Tips to Have a Successful Summer

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summer icecream

Summer is a time of warmth, joy, and adventure. Whether you’re planning a beach vacation or just enjoying some time off from work or school, there are plenty of ways to make the most of this sunny season. But what’s the secret to a truly successful summer? Here are a few tips to help you have the best summer ever.

  1. Prioritize your health and well-being
    Summer is a time when many of us let loose and indulge in all sorts of unhealthy habits, like drinking too much alcohol, eating junk food, and neglecting our exercise routines. But if you want to feel your best and make the most of this season, it’s important to prioritize your health and well-being. That means taking care of yourself by eating nutritious foods, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of exercise. You don’t have to give up all the fun of summer, but balance is key. Make sure you’re also getting enough rest and relaxation to recharge your batteries.
  2. Embrace new experiences
    Summer is the perfect time to try new things and embrace new experiences. Whether you’re exploring a new city, trying a new activity, or simply trying a new type of food, stepping out of your comfort zone can help you grow and learn. Don’t be afraid to say “yes” to new opportunities and adventures. You never know what you might discover or who you might meet.
  3. Connect with others
    Summer is a social season, and connecting with others is a key part of making the most of it. Whether you’re spending time with family and friends, meeting new people, or attending events and gatherings, building meaningful connections with others can bring joy and fulfillment to your summer. Make an effort to be present and engaged in your interactions with others. Put away your phone and focus on the people around you. Listen actively and be open to different perspectives and ideas.
  4. Practice gratitude
    Gratitude is an important habit to cultivate all year round, but it’s especially important in the summer. With so much beauty and abundance around us, it’s easy to take things for granted. But by practicing gratitude, we can cultivate a sense of appreciation and joy that can enhance our summer experience. Take time each day to reflect on the things you’re grateful for, whether it’s the warmth of the sun on your skin, the beauty of a sunset, or the kindness of a friend. By focusing on the good in our lives, we can create a positive mindset that can carry us through the summer and beyond.

Ready to stay motivated this summer?

Stay on track while you enjoy the beautiful weather! Give our question banks a try- FREE- using our Free Trial! Or if you’re ready to take the plunge, check out our Question Banks and find the perfect fit for you! Or, contact us with any questions you have so we can get you on the right path today!

How to avoid maladaptive coping with Stress

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stress isolation

Stress can lower our threshold for coping with daily inconveniences, and this can compound when we have bigger stressors we’re dealing with. There are times when you may feel overwhelmed with life. Being around people, sounds, and stimulation might tip you over the edge and you just want to curl up in the dark by yourself. It’s essential to maintain a healthy balance between spending time alone and socializing, especially when we’re stressed.

When we’re stressed, our instinct might be to retreat into solitude, which can be helpful in some cases. However, it’s crucial to pay attention to not isolate oneself entirely. Socialization can have a positive impact on our mental and physical health and help us manage stress. Further, prolonged isolation may deter our ability to adequately cope with our stressors.

Spending time with friends, family, and loved ones can provide emotional support and help us cope with difficult situations. Being around people we trust and who care about us can reduce feelings of loneliness and anxiety. It can also boost our mood and increase our sense of happiness and well-being. Not only is it protective to our mental well-being, it can even influence our physical wellbeing!

However, it’s also essential to make time for solitude. Time alone can be valuable for self-reflection and personal growth. It allows us to recharge and can help us manage stress by giving us time to process our thoughts and feelings.
The key to maintaining a healthy balance between time alone and socializing is to pay attention to our needs and preferences. It’s okay to say no to social events if we need some alone time, but it’s also important to make an effort to connect with others regularly.

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How To Build Good Habits

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green vegetables indicating good eating habits

Developing good habits and implementing them into your daily routine is crucial for achieving success in all areas of your life. Habits are the small, repeated actions that we take each day that ultimately shape who we are and what we accomplish.
Good habits are essential because they help us make progress towards our goals, improve our health and well-being, and increase our overall productivity. By developing good habits, we can create a framework for success that allows us to achieve our desired outcomes consistently.

Forming habits

How to go about forming habits is the most difficult part. In order to start making positive changes and pushing yourself to create these small, repeated action, you must first identify what areas of your life you want improvement in. This requires some honest self-reflection. After you’ve identified your areas to work on, it helps to create a step-by-step plan for executing the changes.

