The recipe for de-stressing
Special Mental Health Awareness Month Article
Erica Kellenberger is a third-year PharmD candidate at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy.
As a student pharmacist, your life is full to the brim with tasks, exams, clinical rotations, and continuous learning. While all of these things are helping me become the best future health care provider I can be, taking time to focus on my well-being allows me to recharge. Over the past 3 years in school, I have learned that to be my best in the classroom, I have to fill my free time with activities I enjoy. For me, these activities include baking, playing the piano, and going to the movies with friends!
Kitchen break
If you had asked my high school self if I would ever take on baking, she would have said I was crazy. Yet, baking has become a more recent way to de-stress. I love trying and sharing new recipes while still coming back to the favorites, especially classic chocolate chip banana bread.
In the kitchen, I can take a break from flashcards and turn ingredients into something worthwhile. Baking gives me a nice break from the demanding schedule of a student pharmacist. And as someone whose love language is gift giving, sharing what I bake with friends and family has become one of my favorite hobbies!
Music is always there for me
My longest-standing outlet for unwinding is playing the piano. While that may seem a little odd, ever since I started lessons in first grade, playing the piano has been a constant space for letting my creativity and passion flow. Music has always been a way for me to get through hard times, celebrate good ones, and process everything in between. If left to my devices, I can spend hours just going through different types, genres, and styles of music. Music, especially piano, helps me slow down from a fast-paced schedule and feel grounded.
Get the popcorn ready
One of my favorite things to do is go to movies with my best friends, who are also student pharmacists. The movie theater experience is one I’ll never pass up and always look forward to. While getting to spend time with friends in class and in student organizations like APhA–ASP is already one of my favorite moments, having a community outside of school that understands your efforts makes a huge difference. If a new movie premieres, you can count on us to support the theater, enjoy a fun night out, and always eat popcorn for dinner.
Take care of yourself first
Devoting intentional time to focusing on your well-being as a student pharmacist is essential. In order to provide high-quality, patient-centered care, the profession needs you to take care of yourself first. With more and more student pharmacists experiencing burnout, discovering ways to de-stress is more crucial than ever.
Keep doing your favorite hobbies or even start a new one! For me, baking and playing piano are ways I maintain balance. Lastly, find your community of individuals you can lean on and do things with. I was fortunate to find my community within APhA–ASP, and spending time with them creates lasting memories and helps me feel like myself again.