Preface
The thesis is finally finished—though it’s a mess, at least it’s done!
Finally, I have some free time to write something else.
Main Text
I moved out and started living independently in March. At first, my girlfriend lived with me, but later she stopped coming over, leaving me to live alone.
Living alone + writing my thesis + job hunting—a triple combo that made my entire March quite rough. Here’s a retrospective analysis of why:
Consistent sleep schedule is the foremost prerequisite for work efficiency.
Stop believing that “just getting eight hours of sleep” is enough—many people have already said this doesn’t work, and I personally verified its ineffectiveness over an entire month. A reversed circadian rhythm (e.g., sleeping at 3–4 a.m. and waking up at 9–10 a.m.) directly leads to extremely low productivity all day long. Everything feels difficult—not just mentally, but physically: your head feels heavy and sluggish; even thinking about anything takes extra effort.
Better stick to sleeping at 11 p.m. and waking up at 7 a.m. 
Moderate exercise is the second prerequisite for maintaining work efficiency.
By the third day of intensive thesis writing, I began experiencing cervical and lumbar spine issues. This forced me to either go out for physical activity or lie flat on the floor to rest—otherwise, I’d face progressively worsening compression symptoms.
Moreover, continuous work causes a sharp decline in efficiency. After three straight hours of thesis writing, my brain turns into mush. This phenomenon occurs universally wherever mental effort is required—reading, coding, attending classes, or meetings.
The best way to eliminate anxiety is to confront it head-on.
Anxiety serves as both protection and retreat—but anxiety itself does not solve problems. The only real solution lies in actively attempting to resolve them.
My overall condition was at its best when I was genuinely collecting data, analyzing it, and writing the thesis.
Conversely, my condition was at its worst when I evaded responsibilities by playing games, watching videos, or scrolling through Xiaohongshu.
The simplest and most direct path to solving problems is simply walking toward their resolution. Anything else is just taking the long way around.
No matter what difficulties we encounter, we must not fear them.
Face them with a smile.
The best way to overcome fear is to confront it directly.
Persistence leads to victory.
Come on—you’ve got this!
—Chaoyang Winter Swimming Weirdo (a famous Chinese internet personality)
Living alone offers maximum freedom—and maximum unpredictability.
To gain freedom, you must relinquish constraints—including those beneficial ones imposed by others.
No one reminds me to eat lunch anymore; lunchtime has stretched from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., while dinner now ranges from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
No one nudges me to go to bed on time, so my sleep schedule has become fully inverted.
If someone cannot take responsibility for their own behavior, they shouldn’t be granted excessive freedom—too much freedom only breeds excessive chaos.
Interpersonal interaction is essential for social beings.
This past month, I felt an unprecedented desire to talk with others. Spending every day alone triggered intense loneliness.
Online communication satisfies this need only slightly; voice or video calls help more—but still fall short.
Face-to-face interactions possess irreplaceable qualities. Even something as brief as a job interview—where I spoke with someone in person—significantly alleviated my sense of isolation. In fact, I even started striking up casual conversations with strangers on the subway.
If you’re feeling similarly, go find someone for an in-person chat—right now. It doesn’t matter what you talk about.
Postscript
Living alone is a challenge—but it will greatly strengthen your resilience.