Regardless of which specialty you choose, intern year is tough – mentally, physically, and emotionally. I’m now seven months into intern year, and to say that it’s been a whirlwind would be an understatement. I’ve navigated four months of inpatient psychiatry, two months of internal medicine, and one month in the emergency department. It’s a been A LOT.
In the midst of taking care of patients, it’s easy to forget about self-care. I definitely was guilty of this during my off-service months. Pre-rounding, rounds, writing notes, placing orders, calling consults, etc. leave little room for proper lunch breaks, regular hydration, or even taking a moment to regroup after the loss of a patient.
Nonetheless, it’s important to remember to take care of yourself. The age-old adage “you can’t pour from an empty vessel” is pertinent to us as medical residents. To best take care of our patients, we must prioritize our own wellness.
Over the past few months, I’ve recognized a few wellness hacks in my routine that have helped me to prioritize my wellness throughout intern year.
1. Don’t go home until you’re ready to stay home
I’ve found that once I get home from work, there’s a low likelihood that I’m going to leave my condo. As a result, I’ve started to plan events, hangouts, dates, and gym sessions immediately after work, without stopping home first. This way, I’m already on the go and more likely to get involved in non-work activities throughout the week.
2. Wear gym clothes under scrubs
One of the biggest intern year wellness hacks I’ve discovered is wearing my gym clothes underneath my scrubs. I typically like to wear a T-shirt under my scrubs regardless as a means of soaking up any sweat that might occur throughout the day. So now, whenever I’m on a rotation that allows me to wear scrubs, be assured that my workout clothes are underneath, to make a quick transition from work to work out!
3. Carry gym clothes with you to work
If you’re not able to wear scrubs to work, there’s still a fitness hack for you! On the days that I can’t wear scrubs, I try my best to bring a bag with gym clothes to work. This eliminates wasted time on the commute from home to the gym, if I were to stop home to change first. It also reduces the chances of me getting plastered to the couch if I make a pitstop home. Another “sub hack,” if you will, is to pack your gym clothes the night before. I’ve found that when I save packing my gym clothes for the morning, I’m more likely to forget to pack them or run out of time in the morning to do so.
4. Walk, run, or bike to and from work
Getting to the gym at all might seem like an insurmountable task. So, if you’re in a place with sidewalks, bike trails, and/or decent weather, consider getting your exercise for the day via your commute. You can walk, run, or bike to and from work every day to get some extra cardio in.
5. Subscribe to a meal prep service
Eating well has been one of the biggest challenges for me throughout intern year. I’ve found comfort foods like homemade brownies and ice cream to be easy dinner alternatives. (Don’t judge me!). Thankfully, HelloFresh has been a lifesaver. About twice a month, I get a box with about six meals. HelloFresh sends proportioned, uncooked ingredients, along with easy to follow recipes. The meals take me about 40 minutes to make, and I love the variety. I don’t get the boxes weekly, because they can be a bit pricey. If you’d like to try HelloFresh for yourself, you can get $40 off your first box via this link. (P.S. I get $20 off my own meals if you use my link to join!).
You can also enter to win a free box of HelloFresh meals, by subscribing to my newsletter here!
6. Have Tupperware on hand at all times
Just because we have jobs now doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take advantage of free food. In medical school, it was very common for me and my peers to have Tupperware in our lockers. We waited for the moment when a surplus of free food was available. Residency and intern year are no different. I’ve proverbially kicked myself many times this year for not having Tupperware with me to take home leftover samosas or pad Thai from the various lunch sessions at the hospital.
7. Schedule hangouts with friends
I’m usually a last-minute planner for everything – hangouts, events, trips, you name it! However, intern year continues to teach me the importance of planning hangouts with friends well in advance. As far as seeing friends goes, given the fact that so many of my friends are also residents, it’s nearly impossible to find a time when we’re all off work simultaneously. So, the more advance planning you do, the more likely you are to find time to hang out with the people you care about. Remember, technology also makes it a lot easier for us to keep in touch with friends in the digital era.
8. Book trips well in advance
As far as trips are concerned, book your travel plans in advance! Whenever you know you’ll have a weekend off or a week of vacation, make sure that you book your travel out early. This hack isn’t so much a money-saving hack as it is a self-preservation trick. If you wait until a free weekend arises to “see what you’ll get into” there’s a good chance that you’ll end up spending much of that time at home doing nothing (my MLK weekend lol). There’s absolutely nothing wrong with some personal recharging time, but just make sure that you book some adventures as well! The earlier you book (and pay for) trips, the less likely you are to bail at the last minute because you’re too tired.
9. Get a therapist
I genuinely think that therapy should be required for all residents, especially during intern year. The transition from medical student to physician is a difficult one. It doesn’t help that the system of residency sometimes feels likes it’s created specifically to stifle our wellness. In the midst of what can be a very challenging year, finding a therapist is a great way to process a very transformational period of our lives.
10. Schedule time for hobbies
Do you remember the last time you set aside a few hours to indulge in a hobby? Whether you enjoy hiking, painting, reading, writing, or dancing, there is always time to prioritize hobbies in residency. You might not be able to go to dance rehearsal every night as you did in medical school. But it is possible for you to spend even one hour a week on something that brings you immense joy. One way to make sure that you have non-work-related FUN during intern year is to schedule it. It might seem counterintuitive to schedule hobbies into your day, but this is a great way to carve out time each week to prioritize something you enjoy.
Bonus: Save time doing dishes with Cascade Platinum
I’ve always hated doing dishes, but about two years ago I discovered the magic of Cascade Platinum dishwasher detergent. I used to be someone who washed dishes by hand or prewashed dishes before putting them in the dishwasher. This took up SO MUCH of my time. But now?! I put my dirty dishes straight into the dishwasher (caked-on, three-day-old pasta sauce and all) to get FLAWLESSLY clean dishes each time. Trust me, you can buy yourself an extra 15 minutes every day by using this amazing detergent!
Intern year has been all that I anticipated it to be. It’s been challenging, yet rewarding. Exhausting, yet motivating. Seemingly impossible, yet definitely achievable. In the midst of intern year, I’m continually working toward finding sustainable wellness hacks to keep me on track. I hope that you are too!
What are some wellness hacks that you’ve developed throughout intern year? Leave a comment down below!
Great tips.