Facing the demands of CRNA school can be a challenging journey, often testing the limits of both your mental and emotional resilience. Despite what social media may show, the rigorous coursework, clinical rotations, and the pressure to excel, makes it easy to overlook the importance of mental wellness. Learning to prioritize your mental health is not just beneficial— it’s essential for thriving in this demanding field. Let’s discuss practical strategies to help you manage stress and cultivate a mindset that supports both academic and personal success through CRNA school.

Balance is a Myth: Why Quality Time Matters More Than Balance in CRNA School

The reality of being a full time graduate student is that a large amount of your time and attention will be focused on becoming a CRNA. To split up your time and not get bogged down it’s best to focus on the quality of your time spent over the quantity. The best thing you can do for your mental wellness is to give yourself some structure in how you spend your time. This looks like after a long clinical day or a 10 hour study day you build in breaks that involve connecting with your support system. Whether that means calling a loved one, debriefing with your classmates, hanging out with friends, taking your daughter to the park etc. Focusing on the quality of not only your study habits, but also building intentional time to be with the people who love you can help boost your mood, reframe your challenging days and give you a sounding board when you just need to vent. Giving your brain something to look forward to will shield you from the isolating feeling that CRNA school can bring.

Mental Wellness as a Daily Practice: Building Daily Mental Wellness Habits in CRNA School

Take Care of Your Second Brain

So much of the recent research on nutrition and health has tied our gut health to our mental wellness, even calling our gut the “second brain.” Learning how to fuel your body will not only give you the energy through the long days but also help to make your mind a good place to be. If you don’t have the means to opt for meal prep services, I highly recommend meal planning and/or meal prepping.

Meal prepping has the benefit of not having to cook daily, choosing one or two days a week to create your meals will take the daily stress out of “what am I going to eat?” and also give you certainty that you’ll be eating nutritious food continuously. The other option is simply planning quick healthy and nutritious meals weekly to guide your grocery shopping. You will then know what to anticipate and it will prevent you from buying or eating out. Great recipes can be found here & adjusted to your liking. Focus on whole foods, eating daily fruits and vegetables and taking vitamin supplements as needed (vitamin D & magnesium!).

Body Mechanics in & out of the OR – Staying Healthy as a CRNA Student

Prioritizing daily movement and finding what forms of exercise you enjoy and can do consistently will be to your best benefit. Having a consistent workout schedule will not be likely but prioritizing movement when possible and doing what is feasible for you is the goal. Daily movement can look like either a 15 minute walk outside, weight training, quick run or even daily yoga and meditation you will find will make all the difference in the strength you show in the OR as well. The benefits of walking daily for mental and physical health are well published. The
body mechanics of the OR are often not optimal for trainees or CRNAs, and to prevent any injury in this field, optimizing your posture, strength and physical abilities will help you position patients better, help with masking, and help prevent any injury.

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Sleep is the hidden key integral to success in CRNA school. Giving your brain time to rest, your body time to recuperate and prepare for the next day is going to give you the stamina to make it through each day. Focus on getting 7-9 hours a day minimum. Set hard deadlines like “After clinical, I study for 2 hours, eat dinner & decompress for 1 hour and my goal is to be in bed by 9:30 pm daily.” Those daily habits build success, no matter how you slice it. People always say getting that much sleep is not possible for them, but when you factor your screen time into how many hours a day you use – you’ll begin to evaluate how effectively you are using your waking hours. Restructure your day to make time for rest and in the long run, you’ll be better (& happier) for it.

Why Preventative Mental Health Care Matters in CRNA School

The rigor of CRNA school may just call on you to seek out support that you didn’t previously have, especially if you’re going to school away from family & friends or have previously dealt with depression or anxiety. Although I am not a mental health professional, I do know that there is no shame in seeking out more support in times of your life when you need it. The best way to do this is before things get too heavy to deal with. Depending on your health insurance coverage this is going to look different for everyone. But seeking out a therapist early in your school journey is best recommended and a worthy investment. Having a space to process your thoughts, emotions and to get an unbiased response will be invaluable through these next 3 years. You are a whole person outside of school and caring for yourself in all ways is going to give you the capacity to approach each day with optimism and see this journey to the end.

Conclusion: Creating a Culture of Mental Wellness in CRNA School

Making mental wellness more than just a buzzword involves creating meaningful, actionable steps to integrate it into everyday life and creating a culture of genuine care and understanding. Embedding it into daily routines, prioritizing your mental health early and fostering an environment that is personalized to your mental wellness will lay a strong foundation for your success throughout CRNA school. By treating mental wellness as a vital, practical, and integrated part of your life—not just a trendy term—you can create a life that prioritizes your wellness above all which in turn will give you the platform to be your best self.