Tayo F.

Photography by Mackenzie LaRoe

If you’re reading this, the world is bright, shiny, and full of snow.

Snow reminds me of my love for the world because it makes everything look peaceful. Earth sleeps under a plushy, white blanket like a kid waiting out a storm. The world feels less scary when you can picture it as a kid snuggling under the covers. When I see it covered in white flurries, I forget that the world can be so volatile, hostile, demanding—words I would use to describe our most recent sociopolitical events. I’m trying to remember to find that peace and quiet in my everyday life.

Moments that I take just for myself have become rare as I juggle the growing responsibilities of a burgeoning career and adulthood. I’ve been consumed with the preparation and execution of daily hurdles akin to salting the driveway and dressing in layers—thermals, a sweater, insulated pants, a parka, gloves, a hat, a scarf, and thick socks— until I look like a penguin waddling into battle with a shovel. When you create barriers between yourself and the world, it becomes harder to feel. Losing tactile input and emotional clarity hinders my ability to be present. My intuition and emotions feel like nuisances that I must push aside.

Snow, however, cannot be reduced to a nuisance or a necessary evil of living so far above the equator. It forces you to slow down and soften. Snow stops time as you gaze up into the sky and wonder how so many little white snowflakes can fall from above. You feel compelled to go play in the snow, to touch and feel its presence. Just as snow is an inevitable part of winter in Massachusetts, so is rest when building a sustainable life. I plan to make time to find a soft place to sit and rest more often. You, too, should remember to give yourself the grace to slow down and have fun in the snow.

Tayo F., 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.