Stress management in medical students: A yogic therapy approach

A student under optimal stress does bring out his or her best, however, the extremes of stress can result in stress induced disorders and deteriorating performance.[1] Medical school training is intended to prepare graduates for a personally rewarding and socially meaningful career. However, the reports have shown that this is a time of great personal distress for medical students, and they suffer significantly higher levels of stress than the age-matched general population.[2] Consequently, this excessive levels of stress in medical student leads to burnout, dropping out, psychiatric problems, and impact on future performance.[3] However, it is also important to note that some stress is necessary to drive medical students to perform better, build character, and prepare them for the demands of future medical practice. It is now well-known that stress is a normal response of a body to any demands while stressors are the demands and pressure that lead to stress. Further, stress results due to the discrepancy between excessive pressure and different types of demand and individual capacities to fulfill these demands.[4],[5] Similarly, the perception of stress is under the control of students' personal system of belief and attitude.[6] The stressors in student also can vary with their personal attitude, belief, and cultural background. The distorted perceptions overemphasize their limitations and make the situation more stressful.[7]