How To Be Well In Pharmacy School: Student Spotlight
When asked how I prioritize wellness during pharmacy school, my mind immediately jumped to mental wellness. As health care providers or trainees, most of us know how to be physically well. Exercise 150 minutes a week. Take the stairs. Increase fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Less processed and sugary foods. More water. Less alcohol and caffeine. 500 kcal/day deficit diet to lose weight. Sleep 8 hours a night. Maintain good sleep hygiene. The list goes on. We often know where we want to go and how to get there. The hurdle lies in finding the time, the mindset, and the self-efficacy to start or continue the journey. Psychologist Albert Bandura can be credited with the concept of self-efficacy, which simply refers to a person’s belief in his or her ability to execute behaviors needed to succeed or accomplish specific things (i.e., getting where we want to go). Self-efficacy reflects confidence in our abilities to exercise control of our behaviors, motivation, and social environments. It influences how we approach tasks and challenges, which are never-ending in the world of pharmacy.
If you’re like me (any other enneagram type ones out there?), then you like lists and practical steps to take. So, before I jump into a discussion of mental wellness, here are a few pieces of advice I’ve followed in prioritizing my general wellness during school.
Get a good planner. Whether you’re task-oriented or not, life as a pharmacist or student will always be chock-full of tasks or “to-do” lists. A system I have found useful (particularly for fourth year rotations amidst a pandemic, planning a wedding, working, and moving) is having a “top three” for each day. It’s probably not realistic to get an entire “to-do” list done in one day, but it’s always reasonable to prioritize a few things that are most important to get done that day. I keep a running list on a sticky note somewhere in my planner but try to keep this out of sight as to not overwhelm myself. In the past, I felt the need to always look at everything at once (monthly view), but I found that to be more overwhelming and anxiety-inducing than helpful. I’ve found planners with monthly, weekly, daily, and hourly layouts to be very helpful in not only keeping track of deadlines, but also allowing myself to view things one week at a time, one day at a time, or even one hour at a time.
Always carry a refillable water bottle. This may seem like a no-brainer, but it is amazing how much better you feel and clearer you think when hydrated! I have often found myself forgetting to drink water all day or simply not having time to find water at various rotation sites (especially during a pandemic when most water fountains are not in service). This is simply solved by carrying a refillable water bottle everywhere you go. If water is always at your workspace, it’s likely you’ll drink more and stay hydrated.
Some exercise is better than none. While it’s ideal to get 150 minutes weekly, sometimes that’s not feasible. While there will be seasons with numerous exams, journal clubs, case presentations, topic discussions, classes, and studying, you will also have times that are less busy. Some suggest allotting time on a planner/schedule for exercise, however I have found this to feel like one more thing to do. Something I found helpful during school was alternating studying with walking or exercising. Set an alarm for an hour of studying, then take a walk or exercise (sit-ups, push-ups, squats…anything) for 10 minutes or more. Then, back to studying and repeat! Another easy way to get 30 minutes of walking in is to either arrive to campus early, stay a little late, or walk on a lunch break or between classes. Raining? Freezing or fiery hot outside? Walk inside! Take a few trips up and down the stairs.
Meal prep. The thought of meal prepping can seem overwhelming, especially when you already have a million things to do. But it can be done, and it can be simple! Things I do to help with the process include keeping a grocery list on my phone, picking a day of the week to meal prep, and using this time as a break from studying. Meal prepping can help to not only cut out unhealthy, fast, and processed foods, but can also decrease expenses drastically, which I think all students are amenable to!
Have an accountability partner. While I can’t say I did this myself, I certainly would if I could time-travel. Many of my classmates had that one friend they always studied with. Most memorable was a study duo including a non-traditional student (a woman in her late 40s with children) and a guy in his early 20s. While they didn’t seem to have much in common, they made an excellent study team! This combo seemed to always encourage and hold each other accountable, and as a plus, they seemed to have a bit of fun while working together! Finding a person like this, a study buddy if you will, could make a huge difference not just academically but also with morale and mental wellness!
I doubt any of the above tips are novel, but if any tip helps just one person, I consider that a win! Now on to mental wellness! Whether you consider yourself a person who struggles with mental health or not, below are mindsets or pieces of advice that I believe can help increase self-efficacy and overall mental wellness.
Breathe. You’ve probably heard someone tell you to breathe before. (Can be annoying, right?) But truly, deep breathing exercises can work wonders. If you’re not a fan of deep breathing, yoga, tai chi, the concept of mindfulness, or anything of the like, I was definitely there too. During PY3 year, I had a professor in a complementary and alternative medicine class that incorporated mindfulness activities into class sessions. I quickly realized tools like these can help reduce stress and anxiety, calm the mind, and even decrease the heart’s rate. I am most certainly now a fan.
It’s okay to not be okay. Even Jesus wasn’t always “okay.” Luke 22:44 (NIV) says, “And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” I’m not sure about you, but I’d classify someone experiencing hematohidrosis as “not okay.” This is something I’ve reminded myself of constantly throughout life. Must I remain professional and get my job done? Yes. Is it okay to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or another emotion? Yes. Ensure that your emotions aren’t spilling over into your work or interactions with others, but also know that it’s okay to not be okay all the time.
Therapy. Honestly, every person on this planet could benefit from therapy. Every person faces challenges, and whether mental health-related or not, there is no shame in utilizing resources and seeking help. If I rewind three years, I’ll find myself as an extremely homesick, overwhelmed, and terrified first-semester PY1. As I sat across from a therapist, all I could do was cry. I explained how I was feeling, the things rushing through my mind, and how scared I was of being a failure. I remember saying, “I just don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t make it.” The therapist simply replied, “You’ll do something else.” Wow. It’s amazing how four simple, true words can bring such comfort and insight. Would I have been upset if I failed or didn’t make it? Sure. Would it have killed me? Probably not. Would life have moved on with the earth still spinning? Certainly. One of most important tools that I believe can produce mental wellness during pharmacy school is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). If you don’t feel compelled this will help or think there aren’t enough hours in the day to make an appointment, there are tons of great resources and books on CBT online.
Give yourself grace (and a little more credit). Ever heard of imposter syndrome? It’s essentially feelings or thoughts of doubt regarding one’s talents, abilities, or accomplishments that result in the fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” A simple way to combat this? Give yourself grace and give yourself some credit. Not everyone makes it into pharmacy school. Not everyone makes it through pharmacy school. If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably doing something right, and although you’ll never be omniscient, you probably deserve more credit than you give yourself. Have confidence in the fact that professional programs have accreditation statuses for a reason. Take comfort in the fact that, when you pass the NAPLEX, you’re qualified for the job. Remind yourself that experts don’t evolve over night and take things one day at a time.
Even tiny steps and changes can make a huge difference. I’ve heard pharmacy school described as drinking a swimming pool through a straw. Pretty accurate. Whether you use this approach for studying, assignments, or making a lifestyle change like exercising, eating healthier, or going to therapy, taking anything in doses (no pun intended) is certainly key.
Marianna Gray, PharmD Candidate 2021 | How to Be Well in Pharmacy School