Medicine is an incredibly challenging field known for burnout. The years of rigorous education and training, long hours, tough conversations, and heart-wrenching experiences when something inevitably goes wrong all contribute to this reputation. As a result, many medical professionals feel overwhelmed and drained—some even leave the field. To manage the physical and emotional tolls, balance is essential to ensure a long-term, fulfilling career in medicine.
As a pre-medical studies student with the goal of attending medical school and becoming a physician, I understand how exhausting pursuing a medical career can be. It entails juggling classes with work, research, clubs, volunteering, and many more pre-med activities. This doesn’t even account for other important aspects of life as a college student, such as visiting family, having a social life, and upholding a consistent sleep schedule. To balance everything, I prioritize having a strong work-life balance that enables me to relax and recharge throughout the week without causing long-term burnout.Â
This is much easier said than done, so I have compiled a list of helpful tips that I use to maintain my work-life balance and sanity:
- Unwind and asleep by midnight
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I’m a night owl, so I enjoy staying up late. However, I usually wake up around 8:30 every morning during the week regardless of when my classes start. To ensure I get my eight hours, I try my best to finish all of my work by 11pm. This enables me to unwind and have some time for myself before going to sleep. During exams, this principle may vary a bit; sometimes I have to wake up a little earlier or have less time to unwind before midnight due to wrapping up studying. Regardless, I’ve made it a priority to get at least seven hours, even during my busiest weeks.
- Schedule time for hobbies
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It’s imperative to schedule times throughout the day or week to decompress and spend time doing your favorite hobbies. Some activities I do to decompress are going to the gym, drawing, hiking, playing volleyball, and listening to music. If you’re all work and no play, your brain will inevitably become overwhelmed and drained. This will lead to both a poor mental state and the incapacitated ability to work satisfactorily; it’s a lose-lose situation.
- Sundays off
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I have classes five days per week with minimal time in between or after. After completing my schoolwork and studying, I have little time left over for my hobbies and relaxing. On the weekends, I spend one day working a twelve-hour shift as an EMT. I wake up at 4am and often don’t get home until around 7pm at the earliest. This short amount of time during the week and after work is not enough for me to fully recharge, so I usually spend my Sundays completely off from school. Aside from short miscellaneous assignments or working ahead, I keep my to-do list very short and dependent on how much energy I have left. Sundays are meant for recharging and preparing for the busy week ahead.
- No work at the dinner table
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My schedule is organized so that I come back to my apartment at 3pm on Mondays, and then between 5:30-7pm the rest of the week. When I come back from class, the last thing I want to do is immediately start my long list of assignments. So, I block out a full hour to eat, and any remaining time I have after that I use to relax. This means that I do absolutely zero work while at the dinner table, including watching lectures/videos and reading. In the past, I tried doing work while eating to “kill two birds with one stone,” but I felt so exhausted after a long day of class and completing assignments just to come back home and not even be able to fully enjoy my meal. Now, I look forward to enjoying my dinner immediately when I get home and having a nice break from my long day.
- Take a step back
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Even with exceptional time management and time off, sometimes responsibilities pile up and can become overwhelming. It may seem like if you take an additional break you’ll fall behind, but that is not the case. Taking an hour break can always be made up later, but forcing yourself to chug along while running on fumes will make you feel frazzled and work inefficiently anyway. When you feel as though you’re at your limit, remember to take a step back, recollect yourself, and continue when you’re ready. If you have no energy left to give, how will you be productive? Prioritize your health above all else and everything else will work out eventually, I promise!