Written By: Addison Poole

Howdy. My name is Addison and I am a second year DPT student. I have just completed midterms in my 5th semester and they were not easy. As my classmates and I leave for a much deserved break, I am thinking about how important a healthy balance in life is. Being in the thick of midterms in school sometimes makes it difficult to be a person and not just a student. Often, we get stuck in the mindset that the only thing that matters is getting through school during these days and weeks of our life. It is important to me to actively create a life that I love, and not one that I tolerate and simply try to get through. I have found that some simple strategies and keeping a good perspective help me to have balance in my life throughout PT school that helps me to create a good life and show up as my best self for school. First is a regular practice of meditation. Second is a routine that I love for my mental health that includes daily walks and yoga. The last is a regular bed time and wake up schedule. The last two are simple and wildly effective so I won’t talk about them. My take is that you should not underestimate the power of a good routine.

Something I took to PT school with me is a semi-regular habit of meditation. I began to meditate in college during my senior year. It started as something simple; I sat on the ground and counted my breath. In one, out two, all the way to ten. This took me about a minute. All I was doing was breathing and paying attention to it. I would get distracted and think about something else, but the goal of the practice is to let the thoughts flow by with the breath. Acknowledge them and let them pass by. I didn’t realize that both parts of this practice, the breathing and the paying attention, would change my internal state of being. Since starting this practice, I feel myself meditating in daily life. If a situation comes up that is a little stressful or annoying, I can recognize the feelings and changes inside my body so that they do not affect how I feel/act/react. This is so helpful for school and clinical rotations, as things are constantly happening that could disrupt my mental state and change how I show up. I would encourage all my friends in school to set aside some time to try out the simple meditation I described above and see how it makes you feel. Hopefully, you make it a daily habit!