For example, if you want to improve your health and fitness, establishing a habit of regular exercise and healthy eating is crucial. If you want to advance in your career, developing a habit of continuous learning and taking action towards your goals is necessary. If you want to improve your relationships, cultivating habits of active listening, showing appreciation, and communicating effectively can make all the difference.

Consequences of good habits

Implementing good habits into your daily routine requires commitment, consistency, and a bit of effort. However, the benefits of developing good habits are well worth the investment. By creating a routine that includes good habits, you can increase your productivity, reduce stress, and improve your overall quality of life. Moreover, the benefits of good habits extend beyond just achieving your desired outcomes. Developing good habits can also help you develop self-discipline, build self-confidence, and increase your sense of control over your life. By establishing good habits, you can create a solid foundation for long-term success and happiness.

In conclusion, developing good habits and implementing them into your daily routine is essential for achieving success in all areas of your life. Good habits are the building blocks of success, and they can help you create the life you desire. By committing to developing good habits, you can create a framework for success that will support you throughout your journey.

Ready to learn more?

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How to Retain Clients as a Therapist

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Client and therapist meeting

In the field of psychiatry, talk therapy -or psychotherapy- is one of the hallmark services you can offer clients. Psychotherapy is an effective means of addressing various issues via multiple therapeutic modalities that can reap benefits (typically) without the use of pharmaceuticals. Finding the right “fit” between a client and therapist is a huge hurdle that many people find intimidating. Instead of taking the time to find the right person to work with, clients may either settle for the first therapist they try OR sign off on talk therapy as a bad experience. And while it CAN happen, the odds of the first therapist being the one they want to stick with is pretty small.

But talk therapy isn’t a one-way street. It’s a reciprocal relationship between you, the provider, and the client. We’re here to talk about how you can increase the odds of being the right “fit” for your clients in the event they’re one of those people that picked your name out of a hat and didn’t take the time to research your therapeutic approach, philosophy, or personality.

The Process of Choosing a Therapist, According to Google

Money

How do people decide on a therapist? A quick google search reveals 3 main avenues. Firstly, people are told to consider their finances. They’re told to choose a therapist depending on whether or not that provider accepts specific health insurance options, what billing looks like, figuring out a budget, etc. And at the end of the list of questions is “What is the therapist’s philosophy to wellness?” or “What issues are you looking to address in therapy?” While financial aspects are certainly important for the client to know, it may increase their perception of a provider if those questions centric to their wellbeing- the questions typically last on the list of “questions you should ask your therapist”- are addressed up front.

People have an innate need to be seen, heard, and treated like a valuable member of society. By all means, answer their questions about billing, copays, and insurance needs, but also take a second and follow up with addressing why THEY want to be there or what they expect from you.

Word of Mouth

Another common tool being cited on how to choose a therapist is word of mouth. Multiple sources directly state to ask relatives and friends who they see and call for an introduction. This works well for the provider, granted they have clients out in circulation willing to disclose their name to others. But this isn’t necessarily the best option for the client since choosing your therapist is a highly personal experience.

If you find yourself with multiple clients that are coming to you because they were referred to you by a personal acquaintance, first off GREAT!

Second off, again, follow this up with connecting with the client more intimately. Yes, their relative/friend/coworker has a productive and beneficial relationship with you. But make sure THIS person knows that each person has different needs and you are concerned with making sure you can be a benefit for THEM.

Credentials and Online Access

Lastly, if someone is looking through Google on advice on how to pick their therapist they will also see to check credentials and look for online access (because telehealth tends to have lower copay rates). Be sure your credentials, licensure, and specialties are easily visible on your website if you have one (or databases you may be listed on). If you don’t have this information listed online, offer it when approached by a client. Transparency and openness can give the client peace of mind that you are a trustworthy provider that may increase the odds of retention. And if you don’t have a website, consider making one as this increases your searchability and access to larger client bases.

Becoming a trusted provider for a client is a weighty responsibility, and retaining that trust takes time and intention. Sometimes the match isn’t good despite the effort you make for it, and that’s OK. You’re still doing the best you can and that’s all anyone can ask for. And if you’re feeling chatty, spread some word of mouth by telling your friends or coworkers about My Psych Board so we can help you all become the successful providers we know you can be 🙂 Contact us with any questions you have today!

How to Navigate Daylight Savings This Year

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Daylight on a green leaf
You need water and sunlight…you’re kind of like a houseplant with more complicated emotions 😉

In the coming days, most of the continental U.S. will adopt Daylight Savings Time (DST). From March to approximately November, most people will lose a whole hour of sleep by moving the clocks forward one hour. Because of this shift, those individuals will be exposed to less morning sunlight and more evening sunlight.

