Luke H.

Photo provided by Luke H.

If you’re reading this, be proactive in how you plan to prioritize your mental health.

My name is Luke Holen, and I’m a first-year medical student at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago. Mental health is something that has always been very important to me, and it has been a journey learning how to prioritize it over the years amidst life, stressors, and the demands of pursuing a career in medicine.

Although prioritizing my mental health has looked different for me over the years, I want to use this space to talk about how I’ve approached handling the first year of medical school. The summer before M1, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I was going to handle the workload and stress of medical school, and I decided to make a very conscious effort to take care of myself amidst this challenge. I wanted to be proactive and make a plan so that I wouldn’t find myself struggling in the middle of the semester, so I tried to outline things I was going to do in advance.

In order to thrive, I knew that I needed a strong community of friends around me, time to slow down, reflect, pray, and let my mind be at ease, and lastly, a physical outlet to stay active and move.

For this reason, I made a huge effort to be social during the first month of school and decided to live with roommates in my class so that I could start building friendships early. I knew I would need them later. I also made a point of studying with other people instead of by myself and going in person every day to be around my classmates. Even though this wasn’t necessarily the most productive approach all the time, I knew it was important for my sanity.

I also got plugged into a faith community in my class and made a point of prioritizing this aspect of who I am, even during the most challenging weeks. I think it’s important not to let pieces of your identity like this go during really hard times because they are what will sustain you in the long run.

Lastly, I was really lucky to have the medical school fitness center at my disposal, and I decided to take advantage of it. I had never been very into weightlifting or consistent training, but I decided to take a stab at it for the first time this year. I just felt like I was going to need to move after a long day of studying and sitting in a chair. From the first week of school, I tried to go to the fitness center at the end of every day, and without fail, I went to the sauna every single time. The sauna always got me through and was the reward I needed to build this habit. Exercising and taking quiet time every day in the sauna has been so good for me and for my mental health this year, and I could not recommend it enough. 

This might seem like a lot for a plan, but for me, it was really as simple as staying connected, taking time to slow down, and moving. As I look back on the year, planning and staying committed to these simple adjustments have made a world of difference. It’s kind of ironic that during the most academically challenging year of my life, I have been the happiest, most at peace, and relatively free from anxiety, and I am really grateful that this has been the case. 

To whoever is reading this, especially those who are about to start medical school or enter another challenging season, I would really encourage you to be proactive in how you plan to prioritize your mental health. It’s easy to let things go once you’re in the throes of exams and long days and nights, but if you make a commitment to yourself beforehand and find a way to build habits, what you thought was going to be the most challenging part of your life might turn out to be the best.

Sincerely,

Luke H., First Year Medical Student

Several studies have revealed that medical students, physicians, and healthcare professionals experience mental health symptoms at rates significantly higher than the general population. Stethos[Cope] is a chapter of IfYoureReadingThis designed to help medical students and professionals cope with the unique stressors of medical training and change the narrative of mental health in medicine.

To read more letters and interviews from students, and to learn more about mental health in the medical community, visit the Stethos[Cope] home page.