It’s pretty straightforward to get help with your car, and pretty quick to get your hands on study notes. But, you may not give much thought to getting a personal tune up. Whether you’ve mastered circular breathing and meditation or you’ve noticed that you’re falling asleep in lectures you might find some useful information in the Wellness Matters section. Here we start the conversation about maintaining the dimensions of wellness while in medical school. Keep yourself physically, socially, mentally, and spiritually well. Check your Vitals.
“If anything is sacred, the human body is sacred.” – Walt Whitman
When it comes to staying healthy, keeping your body in working order is half the battle. Seems obvious, but being obvious doesn’t make it easy. In the constant tug-o’-war between studies, physical health, and every other thing that’s going on it seems to be the body that loses out first. Set yourself up for success by knowing how to attend to illnesses or injuries and also ensuring you get enough sleep, balanced nutrition, and regular exercise. After all, a physician needs their body like an artist needs their paintbrush.
Referrals for family physicians can be obtained by inquiring with the Learner Equity & Wellness office. Referrals to specialists may also be facilitated through the LEW, so be sure to set up an appointment to discuss how they might be able to help.
Sleep
You may have noticed that your sleep patterns aren’t quite what they used to be. Perhaps this changed right after something stressful, or it may have just gradually digressed. It could be useful to look at what your habits are now.
Physical Fitness
Quitting
Yeah, we’re bringing this up again. We’ll just toss in a few resources in case you were looking for some. If you’ve ever tried to quit smoking, even if that just means breaking the habit of lighting up on weekends or when you’re out with friends, you may find some use in the tools at one of these sites. As usual, you can always check in with the LEW if you’re looking for something different.
Sexual Health
Sexual activity is part of life. If you are sexually active, being informed about your options and supports you can go a long way in keeping you healthy and happy.
Nutrition
One of the cornerstones of physical health is how we feed our body. Nowadays some people must adapt to special diets for things like lactose intolerance, various allergies, metabolic syndromes and gastrointestinal conditions. Additionally, students are often pressed for time and need quick meals that are not too hard on the wallet. To start, you could consider using a resource such as Dietitians of Canada which has really phenomenal tools like Eating & Activity Tracker, Nutrition Tip of the Month, and recipes. Free nutrition counseling and resources are made available to all students registered at the Western University: Nutrition Resource FRESH Initiative
Did you know?
You can call EatRight Ontario to speak to a registered dietitian: 877-510-5102
Things we’re still working on. If you need any of this sooner, come talk to us: