I know what you’re feeling. You’re getting lost in the monotony of daily life. Deadlines for useless assignments, studying subjects you couldn’t care less about and it is draining you.
It is completely normal to feel like this. Even the students with the 3.99 GPAs are losing it. At the end of the day, we are all human and no matter what letters fill up your transcripts, you need ways to cope with stress. After all, you want to be a doctor, right?
Forget needing strong grades for a bit, you need a strong mind and sense of self.
That’s what gets you through anything. It puts you above the rest.
I’m going to provide you a simple, quick mental exercise that helps me: writing down your goals and desires.
Example: Everything I study will come easy to me. I will excel at everything I do. I will reach a point in my life where I will travel wherever I want to. The people in my life have the best intentions for me and inspire me to become my best self…etc.
I know what you’re thinking. You’re imagining this advice being given to you from a cringy self-help book about how to be successful.
No, don’t worry, I hate those cheesy books and motivational quotes more than anyone. I’m a hard-to-impress cynic, so if I can do this and find benefit then maybe you can too.
I can cite dozens of articles proving the efficacy of self-affirmations. It’s science, I promise, and NOT suburban mom Pinterest board garbage! See: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4814782/
What you write down can be as future oriented or in the moment as you want. Big or small. Write a whole page or a few lines. It can be about career. About lifestyle. About relationships. Whatever. Visualize it as you write down each word.
Doing this helps reframe your perspective and the incredible, vastly unknown subconscious abilities and cognitive processes of the brain do the rest.
I find it cathartic to write down what I want from this life and it reminds me of what I am working toward. It reminds me there is more to see, feel and experience beyond the monotony.
Throughout your academic career from undergraduate studies to professional studies, you will encounter a spectrum of people. The gunners who seem to have it all together, the people who are barely skating by and everyone in between. What a bunch of them all have in common in the medical community is being self-critical to a torturous degree.
So a little reminder: all you can do is try your best, learn from your mistakes and keep going. Make sure your identity encompasses far more than just your career.
It’s okay to let yourself feel not that great and unmotivated. Just try not to wallow in it. Trying this exercise and making it a habit can break that cycle. You are capable of much more than you think!
Stay healthy and peaceful,
Jillian Milano
As always, reach out to any of the e-board members for all advice and mentoring needs. We are always happy to lend an ear. Never be afraid to ask for help. Best of luck on everything you are doing.
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