Hi I’m Hazel Mason. I’m a second year medical student and for my SSC project this semester, my group has decided to write blogs reflecting on our experiences as medical students at Edinburgh University. We are covering several different topics and this blog is about wellbeing.
A question that I was asked in my university interviews was, what will you do outside of medicine? I replied by listing my hobbies and explaining that I would be looking forward to going the associated university clubs, but like many things in life this didn’t quite go to plan. My days became filled with lectures, meeting new people, partying and drinking. It wasn’t until I was in a first year wellbeing tutorial when it dawned on me that I had stopped setting time aside for myself to enjoy my hobbies or to have some time away from other people.
New hobbies
My second year at university has been far from normal. With my social life being restricted I have once again been reminded of the importance of having activities outside of medicine. It’s not very often that we can visually see the product of our hard work. We revise for hours on end and all we have to represent it in the end is a percentage. There is something special about creating an object you can hold. I’ve recently started learning how to sew, while I’m sewing I don’t have any extra space to worry about upcoming deadlines or information I didn’t understand in lectures. Spending a couple of hours on the weekend by myself with nothing else to do but create something gives my brain a break.
Fresh air and headspace
Since being at home I’ve also been able to enjoy living in the countryside by spending time walking my dogs and horse riding. With our busy lives it can be easy to fall into a routine of spending all of our time inside and I know I’m guilty of sometimes letting life revolve around my desk. Spending time outside allows me to rationalise problems which are all I can focus on while stuck inside. While I was living in Edinburgh, I didn’t’ have the space to bring my sewing machine to my flat, so instead I began to go on walks with an old film camera. I really enjoyed setting aside time to slowly wander to different spots in Edinburgh. I also really enjoyed making dinner in the evening. Making dinner with flatmates is great fun but it was nice to be able to set aside an hour to focus on making a meal just for myself.
Relaxing is a key skill
How we look after our wellbeing is different for everyone. The most important skill I have learnt since starting university is finding a wide variety of hobbies and interests that I can use to relax. Looking after your wellbeing doesn’t have to be having a bath or doing some yoga (although I do really enjoy these as well), finding what helps you relax is vital for enjoying your time at university. It took me almost two years to understand the reason why I was asked what hobbies I enjoy outside of medicine. Finding a technique for relaxing that works for you will be one of the most important skills you can learn as a medical student and as a future doctor.