If you feel like your whole body is dragging for days, or even weeks, following this time change you’re not alone. Losing an hour of sleep may sound insignificant, but as most parents of small children and exhausted students cramming for exams can attest, that precious 60 minutes makes a huge difference.

The disruption of your circadian rhythm can lead to a host of difficulties including increase in depression, slow metabolism, cluster headaches, and weight gain. Further, in the weeks following DST there’s a noted spike in fatal car accidents, strokes, digestive and immune related diseases, and risk of heart attacks. AND…who wants to study when they feel like they can’t stay awake? It can make you feel more awake at night instead of during the day and then your whole schedule is out the window.

Daylight Savings Savers

This transition is difficult, but there are things you can do to help if you know you are particularly effected by the time change.

Maintain your sleep hygiene. If you have a solid sleep routine, be sure to keep on top of it during the time change. If you regularly journal or read before lights out, or whatever the ritual may be, be sure to start that process one hour sooner than normal to trigger the same conditioning.

Get outside in the morning! Depending on your geographical location, this may be easier said than done. However, if you can get out into the morning sunlight for just a little while that can help keep your circadian rhythm intact, or at least less skewed. Too cold where you live? Some people find benefit of using a sunlight lamp!

Try a morning workout routine. This involves the brute force of physical activity to wake up your body and reset your internal clock. Some people find a morning run refreshing, some people would rather crawl in a hole than do that. It’s all about balance 🙂

Do you bounce back from the DST transition, or do you find it difficult to function for a while? We want to help you either way. Let us help you get studying back on rhythm by trying out our Question Banks and find the best option for you! Or Contact us with any questions you have so we can help you set up a plan to help you reset your individual exam prepping clock.

REFERENCE:

https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/daylight-savings-time-your-health#:~:text=%22With%20DST%2C%20between%20March%20and,and%20awake%20in%20the%20evening.

How to Break Bad Habits…For Good!

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neon sign reads bad habits

Every day we go about our day doing dozens of things on autopilot. We do them every day, so we don’t think about it. Most of the time, these are mundane tasks; sometimes, they’re good habits like taking a multivitamin or doing morning yoga; other times, they’re bad habits that over time become detrimental to our well being.

Maybe it’s picking up your smart phone first thing in the morning and scrolling through social media so that you end up running late. Maybe it’s staying up too late under the pretense of “me time” so that you’re not getting enough sleep and end up dragging through the next day. Whatever the habit may be, it’s important to identify these behaviors and put an end to them.

Recognizing Good vs. Bad habits

Habits can be physical, mental, reactive…they can take on almost any form. And as mentioned before, we have dozens if not hundred of habits. They aren’t all bad– a lot of these are necessary because we don’t need to be thinking intentionally about every little thing we do every moment of every day. So if takes deep personal reflection to mull over what habits you may have that are negatively impacting you. A good way to start this is to ask yourself, “Where is there a sense of discontentment in my life, and what are my actions or reactions surrounding that?”

How long does it take to break a bad habit?

Habits don’t form overnight. It takes time to wire your brain into doing the same thing over and over, and just the same it takes time to UN-wire your brain. Depending on the person, it can take anywhere from 18 days to almost a year to break a habit. This of course depends on several factors such as why the habit has persisted, what the habit is representing or reinforcing, and whether or not there’s something that can temporarily replace the habit.

Most habits are intrinsically reinforcing. That is, they make us feel good (hello, dopamine). They make our brain think it’s being rewarded even if the action itself isn’t positive. Maybe this sounds familiar, and it should. This is the foundational framework that addictions are based on! Breaking habits and addictions are difficult, but with a little help and persistence you can stop the cycle yourself.

How to break a bad habit step by step…

Firstly,

You must identify what the habit is. Let’s say every time you sit down to study for your boards, your mind starts drifting to some household tasks you’ve been meaning to do. Then you find yourself ruminating on the fact that you haven’t done any of those tasks in a while and your living space is falling apart. After a few minutes, you’ve convinced yourself that now is the ONLY time to do them and studying can wait.

The next day, you sit down to study and…your mind starts drifting to what you’re making for dinner. Do you have the risotto, or should you run to the grocery store? If you don’t go now, it’ll get too late and– suddenly you’re off on an errand. And so on. This is a mental habit. The association of studying and drifting becomes so strong that after long enough, it will become harder and harder to intentionally sit and complete the initial task (studying).

