Medical School and Burn Out

If you're a fellow second year medical student, you know that it is officially Board-Study Season. And I don't know about you, but I definitely feel the stress already. A few medical students who are a year or two ahead of me gave some of the same tips, and it is this: DON'T GET BURNED OUT. Does this phrase give any one else chills? It's a topic that is commonly thrown around within the medical community - whether students, residents or so on. Now that we're officially in this season of life where it seems like the "end of this tunnel" will never come, I truly believe that this is one of the times in my life in which I really need to be more aware of my mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health - so as to prevent this thing called "burn out". 

As if I, and other medical students don't already get "burned out" from constantly studying during the year, we now have one more thing on our plate - a big thing - that we are up against. So what can I do now to hopefully keep this burning out thing at bay? 

1. Community - surrounding myself with friends who are on the same mission, as well as those who can encourage me and keep me grounded is crucial. I've been blessed with friendships here at medical school and back home where I can go to those friends for encouragement, advice, fun - anything really. Another thing that ties in with this is "intentionality" (is that even a word?) because these friendships and relationships are not cultivated without putting in time and effort. 

2. Fitness & Eating Clean - I've talked about this before in a previous post, but I love working out. My body can tell when I haven't been moving and eating well, and it tells me to get movin' and get back on track. I guess I've become more aware or in-tune with my body, which is something important especially with the very busy life I lead. It's important to know when it's time to slow down, take care of yourself, so that you can better focus on your goals. Exercise & meal prep! Exercising not only keeps you physically fit, but also mentally fit! But HEY - don't forget to treat yo'self though. Take rests days and if you're needing that chocolate, ice cream, chips (whatever your weakness is) - GO FOR IT - just remember, everything in moderation! 

3. Faith - whether times are good or tough, my faith is something near and dear to me. I know that no matter what happens, I can fall back on it and know that everything will be ok. Life is not perfect and things don't always happen as I think they would. But I know that if I continue to believe and have faith that things will work out for the best, they usually do! 

4. Take Breaks - so simple, but easily forgotten. I try to talk to my parents every day even if it's just a little bit. And if you didn't already know - I'm engaged (EEP!) - So it's important to still be able to spend time and talk with the fiance! On top of all of this we are wedding planning. Am I crazy? (Maybe later on I'll write about my experience of planning a wedding while in medical school?) I don't know, but all of these things I've mentioned are more important now that ever! So I take breaks, watch my shows and get a good laugh. Hang out with my friends, and blog too ;)

I'm hoping that these things will carry me through the next few months, and even through the rest of my career in medicine.

What are your favorite ways to prevent burn out? Have you experienced it yourself? What did you do to recover? I'm all ears to any advice! 

xo, Dorothy 

PS. Aren't those pillows the cutest? This is one of my current favorites because I need all the motivation I can get for these next few months. Check more out at F R E E L Y by clicking here. (Many thanks to my friend Ashley @ F R E E L Y for this wonderful piece). 

Sundays are for slowing down

For the past 3 weeks or so, school has been non-stop. Something that seems to have gotten lost over years of schooling is taking Sundays off. Growing up, my family would go to church in the morning, go to lunch, and walk around the mall or watch movies at home. Then as undergrad came, I still went to church but sunday afternoons become study afternoons. And of course it gets worse in medical school because there's even more things to get done. But today, I'm so thankful to be able to wake up and slow down, even just for a little. To enjoy the light shining through the windows, the fresh flowers I just got, sip on some tea, and spend time in God's presence. I love that. My soul needs it. Being in a place in my life where things are always rushed, it feels so refreshing to slow down and appreciate the little things. 

Have you been on the go, or pressed for time lately? Or feel like your life is on autopilot? I really encourage you to just take some time and step back for a second and enjoy the small things in life. We all need some slowing down, it's so good for the soul. 

My Top 2 Devo's: First 5 + Savor

Today, I want to share with you all my 2 favorite Devotionals! I'm super excited about this one because these are essentials for me, especially in staying balanced in terms of faith and spirituality. 

If you're not familiar with devotionals (or as I call them: Devo, for short), these can be in differents forms, but that two that I will be talking about are a book and a phone app. There are also different styles: some have a more teaching style where they take a verse or chapter from the bible and expound on it. Whereas other ones are more words of encouragement and food for thought. The two I'm showing you today will be one of each! 

