These past few weeks have been a doozy. It's a difficult, busy (albeit exciting) time in my life and I'm trying to prioritize everything to the best of my abilities. Unfortunately, blogging is a hobby in my life, and I don't have much hobby time left in my schedule right now- no time to tweet, read blogs, watch TV, etc. I have a big test coming up in 2 weeks, residency applications due in 3 weeks, a paper to write, and a wedding to plan. Big changes are coming in the next year, and it's time to put my money where my mouth is---that MD degree is coming fast! A few things I'm keeping an eye on as I get lost in the throes of 4th year--
1. Healthy eating: stress does strange things to my appetite. Sometimes I have no appetite, whereas other times I'm craving salt and will knock anyone down to get a hold of some crackers or cheese. I've been setting my meal schedule on auto pilot (although I hate not having an appetite, I know I need to eat small meals throughout the day, and healthier options will keep my energy levels up!)- breakfast I grab a protein bar and some almonds, lunch is a salad w/ hard-boiled egg and a side of greek yogurt, apple and kashi bar for snack, and some lean meat and vegetable for dinner. Sounds boring, but it gets me through the day.
2. Sleep: It's very easy for stress to mess with sleep patterns. When I'm stressed, by nature I have a hard time falling asleep. Being on a rotation helps, as I have a set wake-up time, and a set bed time which I strictly adhere to. Bed time means lights off, no TV, computer off, etc. When I have a lot of ideas in my head keeping me from sleep I'll write them down to get them off my chest, which helps to calm my brain.
3. Exercise: Some days, exercise seems like it won't fit into my schedule. I've been trying to do at least 20 minutes most days a week, with a few runs sprinkled in. Hopefully after the test is over I'll have a little more time to contribute to half marathon training! For now, lots of Jillian Michaels circuits are tiding me over.
4. Personal Life: This is the hardest thing to nurture when I'm stressed. The past 2 weekends have been stuffed with travel, which leaves me less time to study then I'd like--so hanging out with friends and spending time with my husband sometimes fall by the wayside. I try to step back and look at things from a different perspective, and tap into this support system when I can. I call my mom often to check in, and spend a little designated hubby time every night. Most of my friends are going through the same thing as I am so they can relate, to everyone else- I love you :). One day (soon!) I'll be looking back on this time and laughing... right? ''
And in case this post was too stressful... .here's a pic from my friend Megan's baby shower I went to this weekend---how cute is her belly? ;)
