Jayson DeMers
Although many people believe intelligence is limited to those with
high I.Q.s,
there are a number of potential methods to boost one’s cognitive
abilities
and become more effective at various professional and personal
pursuits.
With enough motivation and determination, anyone can expand their
mental capabilities
and become smarter.
Integrating new habits into your regular routine and providing
proper stimulation can sharpen your intellect quickly and leave
you inspired to take on
new challenges each day. Brain health is an important key in
complete physical health.
The list below includes the best brain-engaging activities in
daily life.
Inviting Novelty
To create new neural pathways and strengthen the brain, it’s
critical for people
to continually incorporate
new experiences and information into their lives. At first, these moments might
feel useless, but eventually, you will find yourself looking forward to quiet
moments alone.
Visit New
Places
Whether this means studying in a new coffee shop, taking a
different route to work, or travelling
to a different country,
displacement is good for the brain. This might be difficult to recognize
in the moment since it usually feels rather awkward – at least
initially.
At the coffee shop, you can’t order the “usual.”
You have to study a new menu, pick something you have never tried
before, and make a decision.
While this seems simple, people enjoy the comfort of habit. We
like to know what to expect
at all times. When you travel to a new country, the language is
strange, the customs are unfamiliar, and the culture presents a strange new
rhythm of life. Adjusting to these new elements
forces the brain to tackle new, unexpected challenges. Learning
how to communicate through
a language barrier forces the brain to develop creative ways to
express needs and emotions. Listening to new music, trying new foods, and
navigating foreign streets
all work to challenge your
brain’s capacity to adapt to new situations.
Continue
Your Education
Adult education is one of the best investments of time, money, and
energy you can make.
While education is valuable throughout childhood and adolescence,
adults often underestimate their ability to learn new concepts and skills.
Challenge yourself to take a class, academic or creative. Voluntarily choosing
to continue education provides a perfect opportunity for your brain
to create new connections and build higher intelligence.
Read and
Watch the News
This is one activity that maintains the appearance of habit while
nurturing healthy brain waves. Setting aside half an hour every morning or
evening to read a newspaper or watch the news
will help your brain stay active. Digesting new information is a
good daily habit. The news introduces interesting topics to consider, and will
leave your brain churning with new information.
Read Books
Reading is the most basic way to facilitate brain activity, but it
often presents some of the most diverse opportunities for stretching brain
capacity. Reading provides practical assistance
by introducing new vocabulary, presenting examples of proper
grammar usage, and showing
the elegance of a well-written sentence. However, this is only
half of the magic of reading.
Whether you choose fiction, non-fiction, historical literature, or
poetry, reading offers
an opportunity for the reader to make big-picture connections
between the literature and real life.
In this way, reading is an alternative
way to make your brain travel to a new place.
As your imagination works to create tangible people, places, and
experiences from the words
on the page, your brain is rewiring to understand all the new
information.
Approach
Work in New Ways
The workplace is a canvas for new experiences. Regardless of what
type of job you might hold, everyone is at one time or another presented with
opportunities to think outside the box,
problem solve in a creative way, and contribute fresh ideas to the
team.
Instead of stressing over each new problem, it’s important to
relax
and starting imagining alternatives for reaching an end goal.
Challenging Yourself
Like a weightlifter who develops muscles, one must exercise the
brain on a daily basis,
pushing it just beyond its current capabilities. As Albert
Einstein once said,
“One should not pursue goals that are easily achieved.
One
must develop an instinct for what one can just barely achieve through one’s
greatest efforts.”
This quote encapsulates what I believe about the brain. With
enough focus and stretching,
the brain can truly surprise people. Underestimating yourself
holds you back from success. When people begin believing in their abilities,
they often go beyond what they thought was possible.
Brain
Train
Organizations like Lumosity offer fantastic daily brain training.
With puzzles and games designed to increase neuroplasticity, Lumosity was
created to challenge the brain to make new connections.
A group of neuroscientists at University of California Berkeley
developed this program to provide stimuli for the brain to push it to adapt and
re-train itself in uncharted territory.
Success stories abound concerning the results of this public
experiment.
