Looking after your mental health
Let's talk about an essential aspect of medical school, which is maintaining a good functioning mental health. Having been through a degree prior to starting medical school, I gained some tools to utilise in order to pass through the pressures of studying medicine.
The information you learn in medicine is not difficult, but the amount of content is a lot, which means consistent studying. Competition can add a little pressure, and if you are like me and have some family responsibilities, then it can sometimes feel overwhelming. For me, the stress and self-doubt were the two main issues which, as you can imagine, can lead to an unbalanced mental health state. This is not to push anyone away from doing medicine but to actually provide some personal tips to make you feel prepared to face the different challenges. I believe it is very much possible to do medicine whilst having other responsibilities, and I want to share some tips that I've learnt so far.
Join a society. From experience, I regret not joining any societies and meeting new people outside my course in my previous degree, which made university life seem mundane. Therefore, any extracurricular activity is essential to make your time at uni enjoyable and take a refreshing break from your workload. There is variety when it comes to choosing societies - sports, creative arts, academics etc. This will give you a chance to develop and keep up with your pre-existing hobbies and even take a leadership role in your society which helps improve your time-management skills. This, in turn, will ultimately reduce your stress when it comes to deadlines and managing your workload.
Eat, sleep and exercise well. In my second year of medicine, I ate terribly. My food consisted of ready-made noodles and rice, which were both quick and time-saving options in the face of piling workload. However, this is not a solution to the problem: in fact, it can quickly turn into one itself. I learnt this the hard way. Eating unhealthy affects you not only physically but also mentally, so it is best to avoid this issue and try to cook in batches and meal prep at the start of the week. Although I am still struggling with making this a habit, I am eating healthier, and my mood and focus have improved. Speaking of focus, whilst you may think pulling all-nighters is going to be something you can depend on, you will soon realise that medicine is not a sprint but a marathon. Therefore, this 'technique' in the long term can exhaust you and affect your mental health and focus. It is therefore essential that you establish good sleeping habits early on. Taking a short nap during the day whilst being in pre-clinical years (which means more independent study time and fewer hospital hours), helped re-boost my energy for studying. There are so many articles out there about how exercise can improve your mental health. Even if you have never played any sports before, don't feel restricted to join a sports society and learn to play along with your fellow team.
Faith. This might not apply to everyone, but on a personal level, this has had a tremendously positive effect on my mental health. Both in tough and good times, I've always had my faith to depend on and that has been the source of my hope and ultimate peace. Going to fellowships enabled me not only to meet new people but also step outside my medic bubble, which is easy to get trapped in.
Read non-academic books. For me, this is a new addition to my life. I've been listening to audiobooks on my walk to the hospital. This both uplifts my mood and resets my mindset from the beginning of my day.
Study with friends. It is so easy to spend time on your own, and I am someone that prefers studying alone. However, I have realised that at times, studying with other people motivates you and can be quite enjoyable. It especially proves useful when you have to practice your clinical skills, and you can share your knowledge with each other. This also helps improve your team working skills which would prepare you for working in hospitals.
Last but not least, it is very important to know when to ask for help. As medics and future healthcare professionals, it is essential to recognise when things are getting too much and solve the issue by receiving support. I am blessed to have a fantastic group of friends and family to support me during the difficult times of life, and I do hope you manage to find that.
I hope that you will take these tips on board and have a great university experience!
Niloufar Farahani, Medical student & TAMS Team Member