Getting Ready Won't Fix My Problems... But It Helps

Every day in medical school comes with its own challenges. There are exams that feel impossible, long study days that seem to stretch forever, and moments where the pressure to succeed feels heavier than anything else. As someone pursuing forensic pathology, I know that my future career will come with its own unique emotional weight as well. Much of what draws me to this field is its ability to provide answers, closure, and understanding during some of life's most difficult moments. But spending your days studying disease, trauma, and death can sometimes make the world feel a little heavy.

In seasons like that, I have learned how important it is to find small ways to bring lightness back into my day.

For me, that often looks like something as simple as getting ready in the morning.

I know it might sound silly. After all, a pink outfit is not going to make pathology easier. Freshly painted nails will not help me memorize lecture slides, and a swipe of mascara certainly is not going to raise my exam score. But somewhere between choosing an outfit, putting on my favorite jewelry, curling my hair, or adding a little lip gloss before class, something shifts.

I feel more like myself.

As women in medicine, there can sometimes be an unspoken pressure to separate ourselves from the things that make us feel feminine. Whether it is because we are busy, exhausted, or trying to prove that we belong, it can be easy to push aside the little things that bring us joy. Over time, those small sacrifices add up, and before you know it, you have lost touch with parts of yourself that once felt important.

I have learned that getting ready is not really about looking a certain way. It is about protecting pieces of my identity outside of medicine. It is a reminder that I can be deeply committed to becoming a physician while still loving pink, pretty jewelry, fresh flowers, painted nails, and all of the things that make me feel most like me.

These small rituals will not solve burnout. They will not erase stress, uncertainty, or difficult days. But they do make the journey feel a little brighter. They bring moments of joy into spaces that can sometimes feel heavy. Most importantly, they remind me that I do not have to leave parts of myself behind in order to become the physician I hope to be.

Maybe that is why getting ready has become such an important ritual for me. It is not about perfection or appearance. It is about showing up for myself before I spend the rest of the day showing up for everyone else.

Why Getting Ready Matters in Med School

When people think about medical school, they usually think about the studying, the exams, and the long hours. Rarely does anyone talk about the importance of the routines that help us move through those challenges.

For me, getting ready each morning has become one of those routines.

There is something grounding about slowing down for a few moments before the day begins. Before the lectures, before the flashcards, before the endless to-do lists, I get a small window of time that belongs entirely to me. Choosing an outfit, putting on my favorite jewelry, doing my hair, or painting my nails is not about vanity; it is about intention.

Medical school can often feel like life is happening at full speed. It is easy to roll out of bed and immediately jump into the next responsibility. But when I take the time to get ready, I am creating a transition between simply waking up and intentionally showing up for the day ahead.

Those few minutes remind me that I am a person before I am a student.

And on the days when medical school feels particularly overwhelming, those rituals become even more important. They give me a sense of normalcy when everything else feels demanding. They bring a little creativity into a schedule that is often rigid. Most importantly, they allow me to start the day feeling cared for rather than depleted.

Will a cute outfit make an exam easier? Unfortunately not. If that were the case, I would have graduated already.

But what these rituals can do is help make a difficult season feel a little lighter. They add small moments of joy to ordinary days, and sometimes that makes all the difference.

How I Turn Getting Ready Into a Ritual

These days, my mornings start early.

My alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m., long before most of the island is awake. As tempting as it can be to immediately start thinking about lectures, study schedules, and everything waiting for me that day, I have learned that the first hour of my morning sets the tone for everything that follows.

So instead of jumping straight into productivity mode, I start with a few things that help me feel grounded.

The first stop is always the kitchen for an iced coffee. There is something comforting about that familiar routine, especially on mornings when I know I have a long day ahead. Coffee in hand, I wash my face, work through my skincare routine, and enjoy a few quiet moments before the day truly begins.

One of my favorite parts of the morning is spending a little time reading. Before medical school takes over my brain for the day, I get to escape into a different world for a few chapters. Whether it is romantasy, dark romance, or whatever book currently has me emotionally invested, those moments remind me that I am a person with interests and hobbies outside of medicine.

Around 6:00 a.m., the "getting ready" portion of my morning begins.

This is where the ritual really comes to life.

I put on a playlist, do my makeup, style my hair, and pick out an outfit that makes me feel good. More often than not, there is something pink involved (shocker to no one). Sometimes it is a dress, sometimes it is a dress shirt, and sometimes it is just a small pop of color that makes me smile. I add my jewelry, grab my bag, and slowly start transforming from someone who just rolled out of bed into someone ready to take on the day ahead.