Next,

You need to set a goal. Use the acronym SMART (see our previous blog here on how to set SMART goals!) so make sure it’s realistic. Tell yourself you will sit and study for 10 minutes without distraction the first day. The next day make it 12 minutes. The next day make it 15 minutes. As you build up time, you’re training your brain to ignore the impulse to drift away while maintaining a reasonable goal for yourself so that you get that dopamine “boost” that the habit previously was providing.

Lastly,

Understand why you want to break the habit. In this example, studying for your boards is a vital step toward furthering your career. That’s a pretty motivating factor!

We want to help you break your bad studying habits! Contact us with any questions you have so we can help you set up a plan to get your habits on track! Want to make a habit to study more? Check out our Question Banks and find the best option for you! You’ve got this, and can definitely achieve whatever you put your mind to!

Syndrome Series: Schizoid vs. Schizotypal Personality

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man in front of mirror representing schizoid personality

What is Schizoid Personality

Schizoid personality is a cluster A personality disorder found in the DSM-V. Individuals with this disorder are not “almost schizophrenic” as the name may imply. Instead, these are unique individuals that show detachment from socials relationship and severe restriction in range of emotional expression. The DSM classifies it as showing at least four of the following: neither desire or enjoyment of close relationships (including being a part of a family), almost always choosing solitary activities, having little if any interest in sexual experiences with other people, experiencing little pleasure from any activities, lacking close friends or confidants, showing indifference to praise or criticism, and showing emotional coldness, detachment or flattened affectivity.

This pattern of behavior usually emerges in early adulthood. To others, these individuals seem to lack a desire of any form of intimacy or social connectedness. It is not a common condition, with a prevalence rate of 3.1- 4.9% in the U.S. population.

Schizoid vs. Schizotypal Personality

Schizotypal personality is also a cluster A personality disorder. Although the names are similar, there are several key distinctions between Schizoid and Schizotypal personality. While they both have few, if any, close friends or confidants and show constricted affect, the root of these similar attributes is different. Schizotypal personality is associated with a lack of capacity and severe discomfort with close relationships; Schizoid personality is associated with a total lack of interest and indifference to others.

Schizotypal individuals show interpersonal deficits as well as cognitive or perceptual distortions. The DSM requires that these individuals also display at least five of the following: ideas of reference, odd beliefs or magical thinking (i.e., belief in telepathy or clairvoyance, bizarre fantasies), bodily illusions or unusual perceptual experiences, odd thinking and speech (i.e., vague, circumstantial, metaphorical), odd or eccentric behavior, and excessive social anxiety associated with paranoid or suspicious ideation.

Similar to Schizoid, this pattern of behavior also emerges in early adulthood. While Schizoid personality appears detached and cold to others, Schizotypal personality appears as eccentric or odd, and as having apparent discomfort with close relationships. The prevalence rate is similar to Schizoid personality at just under 4% of the U.S. population.

First Line Treatments

Treatment options for either of these disorders generally includes psychotherapy as the primary tool. Some pharmaceutical options may be used as well, but there is no current specific medication used for either disorders.

Psychotherapy

  • Family therapy- Schizoid patients may be seen with family members as a means of the family trying to bridge the apparent gap between them. This type of therapy may be helpful in giving the family members tools and knowledge in how to maintain a manageable relationship with the Schizoid individual, although the patient may not respond. Conversely, Schizotypal patients may benefit from family therapy as a means of building trust and improving communication skills, as well as reducing anxiety around social interaction with their family.
  • Group therapy- For a Schizoid patient, group therapy may prove to be beneficial as it offers them an opportunity to practice social skills in a controlled setting with others that are similar to themselves. If they are responsive, it can provide groundwork for learning how to connect on a social level with others.
  • Supportive therapy- Schizotypal patients can respond positively to supportive therapy as it gives them space to learn adaptive skills and gain encouragement.
  • Modified CBT- Both Schizoid and Schizotypal patients can benefit from modified CBT. CBT is used to address erroneous and/or negative thought patterns, restructure ones perceptions, and change the ensuing behaviors. For a Schizoid patient, this may involve examining their beliefs on the utility of relationships as well as their expectations of how to conduct relationships with others. For a Schizotypal patient, this may involve addressing the negative thought patterns leading to their social anxiety and paranoia, and learning more adaptive skills in social settings.

