Healthy Ways to Lower Stress During Match Season

Trying to match into residency or fellowship can be stressful. I’ve gone through the match once for residency and I’m currently going through it a second time for fellowship so if you are going through it too, I understand your plight. There are many variables that are out of our control and as much as we may desire to match in our desired specialty at our desired location and this uncertainty can lead to anxiety which has the potential to worsen our mental and physical health. Here are some things we can do to decrease our anxiety during this time. 

Lean on the support of others. While we are all pretty good at handling difficulty situations in medicine, we don’t have to do everything alone. Not when it comes to this. Although it can be tempting to keep this process to yourself in an effort to avoid the reactions from others in case things don’t go as well as you’d hoped, I’d caution you against that. You may not have to tell the world your plans, but leaning on the support of family and friends around you can help more than you know. Our loved ones help remind us that we are more than our careers and that we will have their support and well wishes no matter what happens. Being reminded of their unwavering support can help remove some of the pressure we place on ourselves and make the process much less stressful. 

Recognize that some things are beyond your control. As medical students or residents, we got to this point in our lives by being smart and completing the necessary steps to get through training. We are good at doing what needs to be done to achieve our desired goal. The match process is a totally different beast. Once you submit your application, you are then waiting for programs to review it, hoping they send you an interview invitation and praying they rank you high enough to match. As you go through this process it’s important to remember that what happens after we submit the application is beyond our control. Worrying about what will or won’t happen will not affect what happens so we must fight against the anxiousness we may feel. I often find that the process is much easier to manage when I transition from worrying about nonideal outcomes to instead hoping for pleasant ones.

Practice mindfulness with prayer, meditation, and therapy. It is entirely possible that you can try to think positively and know things are not in your control but still have moments of anxiety. During these times it’s imperative that you practice mindfulness. If you’re religious, try praying. If you don’t identify with a particular religion, you can also consider meditation. There are plenty of apps and YouTube videos that can help you learn techniques to quiet your mind and bring you a sense of peace. Many people, such as myself, find therapy helpful. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to have a mental health disorder to attend therapy. It can instead be used as exercise for the mind that helps you process things in a productive way, better understand your behaviors, and improve your thought patterns. Whether it’s prayer, medication, therapy, or a combination of all 3, practicing mindfulness can decrease anxiety and bring us more peace.

Find healthy ways to de-stress. Along with practicing mindfulness, it can also help to find active ways to de-stress. Consuming unhealthy amounts of alcohol, caffeine, or comfort food may make us happy in the moment but can have a negative impact on our overall health. To avoid this, consider other ways to destress that align with your sources of happiness. Are you someone who likes to workout? Do you enjoy yoga? Do you like to cook? Are you an avid reader? Is binging mindless tv at home your happy place? If you’re not exactly sure, explore a few ideas and figure out which ones you like. The key is to find ways to de-stress by engaging in activities that take your mind off of the process.

Be optimistic about the future. One of the best things we can do for our mental health during this period of uncertainty is remain optimistic. Being optimistic doesn’t mean you ignore reality or become naïve. It is the belief that most of the time, most things will work out for most people. It is realizing that although things are uncertain, the odds are in your favor. Adopting this mindset can put you more at ease. It can help you to worry less and hope more. During this time, healthy doses of optimism can go a long way.

Affordable Ways to De-stress During a Pandemic

It’s been over 5 months since our country first shutdown from coronavirus and many of us are still dealing with the impact. This global pandemic has affected our lives in countless ways and may continue to do so for quite some time. The rapid changes we’ve been forced to make can add anxiety to our already hectic lives but here are a few affordable ways to de-stress during this pandemic.

1. Therapy and Meditation. As a medical professional who is always trying to find ways to maintain my mental health, I’m a huge fan of therapy and medication. I explain my support for therapy in a previous post, but in short, therapy can be helpful for anyone. Therapy helps us reflect on our lives and examine how certain events in our childhood may have affected the thoughts and behaviors we have today. It also helps us understand how our relationships, personal goals, lifestyles, and beliefs influence almost everything we do. Going to therapy can equip us with the tools to overcome some of our past traumas and disappointments and gain the skillset needed to thrive in the future. I once heard someone refer to therapy and mediation as “exercise for the mind” and this couldn’t be more true. Just like we go to the gym to keep our bodies in good shape and improve our cardiovascular health, therapy is great for helping us optimize our mental health. While the pandemic may have limited our interaction with others, there are several alternative options we can pursue.

