Over the last year, I’ve felt very stressed by everything that has happened and I’m sure many people can relate to this sentiment. Apart from everything on the news, I’ve also been feeling rather anxious at the fact that medical school applications are imminently approaching.
I’ve been trying to take some time this semester in order to find ways to cope with stress and focus on my own mental health as I begin what will be some of the most unnerving months of my life. However, I think I’ve found some ways to cope with my stress that I hope you all can find helpful in handling your own stressors.
- Be Active
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One of the biggest things that has helped me reduce my stress since the pandemic started has been daily walks. Back when I still lived at home with my parents in the earlier months of the pandemic, I used to walk with them and my dog, Robin. Now that I’m on campus, I make it a point to walk outside with my roommates for at least half an hour every day.
When the weather’s bad, sometimes we even have a roommate yoga session in the apartment! Given that the rest of my day, I basically just sit at a desk and do work, I like that I’m making an effort to get active in some way every single day!
- Take Breaks
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I remember in the beginning of college, I used to just study for hours on end and not stop studying until I got through everything I was planning to get through. In the last few months, I’ve been getting better at planning out my studies so that I can be as productive as possible. I’ve found that for myself, taking breaks every hour or so has been really helpful in boosting my efficiency when I’m studying pure content for a class or my MCAT exam.
On the other hand, when I’m doing busy work and extracurricular activities, I can usually go two or three hours without needing a break. This will vary from person to person, but the important takeaway is that it’s really helpful to take breaks throughout the day to reduce stress and anxiety.
- Reward Yourself (Even For the Little Things)
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My freshman year roommate and I started a tradition of going out to eat after every exam! We were lucky that we took most of our classes together since we were both pre-medical students, and thus the mentality of rewarding ourselves after everything began.
Even if we felt like an exam didn’t go too well, we would make it a point to hang out and eat good food together, because hey—we did it, and a grade is never going to define who we are.
- Talk to Others
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As an extrovert, this has been one of the most helpful ways to cope with my stress. Talking with my friends and family has been my saving grace lately. It’s been difficult for me in this pandemic because we have to really limit ourselves socially, but I think that calling and texting has still proven to be an effective way to communicate with my friends and family, which has, in turn, helped me tremendously in managing my stress.
I hope everyone is hanging in there, as we’re in that part of the semester where everything gets more stressful. Hopefully, these tips can help you all manage and cope with the stressors you may be experiencing!