Pharmaceuticals

There are no current, FDA approved medications for either of these personality disorders. However, some medications may be used in combination with psychotherapy to alleviate symptoms to benefit the patient, such as antidepressants or antianxiety medications.

Ready to learn more?

Give our question banks a try- FREE- using our Free Trial! Or if you’re ready to take the plunge, check out our Question Banks and find the perfect fit for you! Or, contact us with any questions you have so we can get you on the right path today!

REFERENCES:

American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787

Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/schizotypal-personality-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353924#:~:text=Treatment%20for%20schizotypal%20personality%20disorder,fit%20for%20their%20personality%20styles.

Cleveland Clinic: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23030-schizoid-personality-disorder

The Myth of New Year’s Resolutions

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Every year when New Years rolls around people get a new spurt of ambition to suddenly make themselves better. They make New Year’s resolutions that they’re going to exercise more, drink more water, study more, get that promotion at work…the list goes on and on. But a few weeks later, the vast majority of those people haven’t made any strides toward those goals, and they seem to have lost their motivation to try. Why? Are New Year’s resolutions destined to fail?

Last Year’s Resolutions

Going into 2022, the top resolutions were focused around becoming healthier. On the coattails of the corona virus, that’s not super surprising. The better question, though, is how long do these resolutions last?

Top U.S. New Year's resolutions for 2022

Not super long. After 1 week, about 25% of people give up. And that number continues to drop as time goes on.

Do resolutions really help?

Not all resolutions are a waste of time. Recent statistics show that after 6 months about 46% of people are still holding on to their resolutions and working towards them. Roughly 16% will make it through the whole next year and/or fulfill their original resolution. Imagine if a higher percentage of people could follow through and achieve their goals!

The issue arises when the goals being made are too vague, too hard, or unsustainable over time. Or the person just gets bored with the whole thing. That’s a recipe for disaster! So how can we help make these resolutions stick?

Make SMART resolutions

The acronym SMART can help! And we all know that you’re a smart cookie, so that should be easy to remember 🙂

S- Specific

M- Measurable

A- Achievable

R- Realistic/Relevant

T- Timely

Your goals should be specific. As seen above, the top resolution was “to exercise more”. This might seem SMART, but it could actually be better. A SMART resolution would be “to complete 300 pushups in 90 days”. This resolution is specific in the type of exercise (so there’s no waffling at the gym), it’s measurable by counting the number of pushups done each time exercising is done, it’s (probably) achievable if done in safe increments, it can be broken into realistic segments (maybe 30 pushups a day!, and it’s timely in that it has a deadline (you can’t put it off indefinitely).

Make your 2023 resolutions SMART!

We want to help you stick to your resolutions! Need help coming up with SMART goals? Contact us with any questions you have so we can get you make a plan to tackle 2023 and make it your year! Want to make a goal to study more? Check out our Question Banks and find the best option for you! You’ve got this, and can definitely achieve whatever resolutions you put your mind to!

How does perfectionism affect your life?

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Are you a self-diagnosed perfectionist? Or maybe you know someone else who says they are. It may seem like people with a proclivity for perfectionism have a higher degree of finesse or accomplishment. This can be intimidating for those of us that don’t identify with this mindset. It can make you feel like your performance or abilities are less-than in comparison. But did you know the data doesn’t really support this idea?

Dart on a bullseye perfectionism

Perfection is Unattainable (And Unassociated with…)

Yep, you read that right. Try as we might, no one is perfect (duh!). This is obvious, and, particularly in the psychiatric field, it becomes a mantra of sorts that we share with clients and patients as a way to soothe their worries. What’s more, perfectionism isn’t actually associated with academic success of accomplishment.

But wait, you say, I know someone who says they’re a perfectionist and they’re so smart! Sure they are. But a study conducted (back in the 90’s!) on academically gifted students versus typical cohort students found that there was no association between self-perceived perfectionism and academic giftedness (Parker, 1996). Another study by the same author looked only at academically talented students and assessed perfectionism within that group and found a normal distribution of non-perfectionistic type (32.8%), healthy perfectionistic type (41.7%), and dysfunctional perfectionistic type (25.5%), further suggesting perfectionism is not highly associated with academic accomplishment (Parker, 1997).

