Graduate Development Programs

Life After College III: Take Care of Yourself

Making the transition to your graduate job, you will find that for most of your day will be spent either at your desk or in a meeting for hours on end. Spending all that time seated (and probably hunched over a keyboard) is not really good for your circulation, posture or anything other than working!

Most graduates will find themselves gaining weight when they begin their careers as their lifestyles undergo significant change. It doesn’t help that many will acquire the habit of munching on junk snacks at their desks through the day and often late into the night.

You can counteract this change in your lifestyle. If you didn’t like the other three suggestions, then I am guessing you are definitely not going to enjoy this one. Exercise. There are so many benefits to you from exercise it would take me forever to list them.

Yes, exercise will improve your circulation by transporting more oxygen and nutrients to your brain and body, increasing your energy levels, concentration and overall productivity. From my personal experience, I find that exercising allows me to think more clearly and gives me extra staying power. Also, it is a great way to clear your mind in a gym session, leaving you to focus on the things that matter when you need to.

The hidden benefit: people who exercise are generally happy people because of the chemicals the body releases during a workout. These give you a natural high! Who said drug addicts can’t be healthy? ?

It doesn’t sound terribly exciting does it? Eat well, sleep well, exercise and maintain hydration blah blah. Perhaps you were expecting some ancient secret discovered in the foothills of the Himalayas :) Getting the most out of life is really quite simple really. You just have to commit yourself to the right priorities and then move one foot in front of the other. In the long run, it will work itself out.

I know it is difficult to believe that exercise could be enjoyable as most people associate it with discomfort, pain and embarrassment. Eexercise can be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of whether you liked it growing up.

The key is to start slowly, gradually increasing your workload over time and commit yourself to a minimum of 3 sessions per week. It is not necessarily a competitive pursuit, so to begin with don’t worry about how your performance compares to everyone else.

The benefits of starting slowly are two fold:

- It minimises the discomfort because you only do what your body can handle.

- Your commitment to exercise as a lifestyle pillar over the long term means you can gradually increase your workload over time, knowing that you will soon reach a level of intensity to see tangible results.

Once your body increases its capacity to exercise, you will actually get quite a sense of achievement out of seeing how much further you can push yourself. Just remember that there is no rush.

The human body is remarkable in its ability to adapt to new stimuli. It generally takes a period of 7-10 days for your body to adjust to a new level of exercise intensity. So start off riding a stationary bike for 5 minutes per session and increase this by 2 minutes every couple of weeks, you will be able to ride for 57 minutes per session in 12 months time. Do that 3 times a week and you will be fighting fit!

People seem to find it easier to subconsciously commit themselves to getting fat over the years (think about it, you don’t get fat overnight, it takes time and bad habits). Isn’t it better to commit to getting healthier, fitter, stronger and better shape with gradual effort over time? I think so!

Make the commitment to begin exercising and increase your load over time as your body adjusts. No need for pain, discomfort or embarrassment! Most people make the mistake of going too hard too soon and wind up feeling awful the next day. So just remember, start slowly. There is no hurry.

You may experience general soreness (not pain) after the first few workouts but don’t let this alarm you. This is the lactic acid build up from the exercise and your body adjusting to your new routine. It will subside after a few days, especially if you do some light stretches or exercise.

Exercise will give you so much more energy to get through your day. You will feel stronger, concentrate better, actually feel good about yourself too. You will also fill out your clothes in all the right places!

Furthermore, if you have a sweet tooth, you can occasionally indulge without feeling guilty.

People often complain that they don’t have enough time to exercise, yet don’t realise how much time they waste. First of all, watching TV is NOT a priority neither is surfing Facebook. That should free up at least 4-8 hours per week for most people. Plenty of time to go for a walk or jog, even bike rides. All you need is 30 minutes a day, 3 times a week. 4 would be great and 5 even better. You could go for a 30 minute walk in your lunch break to clear your mind.

The other thing is that it can be hectic getting to the gym before or after work and this is quite understandable given the often unpredictable nature of when you will leave the office. I find it easy committing to 1 session each day on Saturday and Sunday, which leaves me with 1 or 2 more sessions to fit in during the week as I see fit. It gives me plenty of flexibility with late nights at work, drinks with colleagues etc.

It is OK to miss a session occasionally, but you need to be honest with yourself regarding when missing a session is the exception or becoming the norm.

One way of managing this is to imagine a “lifestyle account”. Just like a bank account. Someone who has been making regular deposits in maintaining a healthy, balanced life has plenty of credit in his account. So if he misses a night at the gym once a month, it’s not the end of the world. If he overslept and rushed out before having breakfast once every few weeks, it’s ok. Life happens.

You have to be honest with yourself. Who are you doing this for? Do you truly believe that balanced nutrition, sleep, hydration and exercise are the cornerstones of your physical well being? If not, why not?! Or are you treating it like the latest fad, giving you something to tell your friends? A talking point that will soon be forgotten.

The problem arises when exceptions gradually become the routine. The big night out will crowd out the other parts of your life, the mad rush to work means breakfast is not an option and the cold winter evenings mean the gym membership expires…

I know so many people who think they can take shortcuts with these routines. You cannot! Something has to give, sooner or later. You must take responsibility for your wellbeing. You don’t just feel unwell! Think about what you did to put your body out of balance.

- If you went out drinking heavily the night before, is it any surprise that you are dehydrated and probably have a headache?

- If you haven’t consumed enough water for the day, is it any wonder your body is heating up, perspiring and your t-zone is getting oily?

- If you haven’t had enough sleep, is it any wonder you are irritable and can’t concentrate?

- If you are putting on weight, it is either because you are consuming too many calories from the wrong types of food or not moving enough (probably both!)

These are all entirely predictable, but they require self-awareness and a willingness to be honest with yourself, your choices and motivation. Water, nutrition, sleep and exercise. No way around it.

That’s it for “Your Life After College”. Next up, we will go through the all important process of fitting in at work and how to gain acceptance. Make sure you don’t miss out! Remember to subscribe by clicking here.