And no, I do not think a cute outfit magically improves my grades.

Trust me, I have tested the theory.

But I do think there is truth to the idea that when you look good, you feel good. And when you feel good, you are more confident. You are more present. You are more likely to show up as the best version of yourself.

As future physicians, we spend so much time learning how to care for others. We learn how to comfort patients, support families, and navigate difficult situations with compassion. But I have come to believe that caring for others starts with caring for ourselves first.

For me, getting ready each morning is one of the ways I do that.

By the time I walk out the door, nothing about medical school has changed. The exams are still coming. The workload is still waiting for me. The responsibilities have not disappeared.

But I feel ready.

And sometimes that is exactly what I need.

The Mental Health Benefits I’ve Noticed

When I first started being intentional about my morning routine, I was not expecting some life-changing transformation. I was not trying to become more productive or create the "perfect" routine. I simply wanted a few moments that felt like mine before the responsibilities of medical school took over.

What surprised me was how much of a difference those small moments actually made.

The first thing I noticed was a reduction in stress. Medical school comes with a never-ending list of responsibilities, and it can be easy to start the day already feeling overwhelmed. Having a morning ritual gives me the opportunity to slow down before the chaos begins. Instead of immediately jumping into lectures, flashcards, and to-do lists, I get a little time to breathe, reset, and ease into the day.

I have also noticed a significant difference in my confidence.

And no, I do not mean confidence in the sense that I suddenly know all the answers in lecture.

I mean confidence in myself.

There is something powerful about taking care of yourself, even in small ways. Walking into class feeling put together helps me carry myself differently. It reminds me that I am capable, prepared, and deserving of the space I occupy. On difficult days, that reminder can go a long way.

But if I am being completely honest, the greatest benefit has been something much harder to put into words.

There was a season of my life when I lost touch with many of the things that made me feel like myself.

Between health challenges, burnout, and the demands of medical school, I found myself operating in survival mode. My focus was simply on making it through the day. The little things that once brought me joy slowly disappeared, not because they stopped mattering, but because I no longer had the energy to prioritize them.

Looking back, that was one of the hardest parts.

It was not just the stress or the exhaustion. It was feeling disconnected from myself.

As I have worked to rebuild healthier habits and take better care of my mental health, these small rituals have become part of that healing process. Every morning that I make my iced coffee, work through my skincare routine, spend a few minutes reading, or put on an outfit that makes me feel confident, it feels like a small way of choosing myself again.

I have also found that starting my day with intention helps me stay more focused and present throughout the day. My mind feels less scattered, and I am less likely to spiral into stress before the day has even begun. Instead of feeling like I am constantly trying to catch up, I feel more grounded and prepared for whatever the day brings.

Perhaps most importantly, these rituals create a sense of normalcy.

Medical school can sometimes feel like life is moving at a hundred miles an hour. Exam schedules change, stress levels fluctuate, and every week seems to bring a new challenge. Having a consistent routine gives me something familiar to return to. No matter what is happening academically, I know I will still have my morning coffee, my favorite book, my skincare routine, and the quiet moments I spend getting ready before heading out the door.

Do these rituals solve every problem? Of course not.

They do not make exams easier, eliminate stress, or magically create more hours in the day.

What they do provide is something just as valuable: a reminder to slow down, care for myself, and find moments of joy in a season that can often feel demanding. They remind me that while becoming a physician is one of the most important journeys of my life, it was never meant to cost me the parts of myself that make me who I am.

And for me, that has made all the difference.

Why This Matters for Women in Medicine

If there is one thing I have learned throughout this journey, it is that women in medicine carry a lot.

We carry the pressure of demanding academic environments. We carry expectations from others and expectations we have placed on ourselves. We carry the desire to succeed, to make our families proud, to care for our future patients, and to prove that we belong in the spaces we have worked so hard to enter.

And sometimes, we carry all of that while quietly neglecting ourselves.

I have met so many incredible women in medicine who would do absolutely anything for the people around them. They show up for their classmates, support their friends, comfort their families, and dedicate themselves to caring for future patients. Yet when it comes to extending that same care to themselves, they often struggle.

I know because I have been one of them.

Somewhere along the way, many of us start believing that success requires sacrifice. Not the healthy kind of sacrifice that comes with pursuing a goal, but the kind that slowly convinces us to abandon the things that bring us joy. We stop prioritizing rest. We stop making time for hobbies. We stop investing in ourselves. We convince ourselves that we will return to those things once life slows down.

