Wellness Maintaining
Wellness is commonly defined as being composed of four dimensions: physical, social, mental, and emotional.
The action of practicing wellness means that you are able to prioritize your personal well-being and practice strategies to maintain wellness in all four categories.
Most people find that it is easier to maintain wellness in some dimensions than others. This webpage is designed to help you explore a few basic but effective strategies you can use to improve your wellness in each area.
Physical Wellness
Physical activity is an important part of staying healthy, both physically and mentally. It helps lower the risk of coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high cholesterol, and metabolic syndrome. Studies have also provided strong evidence that it helps prevent weight gain, reduces depression, and contributes to improved cardiorespiratory fitness and muscular strength. Engaging in physical activity is an excel-lent way to help relieve symptoms of stress and anxiety associated with the intensity of medical school curriculum.
Adults should generally aim for at least 2.5 hours, or 150 minutes, of physical activity each week which should include both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities. It is important to remember that physical activity comes in all forms and the key to sustaining engagement, is choosing an enjoyable activity that matches your ability. A good way to incorporate it into a regular routine, is to plan out a weekly schedule of activity.
Tips for Practicing Wellness
Small time frames are okay. It may not always be possible to dedicate a large amount of time to exercise every day. Instead, focus on doing at least 10 to 15 minutes of activity at a time.
Find support. Partner with a friend or family member to help motivate one another and provide each other with accountability.
Mix it up. Choose to swim one day, go for a jog, attend a yoga or Zumba class, or lift weights so that you change up your daily routine.
Be prepared. Keep a pair of walking shoes in your car, bag, or locker to take ad-vantage of any time you can for a quick walk or run.
Workout during TV time. If you’re taking a break to catch up on a movie or TV show, try doing so as you jog on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike.
Look for on-campus opportunities. The CNU community has a large variety of on-campus activities that can help student integrate physical activity into their week like walking meetups, fitness centers, and sport interest groups.
Go Outside. Physical activity doesn’t have to be restricted indoors and can be found in a variety of venues, such as local or national parks.
Do Your Chores. Many people forget that cleaning the house, washing the car, or even mowing the lawn all contribute to the minimum 150 minutes of activity each week.
Mental Wellness
Maintaining mental wellness will allow you to accomplish your goals in medical school while also maintaining strong mental health. Depression, burnout, anxiety, and stress are all common ailments among medical students, but many of the strategies that are used to maintain wellness can also be used to sooth those stressed, depressed, or anxious feelings.
Allow yourself the opportunity to check in with yourself on how you are feeling. If you are feeling stressed, anxious, or feeling down, spend a little time each day on yourself and your wellbeing by spending time doing what you enjoy.
Tips for Practicing Mental Wellness
Maintain balance. While medical school may be an important part of your life, study-ing should not take up all of your free time. Remember to integrate time in your schedule for yourself to relax and unwind.
Use your support systems. Reach out to your friends and family as often as possible – they will provide you with a strong moral support system for your medical school journey.
Make friends outside of your medical school. While it is important to establish good relationships with your classmates, it is also important to keep friendships outside of your world of medicine to help you relax and shift your perspective.
Ask for help. Never be afraid to ask for help. You are not alone on your journey through medical school and are certainly not the only one who may be experiencing men-tal health concerns.
Take an active role in your learning experience. eek experiences outside of your medical school curriculum for personal enrichment. If you’re interested in a specific ca-reer path, seek a research/volunteer opportunity to engage your passion and supplement your educational experience.
Social Wellness
Maintaining social wellness means building genuine, healthy relationships with class-mates, professors, and other colleagues. Social wellness allows yourself the ability and opportunity to connect with the people around you and feel that you are a part of the community. In addition, social wellness will allow you to identify social boundaries for yourself that will encourage communication, trust and conflict management within the relationships you build.
Tips for Practicing Social Wellness
Reflect on yourself and your needs. While there is an abundance of resources at the College of Medicine, you also have supportive family and friends that may not live nearby. Allocate time during your week to reach out to those people and maintain your relationships with them as well.
Keep in touch. Reach out to your friends and family as often as possible – they will provide you with a strong moral support system for your medical school journey.
Practice self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is the practice of being honest with yourself. Do not deny your gut instinct.
Practice active listening. When we are developing engaged in with other people, it is important that we prevent our minds from wandering during conversations.
Emotional Wellness
Maintaining social wellness means building genuine, healthy relationships with class-mates, professors, and other colleagues. Social wellness allows yourself the ability and opportunity to connect with the people around you and feel that you are a part of the community. In addition, social wellness will allow you to identify social boundaries for yourself that will encourage communication, trust and conflict management within the relationships you build.
Tips for Practicing Emotioanl Wellness
Reflect on yourself and your needs. While there is an abundance of resources at the College of Medicine, you also have supportive family and friends that may not live nearby. Allocate time during your week to reach out to those people and maintain your relationships with them as well.
Keep in touch. Reach out to your friends and family as often as possible – they will provide you with a strong moral support system for your medical school journey.
Practice self-disclosure. Self-disclosure is the practice of being honest with yourself. Do not deny your gut instinct.
Practice active listening. When we are developing engaged in with other people, it is important that we prevent our minds from wandering during conversations.
