BURNOUT

Bridgetown, Barbados

Most of us have been "grinding" years before we started medical school. And it only seemed natural that we continue "grinding" in medical school because well, "it works." But there comes a time, at least for me, where I came to the end of myself physically and eventually mentally.

You see, burnout isn’t something you notice quickly. It’s indolent, slowly growing in the background till it literally stops you in your tracks and your only way out is to address it and maintain daily healthy practices to prevent it from happening again. Burnout looks like feeling anxious, brain fog, trouble sleeping, lack of motivation, unexplainable exhaustion, irritability etc. Are you experiencing any of these currently?

See, in my 3rd semester of MS1, I pushed myself HARD. Crazy # of Anki cards/day. Only 4-5hr of sleep. And while I did well that semester, IT WAS NOT SUSTAINABLE! The following semester I was TIRED to the point of inactivity, I couldn't focus, would space out while trying to study and so my grades suffered. Looking back, I now realised I was experiencing burnout.

I had pushed my limits the semester prior and while I did get the desired results at what cost? I was not able to maintain it the next semester so how good were the strategies I employed in the long term? Not very good.

As medical students, we must be cognizant of how we treat our minds and our body. We have very demanding and rigorous workloads and are under immense pressure to perform well. As I am sure you have heard numerous times, medical school is a marathon and not a sprint. So to have the endurance to finish this race, we must take care of our minds and body.

We only have ONE body and when we push it past its limit it will need to stop and recuperate. So rather than letting it get to that point, how about nurturing your mind and body in healthy ways on a daily.

What if the goal was for Balance + Quality?

♻️What if we valued Quality over quantity in studying?
♻️What if we took breaks while studying?
♻️What if we did 1 thing we enjoy daily?
♻️What if we asked for help or went to therapy.

What if??

I'll tell you what.... in my 5th semester, I listened to my body. I worked out weekly. I had a routine for taking breaks between studying. I watched movies + binged tv shows for the first time since starting Medical school ANDDDDDD I did well in school!

So I ask again, WHAT if you choose Balance + Quality instead of Grinding and Hustling?

📩❓Have you been feeling burnt out? what are you doing to overcome it? What does balance or taking care of your mind + body look like for you?

Share in the comments.