Even the best of us suffer from burnout from time to time. It is utterly human as training in medicine is very demanding itself and combined with the life issues it can be weary. Well, we can control the chaos. Here are five tips for creating a system to support long term-term success and a happy life.
1
Adopt a healthy lifestyle and be persistent: Back to basics: Embrace a sustainable, healthy diet; drink approximately eight glass of water; sleep at least eight hours a day and exercise regularly. You need to take care of your body: A healthy diet and adequate water enhance stamina; regular and enough sleep promotes learning, memory, stress relief and performance; exercising helps you to relieve stress and increases endurance. Sacrificing any of these for studying more does not miraculously help you reach success. Building a career is a long path: You have to stay strong.
For more on this topic: National Health Service, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
2
Regulate your time wisely: Have you ever met an astonishingly successful professional who seems to be participating in every social activity? Do not fret! Learning how to manage your time will get you there. Let me share a few tricks with you: Decide your priorities and learn to say “no” to the rest. Spending ten minutes to planning your day will sometimes save you a few hours – hours that you may spend on your hobbies or with your family or friends. Conquer procrastination and do it now! Create a study area and be minimalist about it. Get rid of your phone (and your social media accounts!) while studying. If you feel you lose your focus, it is probably time for a break. A bullet journal is an excellent way to plan your day, month and future.
For more on this topic: Eat that Frog by Brian Tracy, Bullet Journal, Work Life Balance
3
Regulate your Energy Wisely: Managing your time is essential but not enough. If you have ever struggled not to sleep in the second half of a 2-hour lecture, then you are not alone. Energy management, a newer concept than time management, is about to change our beliefs related to performance and happiness. Here are a few basics: According to Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz, you must be physically energized, emotionally connected, mentally focused and spiritually aligned for long-term performance, health and happiness. Overuse and underuse will hinder your energy, you need to balance your energy expenditure by intentional challenges and resting in between. Studying continuously will damage your performance in the long term.
For more on this topic: The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz
4
Recognize and change your values: Identify your priorities. If you are prioritizing medicine over your health and happiness, you are in the wrong. You and your well-being are your top priorities. Your job or your academic performance does not define you, you are more than that. Determine your personal and professional long-term goals, then create a road map. Check and update your goals regularly. Do not let the first bump on the road demotivate you; if you stay persistent, you will reach your goals sooner or later.
For more on this topic: How To Make Work-Life Balance Work by Nigel Marsh
5
Spend quality time with your family and friends: If you think that you can accomplish all by yourself, think again. Spending quality time with your friend and family has numerous personal and professional benefits: It helps you to relieve stress, create an early network and a supportive net, diversify your area of interests, rest your mind by distracting it away from medicine. Always remember: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
For more on this topic: Why It’s Important to Spend More Time with Friends and Family, 4 Reasons Friends And Family Are Good For Your Health
