Image by http://www.flickr.com/photos/fiddleoak/
under this licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en_GB 
Hybrid Pedagogy’s Jesse Stommel and our very own Charlotte Frost rethink academic life and writing productivity in this on-going series of hints, tips and hacks.
ATTEND TO YOUR BODY. Do some exercise or get a massage. When you’re doing lots of writing you will have no idea how much you are asking of your body until aches and pains set in. Even if you have perfect posture when you sit at your computer, you’re still putting some muscles under strain and leaving others strangely inert. A wise academic once told Charlotte that the only treat she never gave up no matter how hard she was working or how little money she had coming in was a massage. Years later, when it took months of physiotherapy for Charlotte to untangle herself from the pose she’d adopted to complete her PhD, she understood. If you’d rather be more active in stretching out your muscles then Yoga and Pilates are another very good option. But it is not just about easing physical tension, doing exercise and getting away from your work will pay dividends in the writing stakes too. Any exercise which clears your mind and forces you to think about something else – or nothing at all, if meditation is more your thing – will allow you to return to writing with fresh perspective and bags more energy. And both walking or swimming are great options for any fitness level.
Maybe this tip can help your hackademic writing as well!
Pravin said on December 3, 2012
I completely agree…focusing on my spiritual side, taking time out to be with God, were essential getting anywhere with PhD.