The science behind mood-boosting cardio

runningEveryone says that the key to reducing stress is balance and exercise. Well, they’re right. Dental school is one of the most stressful, frustrating, and nerve-wracking times in our lives. Without some sort of stress outlet there’s no way we’d make it. For some people, it’s pumping iron at the gym, power cleaning at Crossfit, or zenning out with some vinyasa. For me, it’s lacing up my trusty Saucony’s and hitting the trails or the pavement. I began my on-again-off-again relationship with running in the 7th grade and feel that I owe many of my accomplishments to it.

A healthy body equals a healthy mind

Work it outStress: a word that may be all too familiar in dental school. It can be our worst enemy and sometimes very hard to cope with. With the pressure of exams, competencies, deadlines and the constant game of playing catch-up, feeling stressed is often too well known to a dental student. It is important for us to maintain solid mental health to tackle all of the challenges of dental school and make clear, focused clinical choices. One way to do so is to be active and maintain strong physical health. Exercise can be anything, as long as it gets your blood pumping. Here are a few suggestions…

Planning ahead is planning smart

Twenty four hours just never seems like enough time to accomplish everything on your to do list. But when you think about it, if you are getting 7-9 hours of sleep, there are still about 15 or more hours of your day! Planning ahead and planning smart can help you be more productive while taking care of yourself. One strategy to consider using is blocking your schedule. I like to visualize my days and weeks like what you see on Google Calendar. There are visual “blocks” for each activity.