I call them the big three: the gut microbiome, nervous system, and cortisol levels. Learning to navigate these three has been the key to managing my wellness throughout my undergraduate years. As a psychology student, I have always prioritized my mental health but overlooked my physical health. Unfortunately, it was when my mom’s physical health declined that I decided to take a step toward improving mine. Diabetic neuropathy agonizingly overtook her body, increased her risk of more serious medical issues, and negatively affected her mental health. I learned that neglecting physical health and nutritional wellness was key in all of this, as well as genetics which put me more at risk. I decided at that moment to begin my wellness journey, which is how I learned about the big three. The first is the gut microbiome, where nutrition, metabolism, digestion, and energy are broken down and sustained. The second is the nervous system, which guides everyday activities from waking up, to automatic activities such as breathing, and everything in between such as reading, feelings, and remembering. The third is cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone our body produces, and there is an increase in cortisol levels released into the bloodstream when we are under stress. When there are high cortisol levels, you can experience increased anxiety, brain fog, a weakened immune system, and memory problems which all affect your performance as a student. I had to find ways to stabilize the big three realistically and easy to incorporate into my life as a student and stay consistent. I gathered my knowledge and built my wellness plan. First, I placed physical activities first thing in the morning. Morning walks with a podcast of my choice is a way to get my daily steps and learn something new I find interesting. I follow that with low-impact weightlifting, a cold shower with my favorite music, and a high-protein breakfast to start my day. Some days I want to relax but still exercise, so I do some at-home yoga or biking. I eat foods that feed my neurotransmitters, which are high fiber and anti-inflammatory foods, along with hydration. I learned to prioritize sleep because my day will not go well without proper sleep the night before. I shut my computer off by a set time and decompress before sleeping. Decompression involves journaling, meditating, breathing techniques, or reading a book of my choice. The key that has made this work has been making time for myself. My weekends are dedicated to doing things that take me to my happy place, like reading, concerts, movies, volunteering at the animal shelter, family time, trying new food, and going out dancing. As a student, I am under constant stress, not only academically but in my professional and personal life. Finding ways to connect my mental and physical health has been a journey. I am starting graduate school in the fall, but this gives me a sense of comfort that I am giving myself a better chance of succeeding. I noticed a difference between the beginning of my undergraduate to the end. In the beginning, I did not do any of these but my performance as a student increased when I started. My grades improved, I joined more clubs, built a network that led to many successful opportunities. I call them the big three because they have brought me a new lifestyle. I am in the best physical and mental shape I have ever been in, and the happiest version of myself.

As workplaces continue to undergo cultural and generational shifts, it is essential to accommodate this evolution. I want to follow the Industrial Organizational Psychology path to assist in the adjustment to the increase of diversity in the workplace. My goal is to pursue graduate education and expand my skills that contribute to the psychological well-being of employees. As I learned about the impact of culture in the workplace, I realized how much my race and gender could affect my workplace experience. This realization reminded me of how my mother emphasized the importance of education to obtain a career where these two factors would not harm me as they had harmed her. She did not have the opportunity to pursue an education, had limited job options, and endured inadequate job spaces. Unfortunately, social prejudice is present in every workspace, differing in each environment. First-generation students like myself are breaking into work fields that lack cultural competence. Every person brings a distinctive value to the workplace but are not met with understanding of their uniqueness. A workplace accommodating employees’ cultural backgrounds and adjusting to meet their needs is not detrimental to them, instead it brings optimal employee productivity and safety. But if an individual must subdue part of their cultural identity to succeed, it can have adverse personal effects. Minor adjustments to work environments such as providing a safe space for conversations, understanding how cultural aspects might be incorporated into daily employee routines, or even taking into consideration distinct holidays when making work schedules, are all separate ways to progress towards optimal work spaces. My dive into cultural competence continued when I became part of the Courageous Conversations Global Foundation Fellows Program. Each year, they bring together students from across the country to engage in conversations about race and train them under their protocol. Every story I heard was unique, but the constant was the influence of race in our lives. This experience improved my communication with peers from distinctive racial backgrounds. I incorporated what I learned into my work as a Peer Mentor for my university. My primary role was to guide students transitioning to the university and help maximize their success. Due to the diversity of each group, I learned that guidance looked different for everyone. Their background and personal life influenced their academics, which is why it was vital for me to understand how to navigate through each of their individual needs and accommodate them. This experience helped me realize that this is something I want to continue to do. I want to be a mentor to those in the workplace, especially those first-generation students who are part of an underrepresented minority group. Many first-generation students are capable of their job but factors that they cannot control stray them away from their career dreams and passions. The I/O field has notable versatility that can accommodate my personal and career growth. I plan on working on different ways, in both industry and academia, to stop gender and race from hindering success in the workplace.

My dream version of my future self is someone who is working hard to achieve all her goals and making even the smallest difference in the world, while simultaneously experiencing life and everything it has to offer, such as nature, friendship, culture, love, food, music, family, animals, books, and everything else that makes time on Earth meaningful and worth it.