At the final lap
Experiencing brain fog as a final-year medical student is far from easy. One would assume that at this stage and point of building my career, my brain should literally be on fire and be as quick as ever, but that wasn’t the case a few weeks ago, and it still isn’t the case.
Although brain fog is a common condition many people experience at some point in their life, no one really talks about the impact it has, not just on executing tasks or planning things, but on your confidence when things aren’t rightly done as a result.
For me as a final-year student, it’s not easy admitting that my confidence at this stage has been bruised a couple of times academically because of the expectations following the position I have found myself now..A position I’ve worked years for, pushed through challenges to reach, and dreamed about with the people i love. …but it does, and the downside is, the feeling does marinate and it can slowly seep to every other thing you do-if you let it.
Here I am now, the final lap, and slowness and the tint of uncertainty has become the order of the day. It’s not very pleasant, and this article is about steps that I’m currently on that is slowly working for me
- Understand the underlying cause because it’s a subjective feeling, that varies. It can show up in different ways like confusion, forgetfulness, poor concentration, and this can be due to stress, poor sleep, medical issues, or hormonal changes. Brain fog doesn’t mean something is wrong with you but instead something is affecting you. For me, addressing it means reducing mental stress and improving on my capacity to cope
- Even though I sometimes feel guilty for resting, good sleep is essential. I don’t always get the ideal 7-8 hours every night, but I make sure that several times a week I get proper restorative sleep. I’m still working on consistency. It’s important to know your limits and don’t wait to be burnt out before caring more for yourself.
- Less social media. I noticed I was hooked on a toxic pattern of thinking→worry→avoidance by indulging in social media. With time, a new cycle began where there was inconsistent focus, resulting to poor outcomes. The thing about worry is, it never matters in the present, but it presently looks concerning. God’s word states that we shouldn’t worry for tomorrow, that today’s worry is enough for itself. How true that is. I always try to remind myself of that.
- Stick to the plan. Whatever plan that you have set for the day, be intentional about going through with it but allow adjustment when needed. I try to fix times to the things I have set out to do. If it’s studying, I schedule a time for it, or perhaps the amount of time that I want to spend studying. It works. It’s working, and with time, maybe I would have to modify or adjust, but this is just a journey. And as much as I know that a lot awaits me in the nearest future, my concern now is that I am prepared to complete this final lap with confidence.
ELLA SOFTLY 