Stress Management

[deleted877060]

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This has been asked probably a million times, but I just wanted to bring it up again. Some things have been getting to me lately, and since everything I'm experiencing now is nowhere as stressful as med school, I wanted some input for my sanity in the future.

Sometimes I know why I'm stressed, I know what I should do to fix it, but I am just so stressed that I can't bring myself to do whatever I need to do. When I try to relax to unwind I get anxious that I'm wasting time...

I have trouble coming up with a timetable and sticking to it, because I always underestimate the amount of time I take. I guess part of me is always hoping that I will be super productive, while another part of me wants to get the job done in the best way I could possibly can.

I usually go for a run or listen to music at times like this but nothing has been working this time.

 

[Cura_te_ipsum]

This has been asked probably a million times, but I just wanted to bring it up again. Some things have been getting to me lately, and since everything I'm experiencing now is nowhere as stressful as med school, I wanted some input for my sanity in the future.

Sometimes I know why I'm stressed, I know what I should do to fix it, but I am just so stressed that I can't bring myself to do whatever I need to do. When I try to relax to unwind I get anxious that I'm wasting time...

I have trouble coming up with a timetable and sticking to it, because I always underestimate the amount of time I take. I guess part of me is always hoping that I will be super productive, while another part of me wants to get the job done in the best way I could possibly can.

I usually go for a run or listen to music at times like this but nothing has been working this time.

what's your question?

turn on the international news and watch videos of people in Puerto Rico losing their homes, people swimming in floods, cooking on grills with neighbors while their cars are submerged, and then get back to us about your first world problem.

seriously, you don't know what stress is. people in PR would love to have access to electricity and clean water, and here you are not asking a question while complaining about your stress in your pre-med days?

 

[WheezyBaby]

what's your question?

turn on the international news and watch videos of people in Puerto Rico losing their homes, people swimming in floods, cooking on grills with neighbors while their cars are submerged, and then get back to us about your first world problem.

seriously, you don't know what stress is. people in PR would love to have access to electricity and clean water, and here you are not asking a question while complaining about your stress in your pre-med days?

And I'm sure someone in a NK labor camp would cut off a digit to trade places with a Puerto Rican. Stress is relative, and we all have to find healthy ways to cope with ours

 

[21Rush12]

@Cura_te_ipsum Why is this your approach to people who bring up their personal concerns? And further, how is it helpful? Your response to a thread last week brought up the same thing, equally irrelevant. Nobody anywhere said there aren't other problems in the world. The one we are talking about right now is @DNA Polymerase and ways to address stress and productivity as it relates to school.

OP, this is not an uncommon feeling and certainly not an uncommon problem. It is tough to manage time when expectations are high and your attention is required in multiple directions. I understand that it can weigh you down, and that stress can make it impossible to do the things you ordinarily would do to relieve that stress. If this continues, you should see someone who can help you with mental health and with managing stress.

In my personal experience: it gets easier and it gets better as you work and practice, just like anything else. You are not alone in this at all.

 

[deleted877060]

what's your question?

turn on the international news and watch videos of people in Puerto Rico losing their homes, people swimming in floods, cooking on grills with neighbors while their cars are submerged, and then get back to us about your first world problem.

seriously, you don't know what stress is. people in PR would love to have access to electricity and clean water, and here you are not asking a question while complaining about your stress in your pre-med days?

I meant to ask for suggestions regarding stress management.

Yeah, it's nice to put things in perspective. I have thought about it before. Years ago, I came across a fundraiser for students in a war-torn country (I forgot which one). My University only gives ONE person the scholarship to study here, out of all that people in that entire country. And I thought about it for a long time. Terrible things are happening to people across the globe, and I'm sitting here getting anxious over such relatively trivial things. Problems in my life seem like problems only because they are MY problems, and I admit they are blown out of proportions, compared to what other people in this world are experiencing.

However, we can only speak for ourselves. Everyone can have a reason to be stressed, and it's easy to judge those saying they are stressed when you yourself are not.

 

[deleted877060]

@Cura_te_ipsum Why is this your approach to people who bring up their personal concerns? And further, how is it helpful? Your response to a thread last week brought up the same thing, equally irrelevant. Nobody anywhere said there aren't other problems in the world. The one we are talking about right now is @DNA Polymerase and ways to address stress and productivity as it relates to school.

OP, this is not an uncommon feeling and certainly not an uncommon problem. It is tough to manage time when expectations are high and your attention is required in multiple directions. I understand that it can weigh you down, and that stress can make it impossible to do the things you ordinarily would do to relieve that stress. If this continues, you should see someone who can help you with mental health and with managing stress.

In my personal experience: it gets easier and it gets better as you work and practice, just like anything else. You are not alone in this at all.

Thank you for the constructive feedback. I really appreciate it.
I do have high expectations for myself and am too unwilling to lower it even when it is very necessary to do so.
There's a huge stigma in my family about getting mental health help, but fortunately my uni has confidential counseling with mental health professionals, and I definitely am looking into it. If there's one thing I've learned so far, it's that I am the one going through this, thus I should be the one to decide what's the best for me, not anyone else.
At the same time, looking back, I do seem to be handling things better than I used to. The idea that it is not a personality trait but rather something that gets better with practice is reassuring.

