Before starting dental school, one of my biggest fears was whether or not I would be able to balance school with self-care. It has taken a lot of trial and error, and taking care of myself in the midst of my intense dental school has not been easy, but I have been able to get to a place where I feel like school is not compromising my health. Your dreams should not get in the way of your wellness: achieving health and wellness is what will help you achieve your goals, which is why your physical and mental health should be a priority.
Health and Wellness
Health and wellness looks different to everyone. There is no “right” or “wrong” balance. To me, health and wellness looks like this:
Every day, I try to do at least one thing that makes me feel energized, whether it be talking to people I’m close to, exercising, listening to music, going on a walk, or anything.
I try to work out at least 3 times per week because the gym is my therapy and I honestly go crazy without exercising for a while.
No matter how hard school gets, I don’t skimp on sleep: I try to get 7 hours of sleep every night.
Discipline
Motivation is overrated: I’m not motivated every day, or every week, to exercise and take care of myself. But, I am disciplined: I take time out of my schedule to work out at least 3 times a week and prepare nourishing food for myself. My discipline pays off in the long run because self-care makes me so much more efficient.
Manifestation
I believe that manifesting the energy you want in your life, and the goals you want to achieve, will cause it to happen: Before prioritizing my mental and physical health, I felt like I couldn’t achieve my goals because my mentality didn’t allow me to. Whatever I tell myself will happen, happens. When I started actively trying to be more positive and take care of myself, I noticed that achieving my goals became easier because I was putting myself first, which also allowed me to be better for others.
The Biggest Piece of Advice I can Give is:
Self-care is never selfish.
I think the biggest thing that keeps students from taking care of themselves is feeling like we are wasting time not studying, and being so exhausted after a day of hard work that we don’t have the energy to take care of ourselves. But I promise good exercise and nourishing food will make you feel SO much more energized, and will make you such a better student!
How do you stay disciplined? How did you find the right balance for your health & wellness? Let us know in the comments below!
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