Here demonstrating the ‘Upward Facing Dog’ pose, Jennifer Schweiger urges everyone to give yoga a try.
As a student pharmacist eager to explore various pursuits, it’s easy to take on many tasks and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of pharmacy school. While you are motivated and willing to put in the high-quality work to execute these tasks, finding time for self-care can be challenging.
Self-care looks different for everyone. For me, it is finding time to practice yoga every day. I schedule it in my calendar and if asked to meet during that time, I respond that I have a prior commitment. It is my 1 hour of the day where I have no iMessage buzzing, no e-mail pinging, and no one to answer to. It is my 1 hour of the day where I am not worried about checking that next item off my to-do list and can turn off my mind and simply breathe.
How it all started
My yoga practice was born ironically from a low point in life, when it was hard to create time for myself. At one point during my undergraduate years, I worked four part-time jobs in addition to having full-time course work. My resumé looked great, but I was not happy, and the workload was not sustainable. Amidst this hectic time, I attended a yoga class with a friend.
During the class, the teacher encouraged us to stop and notice how we were feeling that day. I realized this was the first time I had stopped to reflect in this way and quickly concluded I was not in a healthy place. I knew I needed to make a change. After the class, I was hooked on yoga and even quit one of my jobs!
Stepping away from the pressure
My favorite thing about yoga is that the practice is not about being “good” at or excelling at anything, rather to simply breathe and move in a way that feels good. This philosophy is unlike the vast majority of my life. From a young age, I felt pressure to be successful in various domains. In high school it was to get straight A’s and make the varsity soccer team. As a student pharmacist, there is pressure to have good grades while balancing jobs, student organization involvement, professional projects, and research. Having this practice that allows me to step away from all these pressures, even for just an hour, has become an important part of my life.
After receiving my undergraduate degree, I completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training program. As a person who does not love speaking in front of groups, I was terrified by the thought of telling other people what to do for an hour. However, this course was so much more than learning to cue yoga poses. As I wrote and shared about experiences that were deeply personal, I opened up much more than just my body. I shared with a group about my previous struggles with depression and fears of inadequacy, things I hadn’t talked about with some of my closest friends. This was my first time feeling “Fearlessly Authentic.” It was scary but extremely freeing at the same time, as I realized everyone else has struggles, too.
Check-in with yourself
When I ask other people to join me for yoga, the most frequent response I hear is, “I am not flexible, I cannot do yoga!” If you have ever said this, I urge you to try a class and remember that there is no such thing as being “good” or “bad” at yoga. If you are moving and breathing in a way that feels good, then you are doing yoga and you are doing awesome!
Even if yoga isn’t your jam, find time for yourself among all the other things going on. Schedule it in, say no to other things, and never feel guilty about it. Check-in with yourself, and if your plate is overflowing, then take something off it. As future health care providers, student pharmacists must take care of themselves before serving others, and there is nothing selfish about that.
Jennifer Schweiger is a third-year PharmD candidate at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.