When I was in graduate school (long, long ago!), my advisor told me at one point that he was adding as a degree requirement that I must learn to sail. This was not unreasonable since my research was on sail boat hull design, but I simply groaned; another burden! What I did not realize was that my advisor saw that I was horribly stress, almost to the breaking point. He offered me the use of his small board-type boat any time I wanted it. I could simply go to his house, hook up the trailer, and go out to the lake.
After days and days of blackboard discussion about the theory of sailing, he and my office mate and I headed out to the lake on a cold day in February. We launched the little board boat, and he told me to step aboard. I did, and suddenly, he gave me a great shove. I was underway! An hour or so later, my advisor and my office mate appeared on his large sail boat (33' length) out of the fog. The sailed on past and waved, while I was floating with the board boat inverted in the water. But, in about 4 hours, I learned to sail!
Thereafter, for my last year, I sailed Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, almost every week. I would go out on the lake, alone, and just sail furiously, pushing the boat as hard as I could for about 3 hours each time. I would come home totally wrung out, but wonderfully relaxed. It was probably the thing that saved me and enabled me to finish my degree .