For example, there are several apps that can help you meditate more effectively and increase relaxation like Calm, Headspeace, and Stop, Breathe, and Think. You may also consider socially distanced or online yoga classes. If you prefer more personalized attention and private sessions with a licensed professional you should also ask your primary care physician to refer you to a therapist. I was able to find a therapist with plenty of experience who takes my health insurance which made things very affordable and who works in the evenings so that I can have the sessions without needing to take additional time off from work. You may be able to do the same. With the pandemic, many therapists have even held sessions via platforms like zoom and Doximity to increase access.

2. Exercise and Vitamin D. Sitting inside and constantly listening to the news or burying ourselves in work may increase our anxiety. One way to decrease these feelings of uneasiness is to spend some time outdoors. Simply going outside or being around sunshine can increase our mood and improve our current outlook on life. If you’re working from home, you may try setting up a home office or workstation near a window to allow for more natural lighting or sit a in chair on your back porch or balcony for a change in scenery. I even go to my neighborhood park to read books and listen to music. I’ve also spend a few hours on the weekends walking around the city to clear my mind or listening to podcasts to help me learn new things. Either way, being outdoors and getting a bit more Vitamin D has been helpful.

Along with going outside for more sunshine, you can get even more benefits by exercising. The endorphins we get from exercise can improve our mood and mental health even more than we realize. Although it may be challenging to wear a mask at a gym or find a socially distanced workout class, there are other options to consider. You can try taking a walk around your neighborhood in the early mornings, evenings, or on your lunch break. You can also try completing an at-home workout in your garage, downloading fitness apps on your phone, or looking on YouTube for various ways to maintain your fitness in non-traditional settings. The options are endless.

3. Virtual Happy Hours and Game Nights. One the things I’ve missed most during the pandemic is social interactions with my friends. Before the coronavirus hit, I’d hand out with my co-workers at local eateries and meet with friends on the weekends for various activities and entertainment. Although I miss going to concerts, sporting events, and gatherings at my friends’ homes, there are other ways we can get some social interaction in a safe socially-distanced way. One option is to host a “virtual happy hour.” You can invite all your friends on zoom and have some girl chat or talk about the latest basketball games while drinking homemade cocktails. One of my friends mentioned that his job gave all the employees a voucher for 3 different bottles of wine and various cheeses then had them all join on zoom for a virtual wine tasting. One of the physician conferences I attended last month mailed us all “welcome packets” and supplies to participate in a zoom game night so we could all connect online in an interactive way. If you’re extroverted like me or simply miss some social interaction of before, don’t hesitate to get creative.  

4. Netflix (Hulu, Amazon Prime, YouTubeTv) and Chill. Not surprisingly, many people have been watching television and streaming more shows and movies than they ever have before. Doing so may help people escape their current realities and this break from our current lives can serve as the perfect reprieve. Although being productive during the pandemic can have its benefits, we should not underestimate the effect scheduled breaks and short get-a-ways can have on our mental health. Stepping away from our work to relax or do something we enjoy can give us the space our brains need to recharge and become even more productive when we resume work. Since many of us can’t safely connect with all of our friends and family in person, one option is to share our streaming experiences. My brothers and I schedule a zoom call each month with our friends to discuss the latest Netflix series or movies we’ve watched. This gives us a chance to see other virtually and share our opinions on everything from sports to movies and current events in our city in a safe and fun way.

My point? The coronavirus pandemic has changed our lives in such drastic ways that many of us may have increased stress and anxiety. One way to combat this is to find ways to de-stress and pursue safe ways to interact with others. Whether it’s getting more sunshine, going for walks outside, hosting virtual game nights, or doing zoom therapy sessions, we all may have to look outside-the-norm to find ways to lower stress and increase happiness. Tell me, what are things that have helped you?