Healthy body, healthy mind
William Tondre is a final-year PharmD candidate at the University of the Incarnate Word Feik School of Pharmacy and the 2022–2023 APhA–ASP Region 6 Midyear Regional Meeting Coordinator.
Being a student pharmacist is no walk in the park. In fact, it’s far from it. It’s more like running a marathon, but with your brain instead of your legs. While embarking on such a relentless journey, student pharmacists need to remember one thing among all the chaos: to take care of themselves.
This will look different for everyone, but the important thing is that this rejuvenates one’s mind, body, and soul. Personally, I have a broad variety of different hobbies outside of pharmacy school such as working out, drawing, photography, and reading.
Soul at ease
Working out is less of a hobby and more of a ritual for me. Every day I do something that involves me physically moving. This can range from powerlifting to boxing to going for a chill ride on my longboard. The phrase “healthy body, healthy mind” means a lot to me personally.
After a long, stressful day, I have always been able to find solace in pushing myself through a workout or cruising down some mellow hills while playing some dreamlike music. Not only does it make me feel physically good; it also resets my mind for more studying. I find that I can study more effectively after I work out because I feel calmer and at peace.
Drawing and photography allow me to exercise a different part of my brain that is more chaotic and less ordered than the methodical classes of pharmacy school. Naturally, my thought process is anything but linear, which is why I enjoy art. With drawing, I can create whatever image I have in my mind without needing to follow a step-by-step process, and with photography I can compose my images however I feel looks the most aesthetic to me. There is no right or wrong way to create art, and each person has their own style of creativity which can be limited in the school setting.
Expressing my creative side puts my soul at ease because it’s an extension of my thoughts that I can share with others to enjoy.
Relaxing
At one point in my life, I used to disdain reading with every fiber of my being—most likely because my teachers and family forced me to read. Now I find it relaxing and peaceful. On the weekends I enjoy making myself a hot cup of coffee and reading a few pages of a book before I head out for work or before I study.
My love for reading steamed from the desire to expand my lexicon and knowledge in subjects that interest me, such as philosophy, classic literature, and business. My favorite authors include Marcus Aurelius, George Orwell, and Robert Kiyosaki. I believe staying knowledgeable in other fields than my major is a pertinent way to stay a viable candidate for future opportunities in life.
Find that balance
While school may be overwhelming, I do find the time to enjoy myself in between the exams, meetings, work, and classes. The key comes down to planning and proper time management, something that I used to lack a long time ago. But it also involves not overcommitting to activities that will make you feel miserable or forfeit your passions.
Like everything, there is balance. All you need to do is find it.