Making it Through Medicine

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the best post-call day

MB Teresczuk

Days off during residency are hard to come by. Post-call days, in my opinion, when used correctly can be a great addition to your days off. Don’t get me wrong - a post call day is not, I repeat NOT a day off. You just worked anywhere from 24 -30 hours and you’re exhausted. But if you use the day right it can set you up for success for the rest of the week.

Here are my biggest tips for a successful post-call day:

  1. Bring sunglasses to the hospital. This sounds crazy but trust me it works. Walking home with your sunglasses on will remind your brain that it is time to sleep.

  2. Black out curtains are a must. I have these curtains off Amazon for over 5 years now and they are such a game changer.

  3. Set an alarm! Force yourself to get up for part of the afternoon. I have found that the perfect sweet spot for me is sleeping about 6 hours on my post-call. Any less than this and I’m walking around in a fog for days, any more than this and I’m not able to sleep later that night. It’s so important to be able to go back to sleep

  4. On that note, avoid caffeine if you can. If you have must have caffeine, maybe it’s not the day for a cold brew and go for a tea with a little less caffeine. Give your body some time to recuperate.

  5. Spend the afternoon doing things that rejuvenate you. For me, the perfect afternoon is a pilates class, reading on my porch with a cup of matcha, and then spending the evening cooking dinner for the next few days. I put on a podcast or book on tape and think nothing of the decisions I made on call or going to work the following day. This is your me time! This candle and this wine glass pretty much always make an appearance on my post-call days.

  6. Finally, probably my most important tip - spend time with your partner, call your mom, Facetime your best friend. Use your post-call day to connect with the people in your life. It’s so easy to get caught in the throws of residency and forget about all the other relationships in your life. Your post-call day should give you slightly more time to dedicate to these very important relationships.