Wellness & Practicing Self-Compassion

Being a pre-medical/health student can be difficult and stressful. Here is a page dedicated to helping you prioritize your mental health so you can get the most out of your journey!

mEDITATION

Meditation reduces stress and anxiety and allows you to "develop mental awareness that can help you manage triggers for unwanted impulses." e.g negative self-talk and low self-confidence.

Affirmations

"Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts. When you repeat them often, and believe in them, you can start to make positive changes."

Journaling

Not only does journaling help to reduce stress, but it allows a space to process negative emotions. Journaling can also help you practice gratitude, which increases well-being.

Therapy

"Wondering if therapy is right for you? You’re not alone.

Seeking help from a mental health expert is something many people consider, especially when:

facing a significant crisis
dealing with an extended period of anxiety or depression
wanting to make changes for better mental and emotional health, etc."

Youtube is a great way to find free meditations for your specific needs. However, if you do not know where to start, click below for a free starter playlist of meditations.

Click Here >

You know yourself best; thus, creating affirmations to fit your needs is an excellent first start. However, if you are lost (or lazy, lol), Youtube is a great source to find affirmation videos. Click below for a free starter playlist of affirmations.

Click Here >

As for pre-med prep, journaling provides an excellent way to document your experiences (clinical, volunteer) in preparation for a personal statement!

Lost? Click below for a video explaining different journaling techniques + how to journal.

Click Here>

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at UCSD provide counseling/therapy, workshops and community forums for UCSD students. Click below to find out more.

Click Here >

Did you know?

"Scientific data shows that self-criticism makes us weaker in the face of failure, more emotional, and less likely to assimilate lessons from our failures. Studies are finding that there is a far better alternative to self-criticism: self-compassion.

Thought the term “self-compassion” may sound like self-indulgence or may feel like a weakness, it is actually the secret to resilience, strength in the face of failure, the ability to learn from mistakes and to bounce back with greater enthusiasm." - Dr. Emma Seppala, Stanford Medicine

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