1. First 5: This is an app available on both the Apple App Store of Google Store. It's by Proverbs 31 ministries and they go through different books of the bible and each day they go through one chapter from that book. Currently, I'm in Deuteronomy - but you can go through the other ones that are available on the app. What I love about this is it's more of a teaching devo because it goes into the chapters and talks about relevant issues/topics and ties it in with the chapters. Additionally, there is an option for additional readings, leave comments (it's a community), AND my favorite part: adding personal comments/thoughts on the reading for the day! I love that I can add a reflection and I can go back to it at a later date. This devo encourages you to spend the first 5 minutes in the Word of God, before getting bombarded with the demands of the world. As the app says: "First 5 will wake you up with a short teaching first thing in the morning, so you can exchange whispers with God before shouts with the world." (first5.org) 

2. Savor: Now this one is a fun, real, encouraging, short and sweet devo. Shauna Niequist is upfront and real in this daily devo, where she highlights a verse from the bible and gives real life scenarios of how she's felt, and dealt with different things. When I've got extra time on my hands (which is rare), I would actually do both First 5 and then also read this one! As I've mentioned, since this is a shorter devo I would read this in the mornings that I'm in a time crunch (then read the longer one later). ALSO, this has some of Shauna's favorite recipes in it! This one really encourages you to savor the moments and people near and dear to you, no matter what you're going through.

There you have it - my top 2 Devos! If you have your favorite, leave them in the comments below :)  

PS: If you're interested in the devo: Savor, click here. 

It's a Lifestyle

Practice what you preach, they say. 

But let's be real, unless you have more than 24 hours in one day, how are you going to be able to do medical school, eat right, exercise, sleep enough hours!? 

It's truly about learning the act of balancing everything, and keeping priorities straight - and treating yo'self!

One of my goals during this year was to keep up with working out and eating healthy. Last year, I was pretty flaky about it, especially since it was my first year of medical school & trying to figure everything out. You'd think by the time a few weeks rolled around, I would have a routine down - but nope. So this year, I am really making it a goal to make sure I'm fueling my body right by eating healthy and working out consisitently. 

Food - I love food. I love good food. So I have to get real creative about meals that I can prep for about 5 days that I won't get tired of eating. I'd usually make 2 dishes (one for lunch and one for dinner). Then I'll just mix it up for breakfast, depending how much time I have. If I have less time, i'll go for fruit and granola/cereal, but lately I've been making oatbran or cream of wheat and mixing a scoop of protein powder in it and adding fruit on top! 

Working Out - Okay, I'm guilty: I love working out. I try to go 5-6 times a week (sometimes 4 if it's an extremely busy week). Basically, I'm going off my sis's workout sched (for the most part, sometimes I switch it up), for what I do that specific day. With such a busy schedule, I really have to make time for going to the gym and other activities. I try to keep my workouts for an hour to hour and a half - the way I think about it, if I just sit in front of my study materials all day and take 346284 breaks, the time it took for those breaks could just instead be put into my workout time. That way, I'm able to study more efficiently too! 

But listen, I'm human so I go through those times too when I just want to sit in front of the tv, watch netflix, eat ice cream, and chips. So no need to think I'm perfect at eating healthy and working out - I'm not and that's okay! I get it, us type-A's are too hard on ourselves (a lot of the time), but it's not the end of the world if you have a bad day or bad week. Just get back on track - that's what matters! 

I really do love that I'm at an Osteopathic Medical School, where I get to learn about how we are to take care of our patient's body, mind, and spirit also - which reinforces that I have to take care of myself as well.

I too, have to practice what I preach. 

Top: Lululemon (Similar: Click Here)
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Watch: Apple Watch (Click Here)

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A Balancing Act

Has anyone ever felt like they were trying to balance plates on a stick on the palm of your hands, and on top of your feet while trying to walk? I've never actually attempted that before but that's how I feel sometimes when life along with school gets extremely hectic. So how in the world do I find balance with the ever-growing demands of school, and life in general?

1. Staying Grounded - Whether it's by reading my bible, or praying, or getting together with a group of girls where we pray with each other and talk about how our weeks are going. These things are such important parts of my life that I basically wouldn't know how to function without it. This is how I stay grounded, and if life is throwing you all the lemons that the world can find, try this or find something that will help you remain grounded. It's so important to not only take care of your physical body to stay healthy, but also address and take care of your spirit. 
    
