Diary of a Viva Ninja: Day 3
Calm the mind. Relax the body. K. Manwaring 2018
One of the key strategies to bear in mind during all this preparation is: rest and relaxation. It is easy to become overwhelmed with the sheer amount of information you have to bear in mind: your entire thesis in your short-term memory, all the advice, all the logistics. The preparation seems endless and insurmountable. And yet you have completed and submitted your actual thesis – against all the slings and arrows of the last three to four years. That in itself is a major achievement, and shows you can shape, you can finish, you can deliver. Yet to be burnt out is no good to anyone – certainly not the optimum state to be entering a viva. And so daily ‘time outs’ are essential. They are just as important as regular reviewing of notes and relevant literature.
I try to factor in at least one (usually two or three) of the following into my daily schedule:
A run (I prefer off-road, up on the hills or amongst the trees).
A walk, perhaps into town – but certainly outdoors, in the sunlight (hopefully) sucking in some fresh air into my lungs, perhaps maybe getting a hit of ‘forest therapy’.
A swim.
Sitting in the garden.
Cat-stroking.
Reading (non-specialist literature).
Watching a TV show or a film.
Listening to music.
Baking.
Drawing.
Fire-gazing.
Yesterday was a good example of that. It was a gloriously sunny, warm, autumnal day. I had a choice-point around 5pm. Either push on with my prep, or go for a wild swim. I chose the latter and I’m so glad I did. The literally immersive experience brought me back into my body, into the ‘here and now’. The bracing water got the blood circulating, the endorphins flowing. It felt great. I said hello to a few ducks. Afterwards I went and sat by a spring underneath a yew tree. A little Shinto-like shrine had been made there. The sound of the trickling water was very relaxing. Sitting underneath the canopy of trees I felt calm, safe, content. Gazing into the small pool I let my thoughts lightly consider the PhD. Just being away from my study gave me a perspective on it. I gleaned some insights. The key concepts were:
Clarity
Depth
Reflection
Peacefulness
All these are good things to ‘carry’ with you into the viva. I can picture the pool in the forest now and immediately feel a sense of calm. In the stress of the cross-questioning from the examiners I may use it as a strategy to remain calm. From that place of calm stillness, lucidity comes. This ‘cognitive set’ is far more useful than trying to remember a million things. Although preparation is essential – familiarisation with one’s thesis; practicing Q&A in a high-level academic discourse; continual updating one’s knowledge and awareness of the specialist field, etc – perhaps ultimately a clear head (and a rested body) will serve you better in the long run. Finding one’s centre, an equipoise, will enable you to cope with not only the ‘known knowns’ (things that you will expect to happen in the viva such as the general format and types of outcome) and the ‘known unknowns’ (the specific questions asked; mood and behaviour of the examiners on the day; reaction to your thesis and answers); but also the ‘unknown unknowns’. Having a calm but alert state of mind will enable you to be flexible in the face of the unexpected, and to cope with whatever circumstances throw at you.
See you tomorrow, Shadow-huggers. Until then, let the ripples of your mind calm. Be at peace.
