Healthy Habits, Healthy Life

During my M1 year, I received an interesting observation from a friend at the gym. As we were warming up for our workout that day, Becca asked me how school was going. “It’s going great,” I answered. “But I feel like there’s always more to study ... always more to work on ... always more to get involved in.” I remember her response clearly, “You know, that’s in all aspects of life. There will always be more you can do.”

Establishing healthy habits early in my M1 year has proven crucial for my success. I set an expectation to exercise three to five times a week, eat many well-balanced meals to fuel my brain and keep my spiritual health a daily priority. I realized that to do this, I’d have to stay up later some nights to pack a change of clothes and a well-prepared meal for lunch the next day or sacrifice some sleep to carve out extra quiet time. Everyone has different pieces to their physical, mental and spiritual health puzzle, but those three have worked for me.

As medical students, we are constantly thinking about our futures. But seldom do we think about habits to practice in school that will serve us well in our future roles as physicians; in fact, our dedication to school can become toxic if we let it! For a student who understands that boundaries and priorities must work together, school can be a successful, enjoyable experience.

Lauren Storm, MS2, enjoying a day of work and learning in the research lab.

During a busy week of classes or a study-filled test block, my strategic and intentional, “Yes’s” and “No’s” serve as boundaries for me. Otherwise, I find myself completely exhausted and run down, even if my day or week was filled with great “Yes’s.” And while I love research and learning, sometimes going to the gym for an hour or spending extra time with my husband is more beneficial to me than adding an extra hour of studying or getting involved with another research project.

There’s no perfect formula for every person, and truly, a formula that works for me one week may not work the next week. But my foundation of healthy habits allows me to adapt to whatever each new day, week or month may bring. In other words, balancing life with work will change depending on your stage of training, but the foundation that you set will remain the same. Establishing healthy habits early will allow you to adjust during demanding periods of work and training without forfeiting life outside of it. After all, I can be the best version of myself thanks to those ‘outside’ things.

Lauren Storm, MS2, with husband, Mitch Storm, and dog, Rush, enjoying a day at a crawfish boil in New Orleans.

I will be forever grateful for Becca’s observation in the gym that day — she had no idea that her words would help me navigate the ups and downs of medical school. The things that make me, me, open the door for success throughout medical school, and will allow me to be the best physician I can be, for the sake of every one of my future patients.