Night Owl or Early Riser?

These days I'm finding it tough to stay awake in the day time and to fall asleep at night. A bit of a mess but I guess it's normal for any graduate student to go through such phase. For a while I identified myself as a night owl, working better after sunset. Then I found joy in rising early and sleeping early. What came next was I screwed up my own biological clock by not being disciplined. I can't be both an early riser and a night owl but the greed of wanting to buy more waking time to get something done tend to mess up the circadian time of this poor body. Outcome would always be the phase where I have to deal with my weird and unproductive sleeping pattern. Ha ha ha!

It takes a while to sync back to norm. I do recognise the importance of sleeping at night. Working from home these days doesn't help with regulating sleeping pattern or discipline on when to work and when to rest, since my life is entwined in the research which I want to do, which is a series of things done while sitting in front of this laptop. Reading papers, or working on my R skills, or figuring some stuffs out, or feeding my enthusiasm of picking up Korean language while watching yet another an episode of Korean drama, or having a meal. Leaning towards a very unhealthy lifestyle, but that's life of many graduate students. It's an amazing cycle of sleep, eat, research, eat, sleep. I sometimes wish I have lab work which would force me to walk out of this comfortable and warm nest fully equipped with the right lighting to work. Yet, I probably have my whole lifetime ahead to work in the lab in future.

Probably lots of coffee would help with staying awake in the day? Or maybe I should just quit coffee? Nah... Life without the coffee aroma... is a loss.

Source: http://my.englishclub.com/profiles/blogs/early-bird-or-a-night-owl

I guess right now it's more important to get myself on my feet with some regularity of work hours. It is getting back at me, this weird schedule and sleeping pattern.

I should blog about something technical which I sort of picked up last month. Interesting personal achievement which I forgot to pat myself and reward myself for doing it right.

Time for lunch!

Positive Workplace Attitudes

I'm under a lot of stress trying to come out from the state of stupidity and uncertainties (with not much progress these days). I'm trying to grab as many hours of solo working as I can in the office with perfect lighting for work. It means asking an owl to wake up and hunt in the morning. Not much of choice, since morning is the best time to work as there is practically nobody in the office before noon!

Source: http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/sleepy-owl-mandy-wiltse.jpg

I've recently saw an infographic which I found rather useful as some form of self-motivation. I don't have anyone who would "be there and support" me no matter what happens. Nope, nobody could truly understand the estrange condition and dysfunctions of that institution/structure of which I am a permanent member (not by choice). So, I only have God as my only source of strength, and yes, friends who have been my friends long enough that they are my family, my spiritual home. When I go through difficult times, the thought of God is with me (c.f. Psalm 46:10) helps me go through those periods.

Here's something everyone could do with, rather than complaining all the time of that workplace situation, make a difference by making a change in our own life!

Source: http://designtaxi.com/news/366397/Infographic-18-Ways-To-Be-More-Positive-At-Work/

I'm not perfect, and never will be. All I hope is I could complete this PhD and go on doing something which makes a difference in my battered life and in the lives of others.