Medical Professional

Everyone’s job presents them with a bit of stress every now and then. Even those who are working their dream jobs can’t say they’ve never had a stressful day or moment.

The healthcare industry is no different as many medical professionals talk about how stress can impact their daily working lives.

While there are plenty of stress-relieving tasks to do, one of the best ways to reduce stress is by living a healthy and active lifestyle.

That can be a difficult proposition for even the most seasoned medical professionals, let alone the ones fresh out of medical school searching for their ideal job.

So what are the best ways to live a healthy lifestyle while working as a medical professional?

Set Habits Early

One of the most difficult things in the world is to set good habits. It’s not that they’re hard to set, but the fact that it’s so easy to break them is what makes keeping them difficult.

You can go weeks without ordering junk food and feel great but eat a burger once and you feel like you’ve set yourself back a bit.

The earlier you set habits, the harder it will be to break them later on. Set a routine early to keep you on the straight path.

Make your mornings quiet and peaceful. Wake up a bit earlier to have a full breakfast, go for a run, or even just watch one of your favorite TV shows.

Try to go to sleep at the same time every night, putting away screens before going to bed so you can rest easier.

Have a routine after work in order to detox the day. Set a point on your drive home where you switch off work mode and start focusing on your normal life again. Once you develop a routine, all the other items on this list will seem much easier to accomplish.

Pack Healthy Snacks

As a medical professional, you’re going to be on your feet a lot, moving from room to room and up and down stairs.

While it may not seem like exercise, your body is going to crave food in order to keep up with your activity level.

It’s easy to rely on the cafeteria or vending machine for snacks, but why not pack your own instead? Not only can you save some money here and there, but whatever you make is more likely to be healthier than whatever the E5 option is.

Here are some quick and easy snacks:

  • Raisins and nuts
  • Carrot sticks
  • Apple slices
  • Kale chips
  • Dark chocolate and nuts
  • Mixed nuts
  • Hard-boiled eggs

You can always invent your own, there are no real rules when it comes to healthy snacking!

Enjoy Your Days Off

While you thought working a 24-hour shift was impossible, you probably learned that you can do the impossible while in residency.

At the end of those long days, you probably didn’t want to do anything other than crawl into bed and pass out. You wanted to disconnect from the long and tough days. For some, that disconnection comes easier than for others.

The best thing you can do on your day off is to treat it like a day off. Don’t worry about going back to work or what someone said to you or how awful a patient was. Take that time to focus on you or your hobbies. Take your dog for a walk, work on your blog, or finish that Netflix series.

Find Time to Exercise

In your busy life, it may seem almost impossible to find the proper time to head to the gym or go out for a run.

But, it’s still important that you are making your body do work and taking steps to remain fit.

The exercise you do doesn’t always have to be a two-hour weightlifting session or 10-mile run through the park. It can be something as simple as heading to Zumba three times a week or even doing a workout in your living room.

Try to make it a habit as well in order to stick to a routine and make sure that you are staying healthy.