This year, one of my goals was to start listening to more podcasts, especially when I am getting ready to go to bed or when I am driving. One podcast that I have fallen in love with is Emma Chamberlain’s podcast with Ramble, Everything Goes. Her recent episode about good habits started making me think about good habits that I want to start to make me feel better about myself mentally and physically. Especially as the pandemic continues, some of my classes have been moved to being online, which means I will sit in a small apartment room all day studying.
- Meditate before going to bed
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Something I have recently learned about is sleep hygiene and how important it is to make sure you get a proper night of sleep and feel well rested in the morning. My current sleep hygiene is not the greatest because it usually consists of me brushing my teeth after studying and then spending a long time trying to fall asleep. I believe my habit of attempting to go to bed right after I finish an Anki flashcard deck or watching a lecture video keeps my brain wired and unable to relax its thoughts. That is why I really want to start meditating before I go to bed. I already have downloaded the Sanvello and Headspace apps, now I just have to figure out which one works the best for me. I also need to understand that it will take practice to get my body relaxed and brain to vanish all the leftover thoughts from my studying session.
- RemoVE all social media apps from your home page
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I have an iPhone and a new function Apple has released is that you can remove applications off of your homescreen, without having to delete them. To me, this is a better option of limiting my social media use than deleting all of it. Deleting the app means when I want to go on the app, I will have to redownload it, log in, realize I don’t remember my password, go through that whole process, and then be able to look at that one thing I wanted to look at. Just removing the app on my homescreen means I have to make a conscious effort to search it up in my app library and then use it.
- Read More
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This habit sounds like a resolution, however, I do not want to say “read 10 minutes before going to bed” because I know that will be harder to follow than just reading whenever I have time. Being in med school, I have forgotten the joy of reading, especially when you do not have to read a book that is required for a class. Reading is also something that I can do that does not require staring at a screen. One of my biggest struggles of going online for classes includes staring at my screens all day, and so reading becomes a good stress and screen break. There is not a particular genre of book that I want to say that I will read, because at this point of my life, just me reading is a win!
- WakE up early to eat a nutritious breakfast
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It is finally the time to break my bad habit of not waking up early enough and skipping breakfast. Not eating breakfast causes me to begin my day on a bad start because I will be in lecture and then I will stop paying attention because I am too worried about who heard my stomach rumble. For the past week, I made a week’s worth of overnight oats, so all I have to do is scoop out a serving each morning and eat it. This is the best solution I discovered so I do not have to wake up that early to make my breakfast. Eating breakfast also means I will not be hungry before lunch, so I won’t eat snacks that are not nutritious for me.
- Find time to journal everyday
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I am a big overthinker. I am one of those people who will turn on music when I am alone so I don’t lose myself in my thoughts and worries. Journaling really helps limit my overthinking because it is an outlet where I can share my thoughts and feel like I addressed them somehow. However, I have become very laxed with journaling because that means I am taking time out of studying to write my thoughts down, which I don’t think is worth it sometimes. But it is! I am hoping to find a set time to journal everyday to make it a habit.
As I continue through med school, I learn more and more about myself and what works for me. We talk about it all the time in our Fundamentals of Medicine class that you want to learn about the patient’s culture and make a treatment plan that correlates with their culture for increased patient adherence. That is what I am trying to do with my habits! I want to say that I know myself enough that starting off with small activities is the best way to create habits. Many of Emma’s good habits start off small, and then she adjusts them to her schedule and personal preference. That is the hope with my new habits, however, before I can think about modifying my habits, I have to get into a consistent routine. The good feeling I get when I achieve something, even if it is a small thing, is enough to fuel my desire to continue my habits. So, my advice is to figure out what works for you and then plan out your habits accordingly!