But what if life never really slows down?

What if the answer is not waiting until things get easier?

What if the answer is learning how to care for ourselves while we pursue difficult things?

That is why this ritual matters so much to me.

Because every morning that I take a few extra minutes to do my skincare, wear the outfit I love, put on my favorite jewelry, or paint my nails, I am sending myself a message.

I am worth caring for, too.

Not after the next exam.

Not after graduation.

Not after residency.

Now.

As women in medicine, we deserve to experience joy in the middle of the journey, not just at the finish line. We deserve to hold onto the things that make us feel confident, feminine, creative, and human. We deserve to pursue ambitious goals without feeling like we have to sacrifice every piece of ourselves in the process.

For me, getting ready each morning is a reminder of that.

It is a reminder that becoming a physician and caring for myself are not competing priorities.

In fact, I think they go hand in hand.

Practical Tips for Making Getting Ready a Ritual

The beautiful thing about creating a ritual is that it does not have to look like mine.

Maybe your version involves makeup and jewelry. Maybe it is a favorite sweatshirt, a morning walk, a skincare routine, or ten quiet minutes with a cup of coffee before the rest of the world wakes up.

The goal is not to create a picture-perfect morning routine.

The goal is to create a few moments that belong entirely to you.

If you are interested in turning getting ready into more of a ritual, my biggest piece of advice is to start small. You do not need an extra hour in your morning or an elaborate routine to experience the benefits. Even fifteen intentional minutes can make a difference.

Choose things that genuinely make you happy. Wear the earrings you have been saving for a special occasion. Use the perfume you love. Pick the outfit that makes you feel confident. Read a few pages of a book that helps you escape for a little while. The specific activity matters far less than the feeling it creates.

I also think it is important to let go of the idea that getting ready has to look a certain way. Some mornings, my routine is longer and more intentional. Other mornings, it is a quick skincare routine, a simple outfit, and an iced coffee before heading out the door. Both versions count.

This is not about perfection.

It is about presence.

It is about giving yourself permission to slow down, even briefly, before the demands of the day begin.

And if you are anything like me, try paying attention to how you feel during those moments. Instead of rushing through them, treat them as an opportunity to check in with yourself. Take a deep breath. Put on your favorite playlist. Think about how you want to show up that day, not just as a student, employee, caregiver, or professional, but as a person.

Because at the end of the day, that is what this ritual has taught me.

Taking care of yourself does not always have to be grand or complicated. Sometimes it looks like a cute outfit, freshly painted nails, a good book, and a few quiet moments before the world starts asking things from you.

And sometimes, that is more powerful than we realize.

Final Thoughts on Getting Ready and Mental Health in Med School

Getting ready will not fix every challenge that comes with medical school. It will not make exams disappear, lighten the workload, or remove the emotional weight that can come with pursuing a career in medicine, and certainly not one in forensic pathology.

There will still be difficult days.

There will still be moments of self-doubt, exhaustion, and overwhelm.

But I have learned that sometimes the things that help us the most are not the big, life-changing solutions. Sometimes, they are the small rituals that remind us who we are when everything else feels demanding.

Tomorrow morning, my alarm will go off at 5:00 a.m.

I will make my iced coffee.

I will wash my face and work through my skincare routine.

I will spend a few quiet moments reading before medical school takes over my brain for the day.

Then I will do my makeup, pick out an outfit I love, put on my jewelry, and head out the door ready to take on whatever the day has in store.

Not because it changes the challenges waiting for me.

But because it changes how I meet them.

For me, that is what this ritual has always been about.

It is not about perfection.

It is not about appearance.

It is not about impressing anyone else.

It is about creating a few moments of joy before stepping into a demanding day. It is about protecting the parts of myself that exist outside of medicine. It is about remembering that while becoming a physician is one of the most important journeys of my life, it was never meant to cost me the things that make me who I am.

So if you are navigating a difficult season, whether you are in medicine or simply trying to make it through a challenging chapter of life, I hope you find your own version of this ritual.

Something that reminds you to slow down.

Something that brings you joy.

Something that helps you choose yourself, even on the hard days.

Because taking care of yourself is not something you earn once you have reached the finish line.

It is something you deserve throughout the journey.

Thank you so much for spending a little time with me this week. As always, take care of yourself, be gentle with yourself, and I will see you next Sunday.  💗

XOXO,

Kenzie

The Forensic Fashionista

just a girlypop who loves pink and breaking stereotypes