Hello, everyone! I hope you are doing well and getting prepared for the states to open back up. Before this post, I wanted to say something about current events. Not specifically about what has happened, since I talked about this on social media, but about how to cope. I had to take a day off and reflect. I decided to step away from social media and watch something to distract myself. It's okay to be sad, angry, and/or unproductive. It's okay to be emotional. If you need to do so, step away from social media and the news. Take a day off from studying or working and focus on your mental health. It's okay not to be okay. If you need some mindfulness techniques, check out my past Mindfulness Monday posts.
This week, we have a post from Troy, a medical student at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He is the co-president of a mindfulness student-run organization at UVA. I reached out to him for advice on how to adjust to life after this pandemic. Hope this helps you all to confront post-COVID-19 anxieties.
Soon, many of us will be returning to school or to work, but we won’t be returning to “normal” anytime soon. We will maintain our distancing, and we will pay more attention than ever to the things that became routine. Hand washing, masking… of course we did those before, and we knew why we were. But now, even these simple actions have taken new meaning.
There’s a common teaching in medicine that we have two main systems of thinking. The first is automatic and based on previous experience, while the second is more conscious and controlled. For example, when you’re driving home from the store for the 50th time, you don’t have to think very hard. It’s familiar. But when you’re driving through a new city trying to find the mailbox at your long-lost relative’s house, you have to try much harder. You might turn the radio off or shush your talkative friend. It’s new to you, so you pay close attention – you can’t go into autopilot. It’s often used to describe the difference between seasoned physicians and new trainees, and how we slowly adapt to our environment, switching from conscious to unconscious processing.
We’re now entering a new environment. We are mindful of everything we touch, mindful of the last time we’ve used hand sanitizer. We watch closely to make sure we’re keeping our distance. We consider if it’s worth going out to the store for just that one little thing we need. There’s little we do that’s unconscious anymore. For many of us, this attention is spawned from the anxiety we are feeling. We want to protect ourselves and protect others. But this anxiety also gives you opportunities to check in with yourself. “What am I feeling?” we can ask. “Where is my mind at right now?” We can use it to keep us grounded in the present.
Pre-COVID, my mind never jumped at every opportunity to wander off. Now, it’s paying attention to everything. It’s much harder for me to worry about that silly thing I said last night while I’m focused on counting the seconds I’ve been washing my hands. We will all deal with our anxieties differently, but I believe we can spin some of these anxieties into positive changes. We can stay rooted. We can hear those around us fully. It’s my hope that as we all return to a changed society, that we will also bring with us a stronger sense of intentionality.
Troy Sterling is a third-year medical student at the University of Virginia and a graduate of the University of Louisville. He is a student representative of ATMS, a peer-support organization, and co-president of CALM, a student organization at UVA focused on fostering mindfulness among medical students. Professionally, he hopes to pursue a holistic career in family medicine with an emphasis on the mental well-being of his patients.
Thanks for sharing, Troy! For more mindfulness advice, please see my other Monday posts. Remember, you got this!
Thanks for visiting my blog! Be sure to check out my other posts. There is more to come soon! Until then be kind and remember tomorrow depends on what you do today. Hope you enjoyed reading! — Taylor ❤