids since you will remain still for long hours. Sitting late in the night when it’s cold also affects your immune system – thus, you must eat healthy foods to enhance your health and keep fit.

Add some fruits and vegetables to your diet. Remember that missing meals also affects your mental processing capacity, and will slow you down. Watch your diet, do regular exercises, and take a lot of water to remain healthy.  

Lost Social And Family Contacts

Losing contact with your family members and friends is one of the key issues when working on PhD dissertations and Masters theses. In particular, it has a psychological effect on your health. They feel that you are withdrawn and do not give them the quality time they require and deserve.

Maintaining contact with friends and family requires planning as well as dedication. It doesn’t make any sense to complete your PhD only to return to an empty home or children who cannot associate with their parents. Plan your time with full knowledge of all other responsibilities that you must fulfill.

Long Hours At The Computer Affect Your Vision

A lot of students experience problems with their eyes because of spending a lot of hours with computers and paged books. Limit the hours you spend reading or writing. Use natural lighting as much as possible, and ensure that the room you are working in is well-lit. Get help from a doctor any time your eyes become problematic.

As you can see, the state of your health while working on academic paper depends solely on the plans you make. Give yourself enough time to relax, eat well, and drink a lot of water.