Millennial medics share their prescriptions for good health and wellbeing

Irish Examiner

25-04-2025

Feelgood was launched in April 2000. To commemorate its anniversary, we asked four medics born in the millennial year about their approaches to health and to gauge the nation's pulse.
All had tips for better health. 'Get 20 minutes of sunlight every day,' says Fiona Morahan, intern doctor at the South Infirmary Hospital in Cork. 'And when there's no sunlight, like in winter, take vitamin-D supplements.'
Cork City intern paramedic Diarmuid Lynch says consistent, quality sleep is crucial and ensures you feel more energised during the day and less reliant on stimulants, like caffeine.
For Lena Dablouk, an intern doctor at Cork University Hospital, it's the simple things, like making sure to stay active. 'If you can walk somewhere, instead of driving or getting public transport, even short distances, that will stand to you.'
Diarmuid Lynch: Consistent, quality sleep is crucial and ensures you feel more energised during the day and less reliant on stimulants, like caffeine.
Intern midwife Jessie McCarthy, at Cork University Maternity Hospital, advises people to stay away from Dr Google. 'Avoid searching your symptoms on Google and go to see an actual doctor if you're not feeling right.'
These four young medics are all conscious of developing healthy habits in their 20s. Being active outside is the healthy habit that unifies them.
'I find any reason to move and get outside in the fresh air. That helps all my problems,' says Lynch, while Dablouk says she always takes the stairs, never a lift, and McCarthy finds moments every day to get fresh air.
Morahan also focuses on her mental health. 'I journal every day. I've been doing that since the pandemic.'
Never too late
While it's advisable to develop healthy habits early in life to reap the long-term benefits, starting in later life has many benefits. Dablouk says: 'It's never too late to initiate something or try and change something you're doing, whether that's eating better or getting some exercise in. You can still do it.'
McCarthy emphasises the importance of regular check-ups with a GP, especially for older people. 'Get regular health checks, get your blood tested, and make sure you're on top of any supplements that make you feel better. And, of course, it's still not too late to get in to a good habit of eating and being active.'
In addition to physical health, Morahan and Lynch stress the importance of caring for your mental health in later life. 'Keeping up with exercise is really important in older age, but social activities are equally important. As you get older, to prevent isolation, getting involved in social communities is a good thing to do,' she says.
'One of the biggest issues with the older population is mental health. Older people need to be vocal about how they're feeling, because we all know, once we actually get talking, we often quickly realise how small a problem can be.
Intern midwife Jessie McCarthy, at Cork University Maternity Hospital, advises people to stay away from Dr Google. 'Avoid searching your symptoms on Google and go to see an actual doctor if you're not feeling right.' Picture Dan Linehan
'Additionally, movement, even if it's simply getting up out of a chair a couple of times a day, keeps you nimble and helps maintain your mobility. It's a very quick downward spiral once your mobility goes. It's all tied in together; depression can easily set in once your mobility goes,' explains Lynch.
Now that she's working in a hospital, Dablouk sees firsthand how healthy habits, such as being active, can have positive long-term effects. 'I see some patients who are in their 70s and 80s, but they look so much younger. All of these patients have regular exercise in common.'
Exercising is essential at any age, but McCarthy suggests it's easier if you're enjoying it. 'Finding some kind of sport or exercise that you enjoy is important. You are much more likely to want to do exercise if you're happy doing it,' he says.
'We need to spend less time on our phones and social media and have more in-person interactions,' says Lynch. 'This will help mentally and help us with our social interactions.'
Online resources
The availability of health information online is good, so long as it comes from a reputable source, say all four young medics.
'There are definitely great pages and information out there, but you have to be careful and do a background check on whatever you're reading to be sure that it's accurate information,' says Dablouk.
'It's difficult to verify what qualifications somebody has. But, social media can be good to connect with people in a similar position, through online communities and support groups,' says Morahan.
'There are a lot of people on social media preaching fitness and many of them are just giving their personal opinions, saying things like, 'If you do this, you can achieve this goal in six months.' But when people don't achieve that goal in six months, they can get demotivated,' warns Lynch.
For Lena Dablouk, an intern doctor at Cork University Hospital, it's the simple things, like making sure to stay active. 'If you can walk somewhere, instead of driving or getting public transport, even short distances, that will stand to you.'
Finding the balance can be difficult, they agree, but all advise double-checking any information you see online.
That equilibrium can also apply to the volume of health data we all have access to from dedicated apps or wearables. 'Some people find it good to have that insight in to their health,' says Morahan. 'But it's something that doesn't work for everyone. The volume of health data can lead to anxiety, as it can be really overwhelming and difficult to understand.'
Dablouk says it can be 'a slippery slope', as some may become 'too obsessed with the numbers'.
Lynch suggests listening to your body, not the figures. 'Wearables can provide fantastic motivation for anyone tracking their fitness. But it's important to go by how your own body feels, and don't get bogged down by what your wearable might say.'
Healthcare system
Speaking with these 25-year-old medics, it's clear they are prioritising their health and are realistic about the information they see online.
As they continue to build their careers in Ireland's healthcare system, they are also clear that changes need to happen.
Dablouk says: 'There's always room for improvement with any system. It's important to always be looking for ways to make things better, but, to do that, you need to get feedback from the people who actually work those jobs on the frontline, day in and day out.'
McCarthy sees daily the effect that waiting times and waiting lists can have on patients. 'That has a lot to do with staffing. If we were to get more staff, then, hopefully, waiting lists would be a lot shorter, and the wait times at appointments wouldn't be as long, either. The Government should be thinking about how to make it more appealing for staff to stay and work in Ireland, instead of moving abroad.'
For Morahan, who has an interest in mental health, staffing is an issue that needs to be addressed, but, in tandem with that, she says the distribution of resources needs to be managed more effectively, particularly in the area of mental health, where the lack of resources in psychiatric services is very evident.
Paramedic Lynch says many patients end up in the emergency department who may not have needed to be brought in.
'I think, perhaps, we could put a greater focus on primary care, with the aim of keeping people at home, where possible, either through the community paramedics, or the Pathfinder team with the ambulance service, who are fantastic at evaluating people.'
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