Mind over Manner: Explorations in Neuroscience, Current Events and Philosophy

  For college students, productivity is on all of our minds. It allows us to get our coursework done in an efficient, timely way, and lets us have free time to spend outside of academics. Contrary to the “grindset” social media accounts, though, maximizing your productivity requires more than just hard work and dedication. We can work on our productivity in many ways, one of which is creating an optimized workspace that caters to your body's natural rhythms and needs. In this essay, let’s explore the ways you can build a workspace that fosters focus, alertness, and productivity throughout the day.  (Citations and TL:DR are listed at the bottom for more reading) Firstly, our productivity is closely linked to our body's natural rhythms. To make the most of these rhythms, it's important to recognize the three distinct phases of the day: Phase 1 (0-8 hours after waking), Phase 2 (9-15 hours after waking), and Phase 3 (16-24 hours after waking). Each phase has its own unique cha...

So often is gratitude cited as the best tool for improving mental and physical well-being, and it’s become a real cornerstone of positive psychology. As scientific research works on the dynamics of gratitude, it becomes evident that jotting down a list of things you are thankful for won’t do jack shit for you. Instead, a genuine and emotionally rooted engagement with gratitude can lead to profound shifts in our neural circuitry, emotional responses, and interpersonal interactions.  At its core, gratitude shares a neurological dance with joy, lighting up similar regions in the brain that bring about feelings of happiness and contentment. However, unlike the superficial notion of "fake it till you make it," the efficacy of gratitude works with authenticity. The act of giving and receiving thanks must be genuine to unlock its benefits. Mere rote exercises of writing or thinking about positive aspects of our lives don't necessarily rewire our brains or enhance our emotional e...

  The microbiome is a very new and exciting field. We’re just starting to understand the effect of the gut on the rest of the body. Our actions affect our microbiome, and our microbiome affects our thoughts and feelings. Let’s get into just what our microbiome is, how it works, and what we can do to support our brain health via caring for our unique macrobiotic makeup. First, what is the human gut microbiome? The human microbiome refers to the vast and diverse community of microorganisms that inhabit the human body. These microorganisms include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other single-celled organisms. The majority of the human microbiome is composed of bacteria, with an estimated 100 trillion bacterial cells, outnumbering human cells by approximately tenfold. These microorganisms reside in various parts of the human body, with the gut being the most densely populated. Other significant microbiome-rich areas include the skin, oral cavity, respiratory tract, and reproductive o...