If you are wondering how to be smarter and how to stimulate your brain, here are some tips that will help you achieve it.
Image of the silhouette of a human head and inside of it a brain with straight lines around it, it tries to explain how to be more intelligent through the practice of some activities.
Although many people believe that intelligence is an innate characteristic, the truth is that it is an ability that can be improved. How to be smarter is a very common question whose answer lies in training and practice.
As we think about this topic, we know that there are many ways to work on it and we have separated some practices and tips for you to develop your potential.
What is human intelligence?
For much of the last few centuries, it was believed that it would be possible to measure and quantify intelligence in an index that we know as IQ or intelligence quotient.
Based on a test that primarily looked at an individual’s logical ability, IQ began to fall into disrepute over time, mainly as psychologists and researchers began to realize that other types of intelligence existed.
According to psychologist and author Howard Gardner, there are seven different types of intelligence, and each person has all of them within them. The difference is that, generally, individuals have a more evolved type of intelligence than others. Are they:
- linguistic intelligence
- logical intelligence
- motor intelligence
- spatial intelligence
- Musical intelligence
- Interpersonal intelligence
- Intrapersonal intelligence
- naturalistic intelligence
Thus, each person can have a different type of intelligence predominant in their personality and can also stimulate and perfect the other types.
How to be smarter?
As you have already noticed, there are different types of intelligence and so many other ways to stimulate each of the related abilities.
In general, it is possible to create some healthy habits that help us stimulate our intelligence in the most diverse existing areas.
1. Question everything
Never accept any type of statement without first questioning its veracity.
One of the greatest enemies of knowledge is not a lack of intelligence, but the illusion that we know everything.
Therefore, being curious and questioning what is around us puts us in contact with different points of view and with more qualified sources to verify the information.
In this way, naturally, we become more intelligent every day.
2. Read the news every day
The habit of setting aside time to read the news daily is extremely healthy, as it stimulates our brain to make connections between various pieces of information.
Try to reserve around 30 minutes (in the morning or in the afternoon) to find out the news.
In addition to improving your reading habits, this practice informs you of what is happening in the world and makes your conversations with other people much richer and full of information.
3. Create activity lists
The famous To Do Lists are nothing more than lists of tasks that we have to do in our daily lives.
The habit of relating our goals and obligations in our daily lives helps to organize our time, in addition to nurturing a feeling of work accomplished and satisfaction when we see that list crossed off.
4. Explain topics that you dominate to other people
Everyone dominates some kind of subject.
A good practice to stimulate our minds and become more intelligent is to prove to ourselves that we are capable of explaining this topic to other people.
Thus, we notice that we can not only learn new matters but also retain that information and clearly transmit it to others.
5. Read as much as you can
The answer to how to be smarter is closely related to brain stimulation, and one of the best ways to achieve this is through reading.
Many people associate reading with intelligence. And they are not wrong, because reading helps us make our vocabulary richer and more complex.
In addition to reading the news, which has been our tip number 2, also try to read a good book on different topics than what you are already used to.
This is a pleasant activity and capable of stimulating our imagination, regardless of whether the texts are fictional or historical.
6. Take notes
A great way to retain knowledge is to write down everything you learn.
It is not necessary to write a complex and long text, but writing down the key points of the new information with which you have had contact will already help you a lot in retaining that learning.
Also, like reading, writing stimulates a series of connections in our brain.
7. Watch TED Talks
An excellent way to have contact with new information that helps stimulate your intelligence is to search for educational content.
So instead of using YouTube just for entertainment, you can watch TED talks: TED Talks. They are short talks, about 18 minutes long, which aim to convey a good idea about a relevant issue at that time.
8. Play Peak
Peak is an app for Android and iOS that has several games that help stimulate different skills, such as focus, memory, agility, language, and problem-solving.
The app offers a complete analysis of your performance as you play, as well as comparing your results with the world average and with your friends who also use Peak.
9. Eat well
Some foods, such as fatty foods and alcohol, leave our brain lethargic, that is, working more slowly.
Therefore, changing eating habits for a healthier and lighter diet is one of the ways to take care of our minds.
10. Do exercises
Just like food, an exercise routine is essential to help you be smarter.
When we are reasoning, our brain is also spending energy. This energy needs to be restored and the blood needs to circulate throughout our body.
Therefore, a walk, run or any other type of physical exercise helps keep the body moving, also stimulating our neurons to function more efficiently.