What Perfectionism IS…

Perfectionism can actually hurt the people that feel this way. Perfectionism is strongly associated with negative symptoms of anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive inclinations, and distress. This is due to the impossible task of trying to achieve something we – quite literally- cannot. It also can wreck havoc when taking a standardized test that penalizes for missing answers. Instead of taking a best guess and moving on when encountering a difficult question, a perfectionist tends to sit and agonize because they want to be sure. They want to know their answers are just right.

Does this mean those that live for attention to detail and dotting all the i‘s and crossing the t‘s are doomed? Of course not! Everyone has strengths and weaknesses that contribute to what makes them unique. The important thing to see here is that whether or not you like perfectionism, it does not predict your ability to be a competent physician, psychiatrist, student, or worker.

For the perfectionist and non-perfectionist alike, give our question banks a try- FREE- using our Free Trial! Or if you’re ready to take the plunge, check out our Question Banks and find the perfect 😉 fit for you! Or, contact us with any questions you have.

REF: Parker, W. D., & Mills, C. J. (1996). The incidence of perfectionism in gifted students. Gifted Child Quarterly, 40(4), 194-199.

Parker, W. D. (1997). An empirical typology of perfectionism in academically talented children. American Educational Research Journal, 34(3), 545-562.

Avoiding Burnout at the End of the Year

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We’re almost to the finish line of 2022! This time of year is rife with the possibilities of BURNOUT. Are you starting to feel the creeping feelings of exhaustion, alienation, or reduced performance? Or just feeling like you’re ready to be DONE with this phase? Burnout is common, especially among care providers, but it doesn’t have to take over your Holiday season. We have tips and tricks on how to avoid the end of year burnout so you can finish out strong.

man lying on road with burnout marks

What is burnout and why are we talking about this?

First, what exactly is burnout, and what causes it? This might seem like a silly question. But it’s worth talking about for a second. According to Mayo Clinic, burnout is “…a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity”. In other words, you’ve been doing the same (or similar enough) things for a long time and you’ve reached your capacity to keep doing it at the same performance level.

This is important to talk about because burnout and depression share a lot of similar symptoms. And while you might be experiencing the dragging feeling of typical tiredness, late October through end of February are the months when some folks tend to face the worst symptoms of depression as well. Why? A few reasons are the culprit: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), spurred by the lack of sunshine and being cooped up inside, holidays spent without family or friends (whether due to a death or alienation), or inversely holidays spent WITH family or friends that are not safe to be around can be the top of the list.

Depression and burnout can feel the same, except for a few key differences. Burnout almost always is focused around performance of a task, such as school or a job or even long term care of a loved one. You feel tired, cynical, irritable, emotionally numb, have trouble concentrating or getting going, or gastrointestinal issues. Depression involves all of these, but also low self esteem, hopelessness, and/or suicidal ideation. For your own wellbeing, it’s essential to distinguish between these two things.

If you are experiencing thoughts of harming yourself or others please reach out for help. Call 988 to contact the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline for 24/7 free access to support.

Let’s talk about how to help!

Ok, this is easier said than done (as most things are). You’re experiencing some burnout, whether that is from finals, rotations, school demands, or your current work position. We have some ideas on how to help you get through the next few weeks or months:

  • Get support. This can’t be stressed enough. Grab a cup of coffee with a friend, call your mom/therapist/other trusted person, or commiserate with your cohort. People are social beings and we need to be in community with others to thrive. You will be amazed how much better you’ll feel just by venting for an hour to another person!
  • Journal. A great tool for monitoring your stress and coping levels is by journaling for a few minutes every day. The act of expelling all the negative feelings you have out of yourself is something quick (more or less), easy, and free. It’s also something that can create a sense of autonomy over your stress. Writing things out allows you to evaluate and mull things over in a different way that can lead to more creative solutions or coping!
  • Self-care stress management. Again, easier said than done, but will reap benefits if you implement it. This looks like aerobic exercise, yoga, mindfulness meditation, or a hobby that relaxes you (art, crafting, reading, bubble baths, sitting under a tree…the options are endless!). Carve out the time for YOU and no one else that has nothing to do with any of the things stressing you out.
  • If possible, do something that actively makes your situation better. How? If you’re a student prepping for a board exam or needing help with the school year, give our question banks a try- FREE- using our Free Trial! Or, contact us about our tutoring options!

REF: Depression: What is burnout? Informed Health Online. https://www.informedhealth.org/what-is-burnout.html. Accessed May 13, 2021

Swenson S, Shanafelt T. Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace. Oxford University Press; 2020.