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.

A lot of research shows that birth order can impact the way a child grows up and who they develop into. However, others say it doesn’t determine anything. From what I’ve seen in my own family, as well as in close family friends, I think there is something to be said about birth order. It’s certainly not the be all end all - just like any personality theory, it can be taken with a grain of salt. 

So as an introvert, how do you make and maintain friendships? Try to make friends with people you already know at least a little bit. Is there someone in your classes you’ve talked to a couple times or someone at work that you’ve joked with? This next part sounds crazy, but try to make the first move (Granneman, 2020). I’ve had several close friends who on reflection, we realized we were both unsure about each other until one of us just made a move. Take the initiative! Ask questions and be a little vulnerable. Try to get to know the other person and truly listen to what they’re saying. Then, give them little pieces of you - what makes you tick and your peeves. Everyone enjoys really trying to understand someone else. Take the friendship slowly, and you’ll notice the awkwardness goes away with time, and you’ve got a new friend (Granneman, 2020). 

Over the past four years, I’ve gotten pretty good at packing. I can pack a 3-4 day bag in 5 minutes, sleep just about anywhere, and navigate I-69 like a pro. When I went to college, I don’t think I quite understood the kind of transitioning I would be doing. Moving in and out of dorms, being home for summers and breaks, and COVID-19 made transitions a regular thing. It wasn’t easy though. It took me 2 years to really feel like I had a solid community at college and then COVID-19 happened. Now, I have graduated and am ready to move to South Carolina, another transition. I will have to develop a new community, 11 hours from home. I’m exhausted with moving, but it’s good to embrace where you’re at, even in times of transition.

As children of a physical therapist, my brothers and I are constantly told to “Sit up straight!” As a student, I have spent many hours sitting (or should I say hunched over) at a desk on my laptop or reading. After a few hours, I notice that my neck, shoulders, and back of my head hurts. Freshman year of undergrad was terrible; sometimes, I had to stop working early due to head and neck aches. I even bought something similar to a recipe stand for textbooks to keep my head in line with my spine instead of dipping down to see a book. Posture is a seemingly harmless aspect of our physical and mental health; however, it affects more than we think. Therefore, we can easily create a goal of better postur

Society constantly tells us that we need to “Go, go go!” or we’re lazy, unambitious, or unmotivated. Even in this rising self-care movement, it can still seem like resting is frowned upon. However, rest is imperative! If we are constantly moving, thinking, working, etc., eventually, we will burn ourselves out and become irritable and all around exhausted. I personally struggled with this last year. 

Whether it be school, work, sports, or just maintaining a social life, our day to day lives can get pretty hectic sometimes. A way I like to calm down and destress after a long day of rushing from activity to activity is bullet journaling. A bullet journal is a journal of your own design with the purpose of recording the past, organizing the present, and planning the future. Bullet journaling is a simple but effective way to organize your thoughts and free up brain space each month. It can be however simple or detailed you want it to be and all you need is a dotted journal and a writing utensil. A bullet journal keeps track of your goals each month and it’s fun to look back on and see how far you’ve come. It’s also a great way to get your creativity flowing. 

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. 

Have you ever felt so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time? In an article with Wired magazine, positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi described a flow state by saying, “The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost” (Cherry, 20221). It’s important to point out that the experience of flow isn’t just limited to hobbies or creative pursuits. Certain types of work can also let you tap into a place of deep, restful concentration.