11 Strategies to Help You Be Smarter
Traditionally, people have thought intelligence is a unique quality that’s closely related to cognitive and linguistic abilities. However, experts have shown that it’s much more than that. In fact, if you want to be smarter, you have to work on a variety of skills.
Intelligence can be defined as the ability to function properly in the environment that surrounds you. The smartest people are the ones with the flexibility to adapt to change and respond to environmental demands.
Here are some strategies to help you increase your intelligence.
Get enough quality sleep
While you sleep, many important processes take place in the brain. It processes and organizes the information you received during the day. Then, it discards certain information and consolidates others.
In addition, mental energy is restored and you work unconsciously to find solutions to issues that concern you. Therefore, it’s essential to enjoy sufficient quality rest to function properly.
Take care of your body
Surely you know that diet and physical activity have a great impact on health. Now, did you know that they can also help you be smarter? For example, studies show that a diet rich in vitamins and minerals not only increases alertness, concentration and memory, but also prevents cognitive decline.
Physical exercise has also been shown to be effective in enhancing intellectual functions by improving blood circulation. Therefore, it boosts the supply of oxygen and glucose that the brain receives. So, it’s important to do moderate physical activity on a regular basis.
Train your brain to be smarter
The brain, like muscles, require training and practice not to atrophy. Then, to be smarter, it’s important to face new challenges that challenge cognitive ability.
Spending ten minutes a day doing activities such as solving puzzles, sudoku puzzles or riddles will keep you mentally active. In addition, there are lots of apps that can facilitate this task.
Discover more: 4 Habits that Affect a Child’s Brain Development
Seek to develop a deeper understanding
Generally, in schools, children are graded on their performance on a specific test. However, they quickly forget what they learned, since they didn’t deeply understand it.
To be smarter, you have to make significant learning, actively elaborating on information and putting it into practice. Understanding how the world works will help you navigate it more effectively.
Write and review everything that you learned
Regarding learning, writing what you learn is a great way to consolidate that knowledge. First of all, you’re actively acting on it instead of passively receiving it. Also, it’s an opportunity to review the information and keep it fresh in your memory.
Do different things every day
Routines provide a pleasant sense of familiarity and security. However, by doing the same tasks every day, you end up acting on autopilot.
Therefore, it’s good to introduce small variations in daily life to keep you on your toes. Every day, you can choose a different route to go to work, talk to different groups of friends or try different classes that attract your attention.
Read every day
Reading is an excellent habit that improves language skills and enhances creativity. In addition, it fosters social and emotional intelligence by letting you put yourself in the shoes of each main character. Also, it’s a great way to explore various topics, increasing curiosity and open-mindedness.
Keep track of ideas
When you start to nurture your mind with new information and habits, you’ll notice how it starts to activate. In fact, your creativity will heighten and you’ll find yourself having lots of new and original thoughts.
Write down the ideas that catch your attention and go back to them later, polish and shape those ideas that come out of nowhere. Then, they’ll become new ways to expand your mind.
Do things differently to be smarter
Normally, when you have learned to do something efficiently, you stop exploring that field and keep doing what you already know. Why would you change something that works well?
However, looking for new ways to approach the same activity helps us create new neural pathways in our brain. For example, starting to use your non-dominant hand for everyday tasks like eating or cleaning can be very stimulating.
Talk to and question yourself
Do you think talking to yourself is a sign of insanity? Nothing could be further from the truth: it’s a very healthy exercise that can lead you to be more intelligent.
When you voice your concerns, your thoughts and your emotions, you process them at a deeper level. Additionally, you activate new problem solving strategies. Therefore, get used to talking to yourself, question your ind and you’ll actually be a lot more flexible psychologically.
Keep reading: 5 Psychological Tricks to Attract Other People
Learn another language to be smarter
Lastly, learning another language will greatly expand your cognitive abilities. Bilingualism improves verbal fluency, enhances attention, concentration and memory. On the other hand, it helps to develop other perspectives when it comes to perceiving the world, giving you a broader point of view.
How to be smarter
Ultimately, to be smarter, you have to nurture your mind, face challenges, and stay active. The worst enemies of brain plasticity are routine and comfort. Therefore, make sure to introduce small challenges in your day to day life.
Remember, intelligence isn’t just a score on paper. In fact, it’s your best ally when it comes to successfully adapting to reality. Without a doubt, it’s worth working on!
