Exercise works wonders on the brain. Our bodies were created to move! Whether through dancing, swimming, running, weight training, boxing, etc., something beautiful happens when you choose to make activity a consistent part of your week. Walking is often underestimated as a way to exercise, but it is a great and simple way to take care of your body and improve brain health. It is also a great starting point if you’re wanting to get into other forms of exercise too. 

Our brains never really seem to turn off. From the moment we wake up, to the moment we fall asleep at night, the gears are constantly turning. Even when we’re sleeping, we have crazy dreams or nightmares, showing us our brain is still functioning to some degree, trying to process what happened today. Because our brains are constantly working, it’s important we provide the best fuel. Eating the right/best foods can make a huge difference in how we feel and our brain health.

As a young person, I learned quickly from parents, school, or other adults that brain development is not finished until you’re about 25. There are plenty of decisions I look back on from my teen years and question what I was thinking. I wouldn’t choose that now! It’s true that brain development occurs well into your young adult life. Our brain actually changes throughout our entire life. Knowing the development stage we are in can help us make wise choices during that time to keep our brain healthy. 

ust because you may not think you’re “right-brained” doesn’t mean you don’t use creativity every day or wouldn’t benefit from it. Whenever you’re creating something, you tend to get “lost” in the activity - it requires more thought and concentration than it seems. This total absorption is sometimes considered to be “flow.” Being in this state of mind is caused by changes in brain function - brain waves slow down and original thoughts are easier to form. The prefrontal cortex actually deactivates for a time, which helps us be more courageous and less critical of our ideas. Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine are all released in abundance - who wouldn’t want that? This is similar to how your brain would act during yoga, mindfulness, and meditation, such a natural feeling of contentment (Brenner, 2019). 

A psychiatric study found that people who prefer an active daytime routine over a nighttime routine have better sleeping cycles. These healthier sleep cycles are associated with improved mental health and decreased likelihood to develop emotional difficulties. Furthermore, routines can lower stress levels and promote healthy daily habits. They can also boost productivity and focus. Not-surprisingly, routines are often recommended for individuals who have ADHD, insomnia, bipolar disorder, addiction, and depression. When you know what to expect and have some mental organization, it’s much easier to work through any symptoms of mental health conditions. Creativity can also thrive on structure! Creating a process for the everyday-things of life can release space for other, more important things (Plata, 2018; Cherry, 2020; Robins, n.d.). 

I write about my high school experience light-heartedly, but drugs are something to take seriously. They can impact every aspect of our mental and physical state. I’ll talk about that, but first, let’s talk about categories of drugs. There are 3 categories based on their effect: stimulants, depressants, and hallucinogens (Types of drugs, 2021). 

Around 21 million adults in the U.S. had at least one major depressive episode based on SAMHSA data from 2020 - this is about 8.4% of all adults. The prevalence of a depressive episode was almost 2x higher in women than men, and 18-25 year olds were the most affected. 

When you hear “gray matter” and “white matter,” this is referring to different areas of the brain. Gray matter is the darker, outer portion and is mostly in charge of processing and interpreting information.

During an argument, I’m usually the quieter one. Sometimes, it looks like I’ve shut down. However, I may not have a lot to say verbally in the moment, but my mind is running at 90 miles/hour processing what’s going on.

The above are all very real conversations I’ve had with myself, and two of them happen pretty regularly. Talking to ourselves is something we all do, maybe the most when we’re by ourselves.

Good news! If you are a teenager, after reading this article, YOU will be able to explain and defend your sleep habits to any adult who questions you. No, seriously, there are hormonal and biological reasons for why adolescents sleep the way they do.

Fact: the teen years are host to one of the biggest transitions you’ll ever experience in your life. This is the season when your entire being, your body, mind, heart, and soul shift from being a child to being a sexually mature young adult.

That increased level of self-awareness could be part of what’s contributing to the disturbing trend. It’s one thing to want to put your best foot forward. It’s another to believe that your face is never good enough on its own without heavy editing.

At some point in our lives, most of us are going to know at least one person who has died of suicide. The way I phrased that is important. Maybe you didn’t grow up hearing this as much as I did, but I still often hear others say “committed suicide.”

Like many of us, I love a good checklist. The action of crossing something out or “checking” that box is satisfying! Being in school for years now, checklists are one of the only ways I can keep my sanity and organize my tasks.

The top two sources of stress in the U.S. right now are money and work. Big surprise, I know. So when someone is dealing with chronic stress, it may be due to an over demanding job, long-term illness, paying the bills that never stop coming, etc.

Here’s the problem. The study didn’t actually include people who experienced trauma. It simulated trauma with 52 healthy college students by having them watch a 12-minute film and then tested them on their memory of the film with and without having played Tetris.

If you haven’t already, you will experience grief (likely several times) during your lifetime. Grief comes as a result of many experiences. The most common one is due to losing someone who we care about, but we can also grieve breakups, divorces, etc.

We often hear people say, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” or “I have XYZ still to do, I’ll sleep when that’s done.” We can easily neglect one of the biggest things our bodies need, and it may be that sometimes we just forget how important it is. 

Whether we like it or not, studying is a crucial part of the educational experience. Whether you’re trying to memorize muscles in the body or quizzing yourself on the details surrounding a certain period of history, the truth about studying is that not all methods are created equal.