Hi all,

Bit of a strange one, bear with me. I was reading another forum today and there was a thread 'what makes your heart soar with happiness?' (I went with a slightly less schmaltzy title ,-) ) People posted about all kinds of things, big and small, serious and silly. You could even mention academic things if you like :p It was really nice to read and its made my work that little bit easier today. So I thought I'd try it here!

Me: the sea, big mugs of coffee, the smell of bonfires and chilly air at the start of autumn. Those rare days when I find myself totally immersed in my work and my heart starts beating a little bit faster.

The honesty of children in sheer contrast of the cloak & dagger of adulthood, a good gig with heartfelt performances from non-manufactured artists only a few feet from the front row, a meal cooked and enjoyed by friends, a proper passing game of football (playing not watching), a cup of tea or a quiet pint and a chat with good friends.

Being out in the mountains at the weekend, seeing my little nephew who was one year old yesterday and wondering who he'll be and what he'll be doing when he's 18, chocolate (in any shape or form!), spending time with friends and family and even my participants (just as well, I'm gonna be spending lots of time with them!), and listening to cool music whilst pounding along in the gym! And more, but that'll do for now...KB

The fresh smell of autumn, with all of its warm colours and that brand new feeling that something wonderful and new is going to happen.
Sleeping cuddled up naked against the warm body of someone you love and trust beside you, knowing they feel the same.
Standing in a field watching the details of nature, from the tiny bug making its way through its own little world, to the colours the sun makes in the sky when it is setting.
That feeling you get when the clouds dramatically quilt the sky with all their light and deep shadow and you know that you exist; you are real and part of it all.

A walk in the hills or mountains, getting very tired and then reaching a hut, when you already had the feeling that you would not make it.
In the hut a fire to warm yourself, some basic food, some tea in one of those metal mugs, a hot shower and finally a comfortable bed.
Just those simple things in life, which are so hard to actually get yourself to do.

And obviously it makes me very happy to be away from the small irritations and frustrations, the paperwork, the irrelevant issues, the dumping of work on you etc.:-)

I love this post!

The things I wake up for in the morning are...

10) Tea!  Hot, cold and even luke warm.
9)  Coffee.  On slow weekend mornings when you're sitting outdoors and the air is crisp.
8)   Sweaty activities, especially when they involve hitting things (balls, not people).
7)   Bright, blinding, beautiful sunshine.
6)   Being in a new place with nothing to do but spend the day walking, talking, eating and exploring.
5)   Blogging (www.phddepression.com). Anonymously pouring your heart out to a bunch of strangers is so liberating.
4)  Small breaks.  A ten minute walk outside in the middle of the workday can be more rewarding a week at the beach.
3)   Getting to know people. Everyone has at least one mind-blowing story to tell if you just ask.
2)  Teaching. You're changing a person's life.
1)  And, through all the episodes of phd depression, the thing that sends me back to school each and every day is that feeling I get when I've done great work and I know that, for today, I lived to my full potential.

Peep Show

Thank you for this - is helping to lift my depression somewhat.

- swimming in the ocean on a hot day, dozing on the sand afterwards;
- having a meal out with my partner;
- walking the dog, watching her tear across the park, all sheer exuberance and joy;
- reading a good novel;
- looking at plum trees bloom in spring.

- Chatting informally with other academics in my field
- Hula-hooping
- Exploring new parts of London
- Mitchell and Webb clips on Youtube