 

[deleted877060]

THANK YOU. Nowhere did OP suggest that their problems are worse than anyone else's, let alone natural disaster victims. This is a super unnecessary, counterproductive, and frankly immature approach to people talking about their problems and challenges - and I hate to pull out this SDN trope, but it's not a good look for a healthcare professional/future doctor.

OP, it is 100% okay for you to feel stressed about your situation. However, if you're so stressed that you're not able to do the things you need to do and are unable to relax in your downtime, I would really urge you to consider getting some counseling and/or talking to your doctor. This sounds like it's bordering on the territory of a diagnosable condition which could have an impact on your career and personal life down the road if it hasn't already. Like you said in your post, things only get more challenging throughout med school (and let me just preemptively say that no, I generally don't think being in med school is as hard as being in a hurricane). Getting counseling or CBT or something can help you develop the tools you need to manage stress in a more productive way. Just something to think about. Good luck!

Thank you, I appreciate it!
I am still early in my journey, and I definitely need to figure something out.

 

[TypeADissection]

Now is the time to figure out what stresses you and how you cope with it so that those mechanisms are in place when you get to med school and residency. At each stage you'll realize how much easier you had it. Think of the inordinate amount of time you had when in high school compared to college. You'll be thinking the same thing when in med school and sure as hell will be thinking that when in residency. In regards to figuring out your stressors, determine if they are even things to stress out about or if you're placing an undue amount of weight on a topic that is frivolous. Lean on family and friends, establish good exercise habits, and sometimes just set aside a moment for yourself to decompress. Don't forget to have fun along the way. Cheers.

 

[21Rush12]

The idea that it is not a personality trait but rather something that gets better with practice is reassuring.

I feel that it's a combination of personality (some people are just more stress-prone than others) and situation. For me, learning to manage my time well and focus was part of it, and the other part was learning to let myself relax when there are things left on my to-do list that aren't done. The second part has been harder, but making an active effort and holding myself accountable for both productivity and protected time for relaxing has been a huge help.

 

[deleted877060]

Now is the time to figure out what stresses you and how you cope with it so that those mechanisms are in place when you get to med school and residency. At each stage you'll realize how much easier you had it. Think of the inordinate amount of time you had when in high school compared to college. You'll be thinking the same thing when in med school and sure as hell will be thinking that when in residency. In regards to figuring out your stressors, determine if they are even things to stress out about or if you're placing an undue amount of weight on a topic that is frivolous. Lean on family and friends, establish good exercise habits, and sometimes just set aside a moment for yourself to decompress. Don't forget to have fun along the way. Cheers.

Exactly, and times like this are a good opportunity for me to learn how to grow and improve.
I guess my main stressor at the moment is my humanities research paper. I have never done anything close to humanities research and have been struggling, and my professor hasn't been exactly helpful. It is due soon and I have not had the time to write a complete draft yet. It's worth 20% of my final grade and I've been sick for one of the two weeks I had to work on it. I got behind in my other classes from being sick so I had to work on those too, and the professor doesn't give extensions on this particular paper... I'll just finish it and expect a low grade. There's only so much I can do.

 

[deleted877060]

I feel that it's a combination of personality (some people are just more stress-prone than others) and situation. For me, learning to manage my time well and focus was part of it, and the other part was learning to let myself relax when there are things left on my to-do list that aren't done. The second part has been harder, but making an active effort and holding myself accountable for both productivity and protected time for relaxing has been a huge help.

Makes sense.
When I come to think of it, I am productive when I have excelled in a task in the past, and when I have to start a task that I have no successful experience with, I do not want to face it and procrastinate. Maybe I should accept that I shouldn't expect myself to do well the first time and adjust my expectations for myself.

 

[ChopinLiszt]

If you have a big fear of failure, that can be overwhelming and paralyzing when you have a lot to do, or things that you're not sure how to do well/perfectly. This could continue to be a problem in med school, for sure. If you don't want to seek counseling, you could try reading some cognitive therapy-type books. "Feeling Good" is a good one, but there are many out there.. If you can set some really good self-care habits (eat, sleep, exercise how you should), and get a handle on the way you think about challenges and outcomes, that will help a lot. If you're in a place where you can't bring yourself to do things like eating well and exercising (even though you want to mentally), maybe seek out the counseling and/or medication, and just don't tell your family. There's no law saying mom needs to know everything.

 

[Jojos]

meditation, working out, hitting a punching bag, going for a walk with the dog, seeing a funny show. all good stuff to help manage the stress

 

[deleted877060]

Update: I turned in my completed paper on time. It doesn't read that well, but completed mediocre paper >>>>>>>> incomplete late paper. I did my best and have no regrets. Will work harder next time and do better.
Thanks for listening 🙂

 

[MarkDe]

Please share the latest articles on stress management in 2021. I've heard that there is a lot of new research out there about burnout.