{"id":806,"date":"2020-08-11T01:40:30","date_gmt":"2020-08-11T01:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gillianmathews.com\/pugmed\/?p=806"},"modified":"2020-09-07T05:07:03","modified_gmt":"2020-09-07T05:07:03","slug":"pre-med-anxiety-youre-not-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gillianmathews.com\/pugmed\/pre-med-anxiety-youre-not-alone\/","title":{"rendered":"Pre-Med Anxiety: You\u2019re Not Alone"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Disclaimer: This article is based on my experiences as a person. Your specific needs may be different than mine. This article is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice.<\/em> This article contains affiliate links. If you chose to purchase these items I may be reimbursed.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n
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If you\u2019re feeling anxious about your MCAT, grades, or the medical school application process, you\u2019re not alone.<\/strong> Almost every pre-med feels the weight of the process at one time or another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least for me, my mind was always on. I was constantly going over what I needed to do to get a better score or build a better resume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This future-focused mindset is easy to fall into as a pre-med or medical student and often ends up hurting us in the form of anxiety and stress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, this anxiety and stress has been further amplified by the pandemic and the isolation that comes with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, I\u2019m going to share what helped me reduce this pre-med anxiety and become more productive.<\/strong> Hopefully, something in this article will help you in your journey to becoming a physician.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Table of Contents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Productivity Through Work-Life Balance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep More and Boost our Grades<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness and Meditation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Find a Good Book<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Productivity Through Work-Life Balance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Productivity<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As counterintuitive as this may seem, what I\u2019ve found that makes a pre-med or medical student most successful is having a balanced life.<\/strong> I know this is hard to believe because it can mean adding more to your busy schedule. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in the long run, adding self-care to your schedule will make you more productive by helping decrease the stress and anxiety that can paralyze your ability to focus on the task at hand.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you take care of yourself (through sleep, exercise, nutrition, and mindfulness), your body and mind will return the favor by increasing your productivity and performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sleep More And Boost Your Grades<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Getting a full night\u2019s sleep is the first and possibly most important lifestyle change<\/strong> that I recommend for pre-meds and medical students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the pursuit of a career in medicine comes heavy educational loads and packed schedules. This leads us to feel like there\u2019s never enough time <\/strong>and that we need to work late into the night to make up that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sets us up to fail!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we prevent our body from recuperating after a long day, it won\u2019t be able to perform that way we need it to.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Give you and your body a break!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S. When I started getting a full night sleep in college, I got three consecutive 4.0\u2019s!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindfulness and Meditation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The lifestyle change that I was most resistant to ended being one of the most helpful… practicing mindfulness and meditation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My mom had been telling me for years to try meditation but I never took it seriously. It wasn\u2019t until I was a junior in college with my MCAT looming that I gave it an actual try.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I started with quick mediation videos on youtube and free meditation apps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was difficult at first… I felt silly and uncomfortable. But the more I used it, the more in control I felt. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the day, whenever I felt my anxiety, I would close my eyes and focus on my breathing and only my breathing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This mindfulness exercise brought me back to the now and allowed me to re-focus on what I needed to do that day. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meditation Apps<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Balance<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Headspace<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calm<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Get moving! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I strongly recommend allocating time in your schedule to take take a walk, go to the gym, or go on a run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporating exercise into my routine allowed me to be in the present in the moment and work toward goals not related the medical school.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An activity that I strongly recommend trying is weightlifting.<\/strong> At first, it feels foreign, especially if you start with negative strength like I did when I started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as you get the form down and begin lifting heavier and heavier weights\u2026 it makes you feel powerful and like you can conquer the day<\/strong>. (And get\u2019s you into the right mindset for your studies and extracurriculars).<\/p>\n\n\n\n