1. Stop comparing yourself.
You’ve heard this probably a thousand times from a thousand people. But the reality is, this is probably the single hardest habit to break out of. I myself still struggle with this. But you have to remind yourself: why does it matter what other people are doing? Is it going to affect what you are doing? Are you going to ALLOW it to affect what you’re doing? Truth is the world is big and there’s always going to be someone who is better at something. If you keep using other people’s successes as your standards, you are going to be miserable. Look at how far you’ve come and look at what you are going to achieve in the future. No one’s challenges, successes, story, strengths and weaknesses are the same. With that said, the reverse is true for you as well: you are always going to be better at something.
2. Don’t procrastinate and work in chunks.
Many medical students struggle with procrastination, especially if they are coming straight out of college. It’s a common habit, so don’t feel bad. But if there’s a right time to work on that habit, it’s in medical school. You will be drinking from a firehose and procrastination will be the last straw that breaks the camel’s back. Try to work in chunks. Break up your assignments and projects into several days versus trying to finish the whole project in one day. Set a due date for 1-2 days before the actual due date to give yourself time to dot your i’s and cross your t’s. You will reduce your stress significantly this way! I promise!
3. Stick to your to-do list like your life depends on it because it probably does.
Most of us make to-do lists, but do we actually stick to it? Try to be reasonable with your goals for the day! Organizing your life with a to-do list sounds simple, but works miracles if you actually stick to it. It’s more stressful to leave all your tasks towards the end of the week. This goes hand in hand with the above on avoiding procrastination.
4. Address the toxicities in your life.
I think this one can be extremely challenging as well, especially if these people are your family and friends. But mental health involves putting yourself first, not others. It does not mean you are selfish. It doesn’t mean you have to hurt anyone in the process. It just means letting go of people that bring you down. Medical school and residency is tough enough already. Instead, surround yourself with friends/family who nourish you and support you unconditionally. That’s what will keep you sane and help you grow as an individual! You can do address the toxicities in your life by directly informing the individuals involved that you need some space to take care of personal matters, or explaining that you need to take some time for yourself/mental health. Or you can do this indirectly by reducing your engagements with other people.
5. You succeed as a pack, not as a lone-wolf.
You can’t be a one man/woman show. Medical school will be miserable if you try to be. If you try to do everything on your own, you will not only jeopardize your mental health, but you will not succeed as a healthcare professional. Find your people early on! Work together! Don’t try to be a gunner because no one likes gunners and that will leave you alone, which you do not want!
6. When unexpected events happen, get used to saying “This is good because…”
It’s hard being a med student because half the time you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing, you fail at the simplest tasks, and unexpected, terrible things happen to you. That’s normal and the universe isn’t targeting you specifically. You can’t control what happens to you, so try to get into the habit of reframing your perspective.
I didn’t get the leadership position I wanted, but this is good because now I have time for the student-run clinic, studying, etc…
I didn’t get the grade I wanted, but this is good because now I know my study method isn’t working…
7. If you have to do something you don’t want to do, you might as well try to enjoy it, make the most out of it, or get something out of it.
Complaining becomes easy as a med student. I still do it, but I try to be cognizant of it because there’s nothing we can do about mandatory assignments/events/busy work. Many of my classmates did not like our psychosocial classes because it took time away from studying the sciences. But it’s mandatory to attend, so you might as well try to learn something from it. Or try to be productive in some other way instead of sitting through the class rolling your eyes.
8. Meditation with Headspace App (free with AMA membership!)
Meditation is harder than it looks! If it feels like you’re doing it wrong, that’s normal! When you first start out you have no idea what you’re doing and you’re constantly wondering, “Am I doing this right? Why am I not feeling anything?” The key to meditation is consistency over a longer period. You will start to see a difference after a week or two. It’s basically therapy for your mind. The reason why it’s so hard is because we are wired to be thinking 24/7, so silencing our thoughts is a huge challenge!
9. Therapy or get a dog!
Throw away the stigma of therapy and mental health out the window. There’s no place for that. I used to think because I was a med student and aspiring physician that I was too good/smart for therapy to work on me. This might be true if you are dealing with an inexperienced therapist, but it’s precisely because you are a med student and aspiring physician that you should seek therapy if you need it. You would be practicing what you preach to patients. Plus, depression/anxiety among med students and physicians is prevalent. Also, you would be surprised what therapy sessions reveal about yourself and teach you. Many med students actually don’t like to discuss their feelings. Suppressing feelings is dangerous if it has no outlet, which is why therapy can be helpful.
Since I got a dog, I actually haven’t been seeing my therapist. Animals are truly a blessing and you would be surprised how therapeutic the relationship can be. Coming home to my dog jumping in joy to see me is the best part of my day. When I’m sad, I just bring her in for a cuddle. It keeps your emotions in check!
10. Last resort: see your doctor.
If therapy isn’t helping as much as you’d like, you might have signs of depression/anxiety and should see your physician for an evaluation. It’s okay to need medication for awhile to carry you over until you feel better. I’m currently on an SSRI myself and have never felt better. Eventually, I’m going to taper off of this!
Thanks for reading! I hope you found some of these mental health tips helpful!
With lobe,
Kelly