Ask 5 Whys
When Encountering Problems
One of the most standard problem solving solutions, the 5 whys
still provide a solid start
to uncovering the root of a problem. Asking a question gets the
brain working to find an answer. Instead of worrying about the problem, always
start by asking why.
Eschew
Technology to Keep the Brain in Shape
Technology does wonders for the modern world, but in some ways,
technological dependence stunts the brain’s capacity for problem solving,
adapting to new environments,
and being a reliable resource for practical things like simple
mathematics and navigation.
Try going on a trip without a GPS. Work a few algebra problems
without a calculator.
Make your brain work for you; you’ll see the results.
Fostering Creativity
Finger-painting in preschool was not only a fun activity; it
helped open up the mind to
new possibilities and ways of solving problems. An artistic
mindset creates new opportunities
to find new solutions, fresh inspiration, and peaceful confidence.
The blend of these elements in both personal and professional
environments allows ordinary people to shine by becoming an innovative thinker
and inventive leader.
Find ways to incorporate creativity into the dull grind of daily
tasks.
Draw
You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate the benefits of
drawing, which cultivates brain activity
in a unique way. In addition to nurturing basic hand-eye
coordination, it sends synapses
to neurotransmitters to help more permanently and vividly store
your memories. From doodles
on a piece of scrap paper to charcoal portraits, drawing is a
healthy brain activity for everyone.
Paint
Painting is an extension of drawing. It feeds the same areas of
the brain, but unlike drawing, painting often introduces new and unfamiliar
textures and colors to stimulate the brain.
Painters often have a keen sense of awareness towards their
surroundings.
Engaging in painting encourages people to notice minute details of
the world around them.
Focusing the brain in this manner brings a heightened state of alertness.
Play an
Instrument
Learning to play an instrument also has outstanding benefits for
the brain. Hand-eye coordination, memory, concentration, and mathematic skills
all improve through playing an instrument.
While some are more challenging to learn than others, any
instrument facilitates
increased and improved cognitive functioning.
From training your fingers to master complex musical passages on
the piano to counting the beats in a musical measure, instruments force various
regions of the brain to work together to create music.
Write
Like reading, writing encourages vocabulary growth, grammar
skills, and use of proper syntax. Writing helps the brain store information
more effectively and fosters better memory skills.
Studies show that students who regularly take handwritten notes
during college classes consistently score better on tests. Writing forces a
person to pay attention to their memories, experiences,
and internal dialogues – a combination that increases brain
function altogether.
Role-Play
Put yourself in someone else’s shoes, and your brain starts to
rewire to help you think
like a different person. For those struggling to form creative
ideas, role-playing can help
the wheels start turning in the brain to help develop unique
solutions for difficult problems.
Working with Others
Although logical intelligence is important, emotional intelligence
plays an equally vital part
in overall success. Interacting with others helps people expand
beyond their own limited thinking, gain new ideas, and see things from a
different perspective.
People are challenging. Smart people often enjoy isolation because
it protects them from
being critical of others. However, this discomfort is necessary
for truly smart people because
it pushes them outside their bubble. When you start to believe you
have all the right answers,
start collaborating with others to expand perspective.
Teach and
Share Information with Others
Whether this is achieved virtually or face-to-face, pursue
colleagues and peers to share experience and wisdom. Fresh faces and new ideas
spur inspiration and create an amplified learning environment for the brain. By
creating a network for sharing ideas, your brain starts developing
a new network for formulating and executing innovative concepts.
Talk to
Interesting People
No two people share the same life experiences. Everyone interprets
information uniquely,
stores memories differently, and digests daily life with their own
intellectual flare.
This makes collaboration a necessity for brain health. Although we
are all inclined to think
our method is the best approach, gaining perspective from another
person helps our brain consider new solutions and new techniques for both
personal and professional issues.
Whether the conversation is centered on religion, finances,
politics, or diet trends,
people should practice being a good listener. Silencing your own
thoughts while the other person speaks is often challenging, but the brain
needs discipline to stay sharp.
Work in a
Team Environment
Collaborative environments are essential for enhancing brain
activity.
Some people who enjoy working independently dread the moment when
they are forced
to participate in a team-focused workplace. However, these
independent individuals
are highly intelligent and can benefit the most from a little
teamwork.
