Roller skating reset
Brooke Jones is a second-year PharmD candidate at the University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy.
Stress to me feels like that Snickers commercial that says, “You’re not you when you’re hungry.” Though I don’t turn into a celebrity prior to a supposed “Snickers bar,” my patience becomes a lot more limited, I get snippy with my friends, and it becomes a lot harder to adapt to setbacks. This year has been no exception to the “stress-express” as my courseload, as well as organizational responsibilities, have only grown, as I’m sure many student pharmacists can relate to. For that reason, I have been leaning on my hobbies even more than I have in previous years to decompress, and boy-oh-boy is it beneficial.
One hobby of mine in particular that I wanted to highlight is: roller skating!
A great stress reliever
People always say that exercise is a great stress reliever, and I hate to have to agree. However, it doesn’t just have to be “pumping iron” or running 20 miles on a treadmill. It can be as simple as a 10-minute stretch routine or a walk around the block. Roller skating was the activity I found that didn’t feel like a chore, but something I was actually excited about doing.
It all started a few years ago when I asked for a pair of roller skates for my birthday after quite a few failed attempts at skateboarding, figuring I may have better luck. Fortunately, I was right, and just a few wipeouts later I was good enough to tear up some trails. Now it’s one of my favorite things to do. I’ll gear up with my knee and elbow pads, pop on some headphones, and listen to classic ’80s hits to get a break from everything and simply zone out. Plus, when returning to schoolwork after skating, I find that I’m able to more effectively get things done after clearing my mind.
Roller skating is also a surprisingly great workout that keeps your heart rate up. Now, whether that’s from actual physical activity or my fear of hitting a bump in the sidewalk and literally crashing out is anyone’s guess, but I am for sure getting my cardio in. If you have the chance, I highly recommend hitting up your local rink or getting skates yourself! Who knows, maybe you’ll join the skate nation, too?
Pencil in time for hobbies
Hobbies take time out of your day that could otherwise be spent studying, that’s true. Yet, without that time dedicated to things you enjoy, you will drive yourself crazy, guaranteed. I’ll be the first to recognize how difficult it can be to make time for things that don’t directly apply to pharmacy school, but it is critical to being successful in school.
Even if you feel you can’t give yourself this time consistently, I hope you’re able to recognize your personal stress signs and make the time then. Pharmacy school is hard, and it is simply not worth it to feel like you can never relax.