2. Nutrition & Fitness - another very important part of how I stay balanced is by eating healthy and working out. Don't get me wrong, I do indulge (which I will talk about in point #4) - maybe sometimes a little too much ;) But these two things help keep me healthy and also boosts mental health! So if I'm gonna prevent going nuts, I'm going to take care of my body. When I'm at school, I find that prepping meals for at least 3 days at a time is helpful so that I don't end up just eating out all the time. I say 3 days because I get tired of eating the same thing over again. I'm going to be trying out some different ways to prep my meals this coming school year - so stay tuned for how that will be going. Also it's so important to be smart about what you're eating. Being in class and studying all day, I tend to snack a lot! I have to make sure that I'm packing something healthy (or at least somewhat healthy) - otherwise I'd end up getting chips from the vending machine (which happens occasionally haha). Second, I find that I feel much better when I am working out on a regular basis. During medical school, it's so easy to put off working out and to just keep studying - BUT the endorphins from working out truly does help especially with stress. Don't over-do it though. This summer, I am able to work out for 2 hours at a time and do so much more, but I know once I get back to school that's just not possible. First of all, I simply don't have the luxury of spending 2 hours working out. Second of all, I find that after studying/sitting in class for a long time I'm mentally drained, which also in turn makes me physically drained. So I have to know my limit and not overwork myself to a point where I won't be able to go back to studying after my workouts (sometimes I work out for so long that I don't want to do anything else after).
    
3. Taking Breaks - this is something I want to work on more this coming school year. I didn't take breaks the "right" way. I would take breaks in the same spot where I study but that's not a true break. It's better to study and take breaks in different spaces if possible. Also, I'd like to try to take more trips outside of the town where school is. As much as I love where I go to school, I also miss bigger cities so I hope to be able to manage time better and squeeze in some trips out of town and go exploring! 
    
4. Rewarding Myself - After exams, my friends and I would usually do a movie night, or go out to dinner! Giving yourself something to be excited about after something stressful like exams may help you push through the grueling studying - this is something that seems to help me! Also, as I mentioned earlier, I like to stick to a healthier diet but I do reward myself with food - whether it's dessert or a hearty meal. 

The challenges of medical school and life gets overwhelming, but it's important to first take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually. That way, we can give our 110% to whatever we are doing! There's nothing worse than trying to pour out from an empty cup.

Year 1 - FlashBackFriday

If there is one word that I can use to describe where I am in life and how I'm feeling, it would be: AMAZED. 

Currently, I am in the mountains of West Virginia half-way through my first year of medical school. This is the farthest I have been from my family and Joshua, for the longest time. I am doing the very thing that I believe God has called me to do and has equipped me for. I have made amazing friends, built new relationships and with all the things that are yet to come all I can say, think, and feel is that I am simply... amazed. 

One year ago, I would not have imagined that I would be where I am now. Around this time last year, I have not heard from any medical schools yet, and it was hard not to lose hope. But God (who has reminded me over and over and over again) continued to remind me to trust Him and that He will take me where he wants me to be. As hesitant as I was to step into the unknown and say "Okay God, here goes nothing" I took up a full time-job working at a physicians office. To be honest, I also started to think of back-up plans if things were not to go "as expected". So much for trusting the unknown - right? I am not saying back-up plans are bad - I actually think that it IS good to have back-up plans. But knowing the type of person that I am, I easily get carried away with my back-up plans and focus on them instead of actually putting my trusting in God to work. 

Soon after a few months of working, I am on a plane to WV for a medical school interview. I am literally going into the unknown: I know nothing about West Virginia; the size of the town was about as big as my high school; I don't do mountains - I've lived by the coast my whole life. Talk about God uprooting me and putting me in the wilderness of the unknown. SCARY. CRAZY. EXCITING. All at the same time. 

Little did I know, that this town will become my home. I have grown to love this place, and the people in it. I truly believe that God has placed me here, at this school, for a reason. I will even venture out to say that God has made my decision-making easy by allowing me one choice. 

So now, I'm here. Learning the things that I've dreamed to learn about. To do the things I have always wished to do. Still, I look back at everything that has happened in my life - the sequence of events - and I am amazed. The way that God has carried me through it all, despite my disobedience at times. He reminds me of where He wants to take me - what His plans are. He also reminds me that I can plan as much as I want, but gently reminds me that His plans are far better than I can ever hope for or imagine. And He's right. He's so right. Where I am now is something that my "senior-in-highschool-self" would not even imagine. Where I will be in the future is something that I am extremely excited about. 

With all this, I am here to say that life is a crazy whirlwind and it can pull us to all different directions. But I believe that God is speaking to you, asking you to listen to His still voice, so that He can lead you into a place far better than what you can ever dream for. His promises are true, and He continues to fulfill them for me day after day. Not because of anything good that I do or say - but it's because of Who He is: He is a good Father, and He wants the best for us.

To this day, I am grateful for where I am. I pray that every time you and I look back through all the things God has brought us through - that we will be amazed at how good and faithful He is. 

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