Author Steve Johnson’s book, Where
Good Ideas Come From, focuses on the benefits
of collaborating with peers and coworkers to develop original
ideas and effective strategies
for their execution. The modern workplace continues to shift
towards this team-oriented approach.
Cultivating Physical Health
The body feeds the brain, and keeping oneself in top physical
condition is crucial to adequate
fueling and operation of the brain. Lack of
motivation, mental fatigue, and absence of inspiration
are typically connected to poor exercise, diet, and focus.
Exercise
Studies constantly show people who exercise regularly have higher
I.Q. scores. In addition to maintaining a strong body, people who exercise
regularly actually stimulate brain cell growth.
A process called neurogenesis occurs during rigorous exercise,
which increases the production
of neurotransmitters. With side effects like increased dopamine,
active people enjoy less stress, better concentration, and more energy.
Dr. Michael Nilsson of Sahlgrenska Academy and Sahlgrenska
University Hospital
in Sweden conducted
extensive research on the topic. “Being fit means that you also have
a good heart and lung capacity and that your brain gets plenty of
oxygen,” the doctor said.
His research focused on over a million Swedish military men, and
Dr. Nilsson found a direct correlation between physical fitness
and high scores on I.Q. tests.
Pursue
Athletics
Multiple studies have shown active children typically do better in
school and have a better chance
of continuing their education after high school graduation.
Although athletic pursuits can feel grueling at the time, the overall benefits
of intense physical activity are wise for your future.
Whether it’s finding one thing you are good at, like basketball,
running, or lifting weights, or trying something new every day, maintaining an
athletic routine is important for optimal brain health.
Meditate
Controlling and calming the brain is as powerful as enhancing
activity through instruments
and puzzles. Doctors have been studying the effects of mediation
on the brain for several years,
and the results are impressive. In one famous study, Dr. Richard Davidson
of the University of Wisconsin collaborated
with the Dalai Lama to study what
happens to the brain during meditation.
Transcendental Meditation yields impressive results for the brain.
People who struggle with fear, anxiety, depression, and other mental ailments
should experiment with meditation
to calm themselves and develop a stronger sense of focus.
Maintain a
Nutritious Diet
Children and adults interested in boosting brain activity should
begin by transforming their diet. Research from the University of Bristol in
England points to a strong connection between
unhealthy diet and low I.Q. scores in children. To begin reversing
unhealthy tendencies, try cutting out excess fat, sugar, and fast foods, and
start adding more vegetables, fruit, and lean meats.
There are also a number of unusual drinks proven to help brain
function. Matcha Green Tea,
Raw Cacao hot chocolate, and Gingko Biloba tea all show benefits
for the brain.
Some scientist claim Gingko Biloba helps pump more blood to the
brain, improving circulation.
Active
Learning
Start children young with interactive video games, jump roping,
juggling, and other activities
to feed brain stimulation. Assign a musical instrument, a physical
activity, or a Sudoku puzzle
to get their brains moving. Parents, remember to join in the fun!
Creating daily routines to promote healthy brain activity doesn’t
require the advice
of a neuroscientist. While
plenty of studies provide convincing evidence,
increasing brain activity can be accomplished with a few basic
steps. Be intentional about your time and energy to start working towards a
smarter and more fulfilling life.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/work/you-these-20-things-every-day-youll-become-smarter.html
Turbo Charged Reading: Read more>>>Read
fast>>>Remember more>>>Years later
Contact
M’reen at: read@turbochargedreading.com
You can TCR specialist and language dictionaries that
are spontaneously accessed.
I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.
I can TCR an instructional/academic book around 20
times faster and remember what I’ve read.
A
practical overview of
Turbo Charged Reading YouTube
How to choose a
book. A Turbo Charged Reading
YouTube
Advanced Reading Skills Perhaps you’d like
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Perhaps
you’d like to check out my sister blogs:
www.innermindworking.blogspot.com gives many ways for you to work with the
stresses of life
www.ourbusinessminds.blogspot.com
development, growth, management. www.mreenhunthappyartaccidents.blogspot.com just for fun.
To
quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will
know.
The
more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”
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