Self Care in Medical School

As medical students, we are taught to prioritise our patients. To treat them with empathy, compassion, and respect. To focus on their wellness, to do no harm.

Less so, are we taught to do this for ourselves.

It isn’t often that we treat ourselves with compassion. Most of the time, we overwork ourselves and feel guilty for taking breaks, ashamed of making mistakes, afraid of not being good enough. But caring for yourself is the only way you can be in a position to care for your patients.

Self care does not mean absence of illness, anxiety or self doubt. It means to take time for yourself outside of your work. This can be having a bath, eating a food you really enjoy, or spending a few hours scrolling through TikTok.

Self care does not need to be productive, it just needs to be time for you to unwind.

You should care for yourself with the absence of guilt. Don’t feel guilty for taking a break to do something meaningless. It doesn’t matter if you didn't finish your goals for today, there is tomorrow. We, like our patients, are not perfect people, and you should be under no illusion that we ever need to be.

As exam season comes up, it’s so easy to push yourself to your breaking point in the name of productivity, to tell yourself that you only need to be going at 100 miles per hours for a few more weeks. Productivity is not working 24/7, instead, take regular breaks for things that you enjoy, rather than overworking and burning yourself out.

It’s easy for medics to feed into the notion that medicine is your life, rather than a part of your life. Medicine is not all that you are or all that you need to be. You can only be the best version of a medic if you are the best and happiest version of yourself. The first stage of this is your own self care.

This past year, for a lot of us, self care and routine has gone out of the window. We’ve been isolated, bored, and worn out. Here are some self care resources that you may find useful:

1. Breathe

Self care doesn't have to be face masks and bubble baths. It can be talking to someone and focusing on your own mental health. Thanks to funding from the British Medical Association, Breathe is offering free counselling to doctors and medical students. You can chat to someone confidentially about whatever you want, whether you’re stressed with work, your family, or if you just need to unwind. Visit breathe-uk.com if you’re interested.

2. Pamper Sets

If face masks and bubble baths are your thing, here are some pamper sets that you can relax with. Taking time for yourself is really important. Switching off from a screen even for 20 minutes to do some self care can be the boost that you need. Take a look:

Radox Detox Bubble Bath - Boots, £1.20

Dove Perfect Pampering Duo - Superdrug, £5.50

Spa Gift Box - Etsy, £13.50

3. Podcasts

If you’re looking to unwind or want something to listen to while you’re working, make it something that you enjoy! Spotify has a wide range of free podcasts to listen to, ranging from true crime, comedy, beauty, sports and more. It’s a really good idea to set aside some time for things that you enjoy and that you’re interested in outside of medicine. Podcasts are a great way to get some you time while you’re on the move. Go to spotify.com to find something that suits you.

4. Take Up a Sport

Sport can help people to unwind, get moving and make friends. You can do some exercise alone, or join a team at the university, whatever level you’re comfortable with. Joining a team can be a great way to meet some new people with a similar interest to you and get your mind off of work. Visit our Healthy Lifestyle page to find out what activiteis the university have to offer.

5. Meditation and Yoga

Meditation can be a really useful way of de-stressing yourself and focusing on your mind and how you’re feeling. It can help you clear your head, especially before bed after a long day. Check out headspace.com to get started if you’re interested.

Yoga is great for those of you in small uni accommodation. It doesn’t need much room and it doesn’t have to be high intensity. Getting up and moving is a good way to break up your day. Here’s a playlist of yoga for beginners that you may find useful:

There are so many other things that you can do as part of your self care, such as talking to a friend, going for a walk, or even going to bed an hour earlier. Self care doesn't have to be one massive change - it can be lots of little steps that mean you focus on your commitment to yourself rather than others. That can be a difficult thing to do, and it can feel overwhelming taking time out of your other commitments to care for yourself.

At times, it may even feel selfish. But, little by little, you may find that setting time aside purely for yourself actually makes you more productive.

As always, if you want to share any of your experiences at medical school with us, email us at welfarehub.nottsmed@gmail.com. If you’re struggling with any other issues, have a look at are website to find some resources that may help you.