Pursuing a medical-related course is demanding as it pertains comprehensive research and numerous practice sessions. However, students who overemphasize school work and abscond, other areas of life such as games and socializing are likely to be overwhelmed. Self-care is the primary method of balancing students’ life to ensure physical, mental, and emotional well-being (Picton, 2021). Students who take time to care for their physical and mental needs are likely to succeed in their academic endeavors. Self-care is an antidote to stress and helps students remain focused, rejuvenated, and sane, and protect them from burnout. FNP students spend most of their time in class, libraries, and research institutes at the expense of their physical well-being. Consequently, their well-being deteriorates and may collapse due to burnout and frustrations. When the students understand the importance of study-life balance and engage in self-care activities, they are likely to increase their concentration, reduce frustrations, increase happiness, and improve energy. Self-care is essential in a student’s life because it promotes health, prevents diseases, and improves academic performance.
The best practices that promote self-care are classified into physical, emotional and social. Physical activities are designed to make a person physically strong and have the ability to concentrate in class. Physical exercise such as jogging helps a person improve blood circulation to the brain, increasing attention capacity. Further, taking a balanced diet is vital to ensure the body gets the necessary minerals for growth and development. Eating greens increase vitamin K, which is essential for brain development. Emotional activities are paramount to tackling stress and burnout by ensuring every activity is performed at the right time. Failure to complete an assignment within specified time frame may lead to frustrations. Time management is therefore key to improve emotional wellbeing and boost students’ confidence. When a student is overwhelmed by the numerous course work and approaching deadlines, taking a retreat to listen to music helps to relax and energize (Picton, 2021). Attempting assignments in such a state of mind lead to failure. Reading a novel or spending time with friends on a hike is likely to improve the mood and help rejuvenate a person for improved outcomes.
Students are regarded as social beings and find encouragement through socialization. The best practice to improve social interaction is to schedule regular phone calls with family and friends. Talking with relatives helps reduce class stress and offers a platform for encouragement (Wei et al., 2020). A student can improve social care by inviting friends for a game, going on a date, or going for a walk. Such activities help the students unwind from all class-related stress and increase their motivation to perform better in class. Besides reducing stress, social networking is critical for encouragement, motivation, and increasing energy to perform better in class. It is, however, crucial for a person to balance alone time and group time for self-evaluation and asking for help, respectively.
FNP students are prone to multiple stressors in their academic life. Stress and anxiety during their study period may lead to adverse outcomes such as higher burnout levels, deteriorating personal well-being, and poor academic performance. Since the goal of every student is to perform well in their academic endeavors, self-care is paramount to eliminate negative outcomes. Time management is also a crucial practice that helps a student to be at the right place at the right time (Wei et al., 2020). As students learn to manage their time, they are likely to avoid the stress caused by getting to class late. When students maintain physical, emotional, and social well-being, they have higher chances of excelling in their academic performance.
References
Picton, A. (2021). Work-life balance in medical students: Self-care in a culture of self-sacrifice. BMC Medical Education, 21(1), 1–12. Web.
Wei, H., Kifner, H., Dawes, M. E., Wei, T. L., & Boyd, J. M. (2020). Self-care strategies to combat burnout among pediatric critical care nurses and physicians. Critical Care Nurse, 40(2), 44–53. Web.