How to Balance Studies and Mental Health During MBBS Course

An MBBS in India or abroad is a complex course with endless subjects and practicals. Throughout the courses, students are swamped with work to ensure they are learning and practising simultaneously. 

According to a study, 73.5% of students in medical courses experience depression at some point in their education. Some students feel burned out, while some fail to adjust to the fast-paced learning. Therefore, it's important for students to ensure mental well-being while balancing studies in MBBS 2025. Let’s understand how.

What can be the causes of poor mental health during MBBS? 

Before we learn some tips, here are some of the reasons that cause imbalance in studies and health: 

• The academic pressure to adjust to your studies and compete with your peers causes an imbalance. 
• Some students find it difficult to adjust to changes in social space and time away from family. They find it difficult to adjust to friends, and thus end up socially isolating themselves. 
• The lack of support from friends and family while adjusting to a complex course like MBBS can be difficult for students. 

Why is mental health important for MBBS students? 

Students in MBBS should constantly focus on balancing their studies with mental well-being. Here’s how it can help you:

• Mental health is linked with cognitive function. Negative mental health can affect cognitive thinking. So, it's important to practice mindfulness and take breaks to recharge. 
• With better mental health, you can find it easier to balance and organise your studies. 
• Students can feel motivated to study and focus on their overall performance. 
• MBBS is stressful; improving your mental health will help you reduce stress and anxiety during your course. 

Practical Tips for Mental & Physical Health During MBBS 

2025 MBBS students need to enhance their mental and physical health. By improving your overall health, you will automatically witness a positive impact on your studies. Here are some of the tips for mental and physical well-being: 

• Sleeping Pattern: During MBBS, many students hamper their sleeping patterns. Some work till late at night, and some reduce their sleeping hours. The lack of sleep can directly impact your concentration and increase body fatigue. So, it’s important for students to get at least 6 hours of sleep every day to ensure good mental and physical health. 
• Physical Activity: Your body needs to adjust to fast-paced learning while maintaining overall physical health. Exercise or physical activity releases endorphins, which are stress hormones. With a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity,  you boost your mood and reduce stress. Activities like cycling, running, jogging, or yoga can help you improve your physical health. 
• Balanced Diet: Nothing can match having good food when it comes to physical and mental health. Your mood instantly improves when you have a good meal after a long, stressful day. So, during your MBBS course, make sure you have a good, balanced diet. You can make it a habit or a ritual to have a special meal every once in a while to boost your mood. 
• Counselling/Communication: If you are feeling overwhelmed with emotions or feel stuck, communicate with your loved ones. There is are high chance that you are overthinking minor things that may or may not have a significant impact. Having a heartfelt communication with friends and family, or taking counselling, can help you. 

Practical Tips to Balance Studies During MBBS 2025 

With a vast syllabus and constant academic pressure, it's common for students to feel unorganised. Therefore, to balance your studies and mental health during MBBS, you can follow these tips: 

Connect with your mentors and teachers: Whether you are unorganised with your studies or find any topic difficult, teachers can help. Make sure you regularly interact with your mentors and professors regarding the MBBS course, college activities, and more. 

• Do not keep things for the last moment: Often, students find it difficult to meet deadlines for assignments or projects due to a lack of time. They either wait until the last moment to complete their assignments or do not have a proper schedule. It’s recommended to start your assignments and projects early to avoid last-minute delays. 
• Create a realistic schedule: One thing that you need to keep in mind is a realistic study schedule. Students either make unrealistic targets or do not make a schedule at all. In both cases, you are likely to feel burned out or disorganised. So, make sure you create a study schedule with realistic timelines during your time in a government medical college in India. 
• Join online forums: There are online platforms like Quora, Reddit, or Discord where students can connect with like-minded people. You can find a community of MBBS students in India or abroad on these platforms. It will help you stay connected with news, help you with queries, and take notes. 
• Subscribe to YouTube Channels or Download Apps: There are many popular YouTube channels and mobile apps for medical students. These apps allow students to stay updated and learn complex topics with ease. Many channels provide MBBS topics with diagrams and animations, making them easy to learn. 

Conclusion 

MBBS in India is a time-consuming and hectic course that can take a toll on mental health. If you are an MBBS student or planning to apply for admission to MBBS 2025, these tips can help.  These are practical tips that students can implement to improve their MBBS journey.