Did you know that becoming smarter is an achievable feat? Many of us have gotten used to accepting that some people are naturally more intelligent than others, and thus, no need to stretch our intellectual abilities. However, boosting your intelligence quotient is possible just by putting very basic tasks to practice and doing them well.
So if you’re committed to increasing your intellectual abilities, we’ve got just what you need right. Sit back, put on your thinking hats, and start practicing regularly these ten brain-boosting habits:
10 Effective Ways To Boost Your IQ and Become Smarter
1. Get Enough Sleep
Stretch your brain, don’t stress it! Getting enough sleep is not only essential for your muscles and other body parts, but your brain also needs it to work and function properly. As passive as rest might seem, good sleep is imperative to our health, as it directly influences learning, retention and cognitive skills. On the other hand, poor sleep has been directly linked to impaired memory, poor concentration, and many other mental issues. Get at least 8 hours of sleep each night and remember to take mental breaks in between long hours of activities.
2. Eat Healthy and on Time
Our brain requires a constant supply of fuel. If this fuel consists of clean foods providing healthy nutrients, like minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants, then we’re actively enabling it to function correctly. In other words, what we eat directly impacts how our brain functions. Furthermore, the brain is connected with every other part of the body. Eating healthy also means better physical health, better looks, and a better lifestyle.
Eating at the right time and not skipping meals is also very important and should not be overlooked if you want to get smarter. Just like your body finds it hard to do any physical activity when you’ve not eaten for a while, in the same way, your brain lags certain mental functions when it lacks the necessary nutrients.
3. Have a Regular Workout Routine
A regular workout routine is positively connected to good mental health. An active, sporty lifestyle helps maintain a healthy physique and aids blood flow and circulation, including blood to the brain.
Active muscles and proper blood circulation due to regular exercises help regulate brain functions and improve focus, memory, coordination, and productivity. If you are consistent, you’ll also start noticing improvements in your cognitive abilities, coordination, mood, and behavior.
But remember, your brain requires just as much exercise as the rest of your body. So pay attention to the next idea.
4. Spend Time on Meditation and Mindfulness
Meditation is not just for monks and yoga practitioners; everyone should try this brilliant technique if they want their brains to bloom. Being mindful of the current environment and happenings around you and being at peace with it is an excellent way to be more intuitive, reflective, develop empathy, and become more intelligent.
Practice being in tune with the moment; be mindful of your surroundings and the people around you. Avoid frequent distractions, and you will experience better results and increased productivity in that area. Since meditation usually requires deep breaths, the increased oxygen intake is highly beneficial for both the circulatory system and the brain. So calm your mind, breath in, breath out, and start fresh.
5. Read as Much as Possible
Reading is one of the best means of becoming more intelligent. From reading a simple email to reading a 5-volume novel or memorizing complex facts from an encyclopedia, reading plays a part in helping you become more competent in so many ways. Not only does reading improve your knowledge on a subject, but it also stimulates imagination, builds empathy, and develops new skills.
Reading also exercises your mental capabilities in a complex way: it keeps your brain active, energized, and functional. It helps stretch literacy skills, by building a better vocabulary, improved pronunciation, new knowledge, and a deeper understanding of people, notions, and situations.
6. There is Learning in Teaching
Ever heard someone say, “I understand and retain more when I talk about what I’ve learned with others”? That’s true and valid. When discussing something you have learned with others, your brain processes it better, understands it easier, and retains more of that information. Explaining, debating, and sharing ideas with others enables you to better process the information, truly comprehend it, and apply it in real-life situations.
7. Try New Things Everyday
It’s possible for a routine to dull your brain cells. Getting too used to doing the same thing over and over again can harm your smartness level. From time to time, it is a good idea to introduce new things into your everyday life. You could always start learning a new language, a dance step you’ve always loved, taking swimming classes, or even a chess class to really put you on the learning board.
Not only does this help stretch your brain, but it also helps widen your specialization and ability. Training your brain to master a new addition to your life is a great way to test and practice getting smarter.
8. Hang Out with Smart People
Hanging out, living, or working with people smarter than yourself is a great way to sharpen your intellectual ability. Their genie and unique points of view may ignite your own analytical and logical thinking skills. Hanging out with intelligent people also motivates you to be just as bright as they are and push you to take steps to make yourself smarter.
Smart people, for example, have smart discussions and intellectual conversations that encompass a world of learning. In one of these many conversations lie the best opportunities to learn new things and widen your scope. Smart people also tend to have unique perspectives and opinions. So choose your tribe wisely!
9. Take Time Out to Travel
The excitement and change that come with traveling have proven healthy and helpful to your brain. Vacations and holiday breaks are times when our body, mind, and soul can voice back from routine, duties, and work. Traveling helps the brain relax, adapt to new experiences and perspectives, and function properly. This is my favorite brain training, by far!
10. Engage in Smart Games
Smart people are usually good at playing intelligent games, especially those that require prediction, caution movement, and decision-making. Engaging in mind games like chess and scrabble puts your brain to the test, stretching it and increasing your productivity, decision-making skills, risk analysis, and other complex mental functions.
Getting smarter is certainly achievable and practicing these ten basic steps is a great way to start. No need to jump right into excessively complex means to train your brain, just start with a few basic everyday tasks that you can easily put to practice and then develop over time. Once you have gotten the hang of it, every other action you might want to introduce will be more straightforward.
