Now that 2017 is almost at its end, and the new year is waiting for us, it is the time to sit and reflect on what we have done the past year and what we want to do differently the coming year. For most of us, new year’s resolutions are all about losing weight, adopting more healthy eating habits and exercising, the case for medical students is different. Medical students lead a unique life and thus their new year’s resolutions ought to be different from others too. If you haven’t yet decided about what your new year’s resolutions are going to be for the coming year, here are some the medical student New Year’s resolutions. 1. Make a Sleep Schedule One thing that tends to get affected the most when you are in the medical school is your sleep cycle. Early morning lectures and late night study sessions lead to irregular sleeping hours. The cycle leaves you tired and you are unable to concentrate, which is the basic thing you need to do when in medical school. As your new year’s resolution for 2018, you should try to sleep well, and most importantly at normal hours. Your mind and body needs rest. Thus, make a resolution that you will make a sleep schedule and try to stick by it. 2. Preview the Materials before Class We all have made this resolution almost every year, haven’t we? And, almost 99% of us fail to standby it for one reason or the other, laziness being the topmost of them. Previewing material before you attend lectures can actually help you grasp the concepts much more easily. Thus, add this to your new year’s resolutions list and try doing it for as long as you can. 3. Find Time for Self-Care Yes yes, you don’t have time for this. But, it is important. You are a human and you deserve some self-care time like everyone else does. All you got to do is find some time out for yourself and do what you love. It could be anything like catching up with friends or heading to a spa once in a while to relax. This will help you get your mind off work for some time and help you relax. You’ll feel more productive after a break. 4. Do More than Just Studying When you are in medical school, studying takes the most of your time. However, it doesn’t mean you don’t get to do what you love to do. Read if you like reading, cook if you like cooking, play sports and anything you like. Pursue your hobbies, for even as little time as you can. This will help you increase your happiness and prevent the consistent burnout common when you are a medical student. You know it, right? 5. Head Out in the Community This is a continuation of the last recommendation, but it was important to give it some space of its own because of the importance it has. While medical students stay at a place when they are doing their medical studies, not many of them head out and explore the communities they are living in. As medical students, you need to head out in your communities and try to offer help in some non-medical ways as well. You can volunteer at a local church or shelter to help them. Also, you should head out in the community not only to offer help, but also to know more about the place you are living in. Meet the people, eat at the popular restaurants. These are just some of the ways of not only knowing about but also appreciating the nuances of the community and the place you are living in. Source
