Welcome back to the start of the fall 2024 trimester! This is now my sixth trimester, denoting I am officially halfway to graduation! I truly couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come this tri. I am going to be incredibly busy these first few weeks, as there so many exciting school events and upcoming weekly happenings.

Additionally, I have my Part I Board Exam in less than a week! As you can imagine I am already fighting a mental tailspin as I juggle my new class schedule and studying with standard life responsibilities but amidst all the noise, I am reminded of how important it is to be grounded and how lucky I am. All of these educational milestones mark my progress as I continue on my career path. It may feel overwhelming as I look upon the challenges yet to come, but knowing I’ve come this far only serves as motivation.

Even so, all students know that tests and examinations can be daunting, and positivity alone cannot eliminate the fears of failure or inadequacy. Often, even adequate preparation through studying may not quench these doubts. Nerves can be unavoidable. This is a fact that I believe must be accepted before it can be faced. It is quintessential that students learn how to recenter themselves when feelings of negativity swell up, and I wanted to mention a couple of ways I myself do this:

• Taking a step back and a deep breath can go a really long way. While it may seem simple, deep breathing can help activate your parasympathetic nervous system and calm you down. Over activity of your sympathetic nervous system, often referred to as your “fight or flight” system can interfere with our abilities to think clearly and rationally, so taking that extra time to affect how your nervous system is firing can make a huge impact.

• Positive self-talk and affirmations are additional great methods of improving mental wellbeing. These have both been proven to both increase academic performance and patient outcomes in clinical settings. A good mindset can make all the difference!

Wondering what it’s like to be a Doctor of Chiropractic student at NUHS-Florida? Check out more of Dylan’s blogs here.