Balance as a Daily Habit
Before I began my medical school journey, I heard from countless people that I should work on building habits. Any type of habit would do, but it was important to have something in your schedule that was religious.
In school you quickly learn that you both have time and don’t have time — at the same time.
There is always something you could be doing, and during the first few months of school that can be difficult to come to terms with. You feel pulled in different directions and a habitual schedule can help you maintain those habits that are good for you.
For me, that habit was exercise.
For many years I was an avid weight lifter. I spent nearly 2 hours in the gym every day. It helped with my anxiety, sleep, and overall happiness. I loved the gym and feeling that it gave me, but after getting a job with crazy hours I quickly had to choose between an intense workout schedule and extra time to sleep.
The tired person in me chose sleep.
I quickly fell out of the routine that once made me feel accomplished. I tried the best I could to fit exercise into my schedule, but my workouts were exhaustive and left me little energy for anything else in my day. For a few short weeks before school I got back into my routine, only to have it abruptly halted by intense academics.
This made me feel lost as a person.
Every time I tried maintaining a regular exercise schedule, I would have an upcoming exam or something that would draw my attention away. I had initially thought of breaking these habits as a personal failure — something to feel ashamed of.
Why couldn’t I have some discipline?
On top of feeling sorry for myself, I was just plain tired. Tired from the difficult and stressful days. I craved that extra hour of sleep that I felt like exercise kept me from.
Winter break was a chance to reset. I came to terms with the significant progress and fitness goals I had lost. I created a plan and mostly stuck to it through my time off. And most importantly, I didn’t beat myself up when I failed to reach a goal. I accepted that maintaining these habits was a journey, just like medical school.
In the end, the habit I formed as an OMS1 was not to exercise daily – it was to have balance.
Balance in all aspects, including personal and educational goals. I accepted that sometimes I can spend 2 hours in the gym, and other days 30 minutes. Some weeks I can go to the gym 5-6 times, others only once or twice. It’s now about making the most out of each day that I can.
After starting this my mentality has shifted, and I find that I am a happier student because of it.
Hannah Sodergren
Osteopathic Medical Student - 2nd Year (OMS II)
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences