JAN 2019 |
VOL 2 ISSUE 5

In this issue:

  • 2k19 Master Plan
  • Get Fit
  • Houston Happenings
  • Keep Calm
  • Manifest 101
  • MS4 Advice
  • SPOTlight
  • TAO
  • Tasty Winter Recipes
The Well is a monthly newsletter that serves to
positively impact the well-being of the McGovern student community
by highlighting a myriad of wellness-related content.
2k19 MASTER PLAN
  • Sweat regularly
  • Eat well mostly
  • Outwork yourself daily
  • Self-care routinely
  • Be kind & grateful always

The new year provides an opportunity for a fresh start. Focus on creating better habits that align with your goals rather than pursuing short-lived resolutions. Implement incremental changes that set you up for success. 2019 is yours for the taking!
Keep Calm, and Take the Stairs!
January 9th is National Take the Stairs Day - an annual holiday that lands on the second Wednesday in January but should land in your daily routine! As medical students, we spend a lot of our time sitting at desks studying or deep-diving into patients’ medical records. The health benefits of taking the stairs are obvious, and staying physically active often translates to improved mentation and attitude as well as decreased fatigue - a body in motion will stay in motion, after all.

However, this National Take the Stairs Day, we can also challenge ourselves to slow down. In medical school, we tend to sprint (take the elevator, if you will) from one milestone to the next. Taking the stairs is undeniably the slower route but can be so much more satisfying. Let’s employ this analogy in January and take time to reflect on our mental and emotional well-being by keeping calm and taking the stairs!
MANIFEST 101 | VISION BOARDS
MS4 Advice
Choosing a specialty can be a daunting task. You will be afraid to make the wrong decision and worry about your qualifications. Breathe. This is an uncomfortable process, but one where you will learn a lot about yourself and grow. Here's some food for thought:

  1. Who are the patients that you always think back to? What was meaningful about those encounters?
  2. Every specialty comes with a cost, whether it is stigma or long work hours. What cost are you willing to accept?
  3. "Try on" a specialty for a day. Tell other people that "I'm going to be a _____," and see how that makes you feel.
  4. Talk to your mentors, both new mentors in your specialties of interest and mentors who have known you for a long time and can be your sounding board.

And trust your gut. You may second guess yourself a lot over the upcoming months, but deep down you know the specialty that is right for you. Best wishes on your exciting journey!

| Bernice Yau, MS4
 SPOTlight | Study Spaces
  • Cavo Coffee | potent cold brew, fantastic space
  • Inversion Coffee Bar | modern setting, food trucks nearby
  • Retrospect Coffee Bar | locally roasted, delicious pastries
Tasty Winter Recipes
Get Fit While You Sit
Studying at a desk all day doesn't have to stop you from reaching your fitness goals. Check out these
desk exercises for study break fitness inspiration!
Houston Happenings

11.17-01.13: Zoo Lights, Houston Zoo
01.01-16: Break the Ice Date Night, Discovery Green
01.10-02.03: Cirque du Soleil Luzia, Sam Houston Race Park
01.11: Rainbow on ICE, Discovery Green
01.12: Hops n’ Hot Sauce Festival 2019, Spindle Tap Brewery
01.19: 14 th Annual Consequences of Love Art Exhibit and Show,
Ensemble Theatre
01.19: Bayou City Burlesque Circus Festival, Warehouse Live
01.20: 18 th Annual MLK Battle of the Bands Competition,
W.W. Throne Stadium
01.20: MATCH Family Fun Day,
MATCH - Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston
01.21: 25 th Annual MLK Grande Parade, Midtown Houston
01.21: The Original MLK Day Parade, Minute Maid Park Tours
01.22: Justin Timberlake, Toyota Center
01.23: Toro Y Moi, White Oak Music Hall
01.25-27: 2019 HSCF Worldwide Hunting Expo and Convention,
George R. Brown Convention Center
01.25: CNCO, Smart Financial Center
01.26: ASAP Rocky, NRG Arena
01.26: Who's Bad - Michael Jackson Tribute Band, House of Blues
01.26: Iliza Shlesinger, Revention Music Center
01.27: Toni Braxton, Smart Financial Center
01.28: Disturbed, Toyota Center
TAO | Therapy Assistance Online
The Student Health and Counseling Clinic is excited to announce a new wellness tool available to all students, faculty, and staff at UTH.  TAO (Therapy Assistance Online) is an interactive, self-guided, web-based program that consists of tools and educational materials to help you learn about and change how you think and feel. 
Brought to you by the McGovern Student Wellness & Resilience Committee
Newsletter Staff: Andrew Eck, Ally Limmer, Joaquin Santoy
Questions, Comments, or Contributions to The Well,
please email MS.Wellness@uth.tmc.edu