If doctors wrote prescriptions for themselves, here's what would be on them

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We always ask doctors how to be healthier, this National Doctors' Day, we asked them what they actually do for themselvesEvery year on July 1, India celebrates National Doctors' Day to recognise the people who stand beside us during some of the most vulnerable moments of our lives. The day also marks the birth and death anniversary of the legendary physician and former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Dr.

Bidhan Chandra Roy, whose contributions to medicine and public service continue to inspire generations of healthcare professionals.This year's theme, "Behind the Mask: Who Heals the Healers?," shifts the focus in a meaningful way. We often think about how doctors care for patients, but we don't always stop to think about who cares for them. It's easy to forget that behind the white coat and the calm voice is a person who also deals with stress, exhaustion, grief, and the emotional weight of making life-changing decisions every single day.TOI Health spoke to four doctors: a pulmonologist, a paediatric gastroenterologist, a paediatrician, and a head and neck oncologist: about how they personally approach their health. What came back wasn't a list of superfoods or a five-step morning protocol. It was something more honest than that.

The doctor who rides his bike to the gym

Dr. Vikas Mittal, Director and Pulmonologist at CK Birla Hospital in Delhi, is someone who thinks about health the way most of us probably should, as a series of small, deliberate choices rather than a destination you arrive at.

"Achieving good health does not come through shortcuts," he says. "It comes from establishing small, consistent habits that become part of your normal routine."He aims for at least eight hours of sleep and cuts screens an hour before bed. His diet leans low-carb and high-protein, with a strong preference for lean proteins, healthy fats, and high-fibre foods. Dinner is done before 7 PM. When he wants something sweet, he reaches for seasonal fruit instead of a processed dessert.

And he starts his meals with a salad, at least twenty minutes before the rest of the food arrives, a simple trick that helps him eat less without actually trying to.

Every single day, he sets aside an hour, twenty minutes of yoga, twenty minutes of pranayama, twenty minutes of meditation. " I work out with strength training four days a week by doing exercises that target my push (chest/triceps), pull (back/biceps), legs, and core.

This helps maintain my muscle mass and build my overall fitness level," he says. And then there's family time: at least an hour a day with his family, and at least once a week with friends.

"Strong social connections are every bit as important for good health as proper nutrition and exercise," he says, and he means it in the most practical sense, not as a nice sentiment, but as something he schedules.

The doctor for whom simplicity is everything

Dr. Rohan Grotra, Consultant in Paediatric Gastroenterology at Madhukar Rainbow Hospital, takes a slightly different approach and it's one that's probably more realistic for most people. His food is balanced and nutrient-rich, with processed food cut down as much as possible. He aims for thirty minutes of physical activity daily, which he frames not as exercise exactly, but as movement that supports cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of chronic illness. Seven to eight hours of sleep. Stress managed through mindfulness, breath awareness, and short breaks through the workday.Dr. Grotra is deliberate about routine check-ups, monitoring vital signs, and staying alert to early symptoms.

He avoids tobacco, moderates alcohol, and pays attention to his emotional health as part of his physical health."When we counsel patients, we base that counsel on what we accomplish within our own lives; that is, consistency is better than perfection. Therefore, making small, everyday decisions can ultimately result in decreasing the risk of developing chronic diseases while also enhancing your quality of life and increasing lifespan," he says.

The doctor who follows cricket, cinema, and the art of switching off

Dr. Vivek Jain, Senior Director and Unit Head of Paediatrics at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, Delhi, has a longer working day than most. Emergency calls, emotional investment in sick children, long hours that blur the line between work and the rest of life. So when he talks about staying healthy, his answer isn't about diet or sleep schedules. It's about knowing how to switch off.

For him, cricket does a lot of that work. Playing with friends, staying active, getting competitive about something that has nothing to do with a hospital ward.

He also watches movies, not as a guilty pleasure, but as a genuine mental reset. "It provides me with a chance to get away from the pressures of my work so I can clear my mind," he says. And then there's family. "Every physician should find hobbies they are passionate about," he says, "so they can be as compassionate and as competent as possible to their patients."

The surgeon who believes in three minutes of yoga

Dr. Akshat Malik, Senior Consultant in Head and Neck Oncology at Apollo Hospital, Delhi, operates on patients with cancer.

He also responds to emergencies, fulfils academic responsibilities, and goes home to a family. And yet his approach to personal health is quite unique. He's not asking for an hour of meditation or a pre-7 PM dinner. He's asking for three to ten minutes. A short walk. A few minutes of yoga. Some music. A cycle on the weekend. Gardening. Reading. Things that barely count as interventions but that, compounded over months and years, make an enormous difference to how a person feels."The key, once again, is to consistently perform these simple hobbies," he says. "Good health starts small and with sustainable habits," he says. "Even if you're too busy, finding a little bit of time to work on a hobby is one of the best ways to invest in your long-term physical and mental health." That's not advice he delivers from a position of abundance. He's as time-poor as any doctor. But he finds the three minutes anyway.

What four very different doctors actually agree on

What's interesting, reading across all four of these accounts, is how much quiet consensus there is underneath the individual differences. None of them are talking about extreme measures. None of them are advocating for anything that requires a personal trainer or a special kitchen.

The version of health that gets sold to most of us is perfection-shaped. It's optimised and scheduled and morally loaded. Miss a workout, eat the wrong thing, stay up too late — and you've failed somehow.

But not one of these doctors described their health in those terms. That's not a lowered bar. That's just what sustainability actually looks like.Doctors' Day is also a reminder that respect can be shown in simple ways. Being patient during appointments, following medical advice, treating healthcare workers with kindness, and understanding that they are human can make a difference. Gratitude doesn't always have to come in grand gestures.

Sometimes, a sincere "thank you" is enough to remind someone that their efforts are seen and appreciated.So, as India marks National Doctors' Day this year, the message is clear. Caring for patients will always remain at the heart of medicine, but caring for the people who provide that care is just as essential. Healthy doctors are better able to care for healthy communities. And perhaps that's the reminder this year's theme wants all of us to take home, not just on July 1, but throughout the year.