Healthcare professionals are wonderful at taking care of others, but in order to give to others, it’s important to take care of yourself! Here are my tips for how to fit in self-care into a busy schedule.
1. First decide what exactly you like and what could be a part of your self-care routine. For instance, my girlfriends love to decompress with a glass of wine but I would always get headaches the next morning. So in a way I felt guilty like I was paying for my self-care, which certainly wasn’t the goal. I found that practicing yoga was a better way for me to decompress because I liked that I was strengthening my muscles and strengthening my mind at the same time!
2. Remember that self-care for one person isn’t the same for everyone. I like to relax by going to yoga, grocery shopping so as to have a fully stocked kitchen, and a clean home. Others like to go out and socialize.
3. Schedule self-care. I had this idea that I was going to eventually take care of myself when things calmed down. But what I noticed is that things never really “calm down” enough to feel ok to take care of yourself.
4. Don’t have time to get away for yoga? I feel you, I’m back on a surgical service and I think my monthly unlimited pass is going to go to waste. Self-care doesn’t have to scheduled away from work. Can you schedule a coffee break with a friend? Embrace the sunny weather by walking outside from your clinic back to the hospital. In a pinch – catch up with your favorite bloggers while scrolling through Instagram while taking a bathroom break.
5. Feel confident in taking care of yourself. Just like social media can trick someone into thinking another person has a perfect life, social media can trick us into thinking everyone else is studying or working harder. Embrace self care, you deserve it – everyone deserves it! Remember people choose what to post when and choose what to discuss with whom.
6. And final step - DO IT! I recently started embracing self-care, and it’s helped me feel better in life.
How do you decompress and take care of yourself? Let me know in the comments!
About the author:
Briana Britton is a third year medical student in Chicago. After she works her way through medical school, Briana hopes to match into a program that allows her to interact with patients and help heal them with a hands-on approach. When she isn't studying, Briana loves sharing medical school advice, outfits, and travel photos on her Instagram and website.
