Remember in your interview when you were asked, “How do you handle stress?” 

Did you answer honestly, because you’ve already built healthy strategies, or did you give them the answer they wanted to hear? Even if you had them figured out previously CRNA school is its own beast and the tools you used previously may need to be adjusted to fit your lifestyle Well now you’re in the middle of your semester finals, probably feeling the most stress you have in years and trying to recall these strategies so let’s figure them out. 

The Importance of Mental Wellness

Mental wellness and stress management is just as good to be preemptive about as physical wellbeing is. Like we tell our patients (and know ourselves) , maintaining and preventative care is the healthiest way to be able to instill healthy practices. Some of the most highly recommended stress management strategies are just daily practices that I think are good to implement to maintain yourself through this 3-year marathon. Identify the things that often make you the most stressed and try and tackle it that way. Here’s some things you can make a daily, weekly, and monthly practice to be able to optimize your stress management during CRNA school. 

Daily Practices

• Stay Organized: Organization makes all the difference in being able to anticipate quizzes and exams and being able to coordinate your schedules so you can properly anticipate what you need. Often, exam stress is rooted in being ill-prepared, so being able to organize our time better to adequately study makes all the difference. 
• Prioritize Sleep and Nutrition: Sleeping & eating right, I know this seems redundant but the best way to be able to care for your mental and physical wellness is by taking care of it.
  • From Nagelhout himself, “lack of sleep leads to depression (Elisha et al., 2022) I know getting rest in school feels like a myth but allocating time and creating a hard stop for bedtime is necessary in avoiding the stressors of school. You can’t do anything properly if you don’t take care of yourself first and sleep health is mandatory to optimal performance in the classroom and OR. 
  • Meal Prep: Meal prepping has become a favorite practice of those who live a busier life. Whether you decide to outsource and use a meal serve company, meal prep for the week or live off good old Trader Joes favorites. Making sure you have proper nutrients is going to give you the ability to maximize your time and not feel depleted in the long run. 

Weekly Practices

• Plan Personal Time: Try and plan some personal time each week, whether it’s on a Saturday morning walk and coffee, journaling or a weekly movie night with your bestie. Have something that helps you to decompress from the stress of each week so that you can process and continue moving forward. Having something to look forward will also give you the ability to push through those 12-hour study days. 
• Stay Active: Physical activity – the endorphins released during physical activity cannot be discounted. Whether it’s lifting heavy, running club or at home pilates, choose whatever workout best fits you and make sure to move your body to some capacity. The benefits will show in your mood and ability to think more clearly. 

Monthly Practices

• Evaluate Your Strategies: Each month its best to take a look at your stress management practices and figure out what worked and what didn’t. Make sure to celebrate the wins more than you do the losses and figure out how you can improve moving forward. Stressing yourself that you’re not managing your stress adequately is also a spiral you don’t need to go down. 
• Plan Celebrations: Monthly or at the end of each quarter my classmates and I like to plan some sort of celebration. Whether it’s a nice dinner with your loved ones or even a massage, depriving yourself of goodness will not serve you in the end. Afterall, even if feel like a ball of stress most days, you’re still doing it and advancing to the next level. Know that you have the ability to complete this 3-year marathon. 

Conclusion

Balancing the whole of who you are during school is integral to be able to make it through all that school will challenge you with. Stress management is not only a practice for school but a life skill you’ll need once you’re a CRNA as well. Try and hone in on what works best for you, so that as you continue to transition through this career you have the emotional intelligence you need to not just make it through but to thrive.