Hey everyone! After my last post, I thought it would be funny to hear some feedback on common health problems experienced by PhDers. I'll start the list off: insomnia, indigestion (from all the crap I'm eating), repetitive strain injury (from constantly lifting my bag o books), depression (from general feelings of uselessness), back problems (from sitting and reading for endless hours), weight gain (again, from all the crap I'm eating) and social anxiety (from being in solitary confinement in the library).
I'd love to hear your lists guys!

Ironically, I just sent an enthusiastic email back home to the US, extolling the health virtues of PhD life! I am getting a lot of exercise walking to and from the University, and around the city centre, about 15-20 minutes each way, and I just had the most marvellous shopping trip to a local outdoor market where I hauled away the makings of a feast--Italian ham and sausage, fresh bread, olive oil, garlic, onions, peppers--a big pasta feast for me tonight!

There were tons of fresh fruit and veggies, so I am snacking on bananas, blue berries and almonds...and it was sooooooo inexpensive, I nearly keeled over in surprise. I thought that UK food prices would be very high and I would be forced to live on a diet of pot noodle, but with this local market, I will eat well and healthy indeed. My big pasta cooking tonight ought to last a few days!!! I am so thrilled to have found this market!!!

sleeplessness, weight loss (wooo) although is starting to worry me now.. headaches, IBS, and general lack lustre for life!

weight loss, sallow skin, frequent nausea, mental health issue etc etc

Aura migraines, anxiety, IBS, possible stomach ulcer, weight loss.

Well I hate to be one of these people who started being 'healthy' two weeks ago as a New Year's Resolution and suddenly goes around preaching to everybody else but what the heck I'll do it anyway...

I think regular exercise is the answer to all your problems Especially with the insomnia, IBS, depression and obviously the weight gain - maybe not for the weight loss though! I was reading this book by Tony Buzan (memory-improving guy) and he said that getting exercise everyday is important for improving mental abilites... Now finding the time is the only problem

Hehe..I once got Golfer's Elbow from holding a heavy textbook the wrong way.

This morning I had a revelation what change JUST doing the PhD is going to be from doing the PhD AND work. I was at my desk at 8:00 a.m., but there was no one around to notice. I took off for my market shopping expedition and was back in an hour...but there was no one there to notice...! What freedom! What joy! Maybe its temporary insanity, but the PhD life seems like heaven for now!

No one around to notice is my biggest problem lol!!! It's way too easy to just not bother showing up/doing any work on a particular day - like today for example haha! I would do better with someone standing over my shoulder preferably with a whip

I suppose that having few choices of what to do besides come to the University and study is a good motivator. I mean, my other choice today would have been to stay in my room and pretend to not be there, while periodically imitating a poltergeist and moving things around and banging doors...

Repetitive strain injury from data entry zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

My complaint: My neck/upper back pains. I need to learn to sit up straight & properly at the computer, take more breaks from the computer and get more doctors notes for massage therapy....ahhhhh!

Anxiety and weight gain...

snap lynn, my neck is so stiff that even a super expensive massage couldn't sort it out......
although i dont think taking breaks is too much of a problem for me :)
I'd like to add cycling insomnia/sleeping too much, ocd (ok maybe that was there before.....) and eating too many kitkats.