Some “Wise” stress relievers
Yoga enthusiast Caitlin Wise reaps the holistic benefits of the Tree Pose in New Delhi, India.
Stress is something that every student pharmacist will experience. I wrote this article at my desk, coffee in hand, after a 14-hour work day with many projects still to do, while multi-tasking two computer screens, a desk of papers, and a phone call with my friend who said, “I never hear from you anymore. Call me more often. I miss hearing from you.”
This is a perfect example of daily stress. Not all stress is bad. Getting to talk to my friend gave me more energy than the coffee, even though it took time away from the projects. This “eustress,” or good stress, of talking to my friend helped me focus, but then again, that may have been because the coffee hadn’t kicked in yet.
I am a social person, but every now and then, I have to take time for myself, especially when I am stressed. How you relieve stress depends so much on the type of person that you are and the hobbies that you have. To me, there are five best ways to relieve stress.
Express yourself
I am not a runner by any means. I want to be, but bad knees and a philosophical objection to running in circles led me to dancing instead. I have tried every form of dancing possible, from country two-stepping (I am from Texas, after all), to Middle Eastern dancing, jazz, professional ballroom, and modern. I love them all. Dancing is not only great exercise, it also allows you to express yourself in a way that traditional exercise or just listening to music does not.
If you are angry, if you are sad, if you want to be motivated, you can express all of these emotions through dance in a healthy way, and even make a mini-career out of your hobby like I did by performing with local dance troupes. While it may not pay off your student loans, you can support yourself just enough to not feel guilty buying your second cup of coffee in one day.
The merits of yoga
Sometimes you need to get more in tune with your body and listen when it tells you it has had enough. That is where yoga comes in. When I first started practicing yoga, I didn’t really believe the hype around it. But now I am fully convinced. It has helped me practice actively listening to what muscles are sore, and which ones need to take a rest or get stretched. And there are just as many men in my yoga class as women, which shows this really can be for everybody.
A clean house
Like many student pharmacists, my organized, type A self can’t focus when I know there are dirty dishes in the sink or my desk is a mess with papers everywhere. The simple act of organizing your home helps you organize your mind as well. It gives you a sense of control while also giving you a slight break from your current project without losing productivity. One of the best pieces of advice I ever received was, “Keep your house clean enough to be healthy, but dirty enough to be happy.”
Write it out
When you are still feeling stressed and overwhelmed, sometimes writing helps. I am not talking about writing to-do lists (although that can be helpful), I am talking about taking time to decompress, and quietly sit and write about what is bothering you. Whether you write a journal, write a letter to yourself to read when you are feeling overwhelmed, or just write an angry letter venting your frustrations and throw it away, writing can be incredibly cathartic.
Helping others get help
When all of this is still not enough to manage stress, it may be worth taking steps to seek help. When I was an undergrad, I volunteered at my university’s student-run counseling helpline. Listening to the stress in the voices of the callers made me want to do everything I could to help them, and I helped by setting up appointments with counselors, providing a safe place to vent, and a supporting shoulder to cry on. Even with callers who just needed somebody to listen, I was always glad to help.
No man is an island, and no student pharmacist should have to go through the stress of pharmacy school without having a support system and good tips to manage their stress, either by themselves or individually. I hope these tips have been helpful to you.
Caitlin Wise is a final-year PharmD candidate at The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy.