Cultivate Wellness
Feeling great means you're doing great things.
10 minutes to complete
How To Integrate Wellness Into Your Daily Life?
You can’t improve without an action plan. We all know that “letting it happen” doesn’t always work out... so this is a foolproof way to start making it happen!
#1
Understand Your Current Situation
Honestly assess your level of well-being in the different areas: intellectual, emotional, social, physical, spiritual, and financial. Then choose one area you wish to improve at a time.
Self-assessments: Wellbeing Assessment, Wheel of Health
Talk to your cohort advisor, a therapist, doctor, or healthcare professional
Example: Kevin feels constantly tired, has trouble focusing during meetings, and relies on caffeinated/sugary drinks to stay awake. In his opinion, there is something wrong with his physical health and he doesn’t feel like he gets enough sleep (only 5-6 hours/night) to feel energized. Kevin decides to focus on improving his sleep schedule.
Choose the Right Strategies for You
The next step is to decide how to achieve your goal. Seek advice but test different strategies until you figure out which one works best for you. You can consider the following factors:
#2
Example: Kevin researches a healthy sleep range for teenagers and finds that he should be aiming for 8-10 hours of sleep each night. A relaxing bedtime routine that includes taking a warm shower and staying away from screens for an hour before bed is part of his strategy to wake up feeling refreshed. In the next week, Kevin plans to stop hanging out with others to wind down for bed at 9 pm then start sleeping from 10 pm to 6 am.
#3
Track Your Progress
Keeping track of your progress is important for staying motivated and accountable. Don't overwork yourself. There's no need to force yourself to achieve a goal of 100% every day. All that matters is moving forward at your own pace and maintaining progress. Some tools you can use:
Schedule all personal, externship, and other activities in your calendar (Google Calendar, My Study Life)
Taking breaks is essential to maintaining your wellness.
Whenever you feel burnt out or overwhelmed, step away from your work and we suggest to do any of the following:
Get a cup of water, tea, or drink of your choice to refresh your senses
Take a guided meditation to calm your mind
*use Youtube, Insight Timer, Calm, or Headspace
Go on a short walk to improve blood flow, reduce tiredness and keep your mind fresh
Talk to someone to refocus your attention elsewhere and improve mental concentration
Browse through our phone
*except during medical externships where you're not allowed to use your phone, even during breaks
Example: Kevin monitors his sleep duration and quality through his phone‘s Health app. Four nights of out the week he‘s able to sleep at least 8 hours. As part of his new routine, he also keeps a journal to reflect on his mood and energy levels which he realizes a clear improvement when he gets at least 8 hours of sleep at night.
Reward Yourself for Your Effort and Progress
Your efforts, accomplishments, and mistakes (if you learn from it, yes!) deserve celebration and recognition. Even small rewards can boost morale, reinforce positive habits, and prevent burnout.
#4
Treat yourself
Celebrate with your friends and family
Have fun
Example: When Kevin sticks to his bedtime routine and gets 8 hours of sleep for two weeks, he treats himself to an extra hour of video game time on the weekend.