Bite-sized wellbeing strategies during ISP

Week 5

As a medical student, it can feel like you are always learning something new. This can feel exciting and enriching, and it can feel exhausting. One way to break up the monotony of only learning in school is to invest in your growth outside of school - even if it is something small.

Exposing yourself to something new has many benefits, from helping us connect to others to increasing our confidence or increasing our learning capacity. Read on for some suggestions to help you learn something new this week.

Create a Nighttime Routine

Are you crawling into bed, exhausted, yet scrolling for hours past your bedtime? This behavior is dubbed "revenge bedtime procrastination." Often, our days are so full that we push back to sleep to feel control over our time. Try one of the strategies below:

Turn off electronics to limit blue light exposure.
Drown out unwanted noise with earplugs, a sound machine, or an app that plays white noise.
Establish your bed as a place for sleep only.

Get the full tips here.

Try a New Recipe

Have you tried Swetha Tummala's Chole? Swetha, 3rd-year medical student, shares this recipe that only takes 30 minutes. Chole is protein-packed, affordable, and easy!

Try out Swetha’s recipe here.

Start a new Art Habit

Art can be therapeutic and it can be anything – cooking, painting, weaving, drawing, music, etc. If you're starting a new art habit, remember to focus on the making, not the product, and to let go of expectations.

Tap into your creativity and learn about the Creative Arts Society.

Try the Stairs

Stair climbing has a lot of benefits including improved cognitive performance and feeling more energized (Stenling, Moylan, Fulton, & Machado, 2019).

This week, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator whenever you can.

If you're looking for motivation, Hike to Hiebert on Thursdays with Tiffany (tswong@bu.edu), SAO Wellbeing Coordinator, at noon.

All levels of experience are welcome. Wear comfortable clothing and running shoes.

Last Chance to Win $25 Grubhub Gift Card

Did you try any of the activities from the ISP Wellness Challenge? If so, fill out the 2-minute survey below for a chance to win a $25 Grubhub gift card! This is the last week to complete the survey for a chance to win.

Complete the 2-minute survey

Additional Resources

Order a Sleep Kit: Get some bedtime tea, sleep mask, ear plugs, and other tools for improving your sleep hygiene.
Sargent Choice Nutrition Center: SCNC promotes healthy eating in various ways, including nutrition counseling, group seminars, and online recipes. After completing a workshops, BU students receive one free individual nutrition session with one of their expert nutritionists.
5 Tips for Healthy Eating in Medical School
Ted Talk: Learn something new by watching one of the 42,000 TED Talks, many of which are less than 6 minutes.
Student Activities : SAO supports more than 80 student organizations covering a variety of interest areas. Find one today.