Little more of skill, talent and IQ can take you miles ahead of the others. Skills enhance your talents but what about your IQ? Did you know it can be boosted too? Your brain needs exercise like a muscle does. If you use it frequently and in the correct ways, you will turn into a more skilled thinker and your ability to focus will be increased. The human brain performs well under proper supervision and training.
Here are 15 ways how you can nourish the brain like you would with your body is essential to boost your IQ levels with time.
- Eat a healthy, balanced diet: Your brain needs certain essential nutrients to perform at an optimum level, particularly with regard to neurotransmitter-precursors, salts and glucose. By eating a healthy, balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, vitamins, amino acids (especially from animal protein, e.g. chicken, dairy products and fish), omega-3 and carbohydrates, you can maintain healthy brain function without buying expensive dietary supplements.
- Learn meditation: Meditation has proved to be beneficial on brain functioning, like improved concentration, attention span, creativity and alertness. Take out at least 10-15 minutes every day, preferably in the morning to devote to meditation. Choose a calm and quiet place like a garden, Lakeside etc.
- Quit smoking and moderate alcohol intake: The various toxins in cigarette smoke and excessive alcohol consumption can impair brain functioning, both acutely and chronically, and may, in extreme cases, cause permanent cognitive impairment.
- Try learning and playing games like chess: Chess is a good example of a competitive game that enhances your cleverness. Learning up strategies and moves will help in boosting your IQ. You can learn the game online or join a club that trains in the game.
- Get Enough Sleep: An individual requires between 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night. During this time your brain processes the day by strengthening memories. ‘Early to bed and early to rise’ is the key to a healthy brain.
- Read Any Book or Newspaper Every Day: Make it a point to read something nonfiction at least 30 minutes every day. Reading increases your intelligence and vocabulary. Newspapers and magazines can be a good option if you don’t want to spend much on costly books. Also, being a member of the library can help you cut down on the expense.
- Hit the gym: Physical and aerobic exercises can work wonders for the behavioral and molecular brain functions. Only just 20 minutes of physical activity makes the brain improve at memory functions and the information processing facilitates. Exercise also stimulates neuroplasticity, that leads to the creation of a new connection between brain cells.
- Regular memory training: Train the brain to memorize telephone numbers, passport identification numbers, credit card, insurance, and also driving license numbers. You can make yourself remember acquaintances’ full name and birthdays. Cut down on using GPS every time you are to visit a new place. Try remembering important historical dates. Teaching young people can also help. This will boost your memory functions if practiced on a daily basis.
- Challenge your brain to novel learning: Learning a new language, musical instrument, area of mathematics will promote mental plasticity and versatility. Learning any area of mathematics will boost your IQ by a few points because mathematics is an excellent mental workout and exercises logical, numerical, visual and other forms of abstract reasoning, as well as improving concentration and mental stamina.
- Play a mentally challenging computer game: First-person shoot-em-ups and racing games are good for honing your reaction time and exercising your trigger finger, but they don’t offer much in the area of mental stimulation. Select a game that involves learning complex rules and strategies, and requires a variety of mental skills. A range of such games is easily available online. Select wisely and efficiently.
- Use brain-training software like Dual N-Back: This brain-training game has been proven to produce measurable improvements in general cognitive abilities, specifically in the areas of working memory and fluid intelligence.
- Socially Network: According to a recent report in Discover Magazine, social interaction enhances the synaptic activity of the brain. With the Internet being easily accessible you can interact with people of different races and nationalities world-wide. Interacting with new people means knowing their culture and country. Use it wisely and get an epitome of knowledge.
- Reading interesting stuff through Google Reader: Blog posts are such an effective way to learn and challenge your brain with new ideas and thoughts. The good bloggers put in a lot of hard work to create impactful content that is concise, entertaining, and useful. If you read 3 insightful blog posts every day for 10-15 minutes, that will at least put 3 good ideas into your head. It makes you to think on a higher level and see things in a different aspect.
- Audio learning: Audiobooks, Podcasts, Ted Talks etc they are all very wonderful ways to learn effortlessly. Even cleaning the kitchen gets done way too quickly when you are learning something interesting about a topic you are passionate about. But also, by listening to very stimulating content, it constantly challenges our brain to form new neurons & synaptic connection, utilizing full use of the high BDNF count developed with the other strategies.
- Play online quiz games: Online quiz games can be very useful to Boost your IQ. QuizUp is one such very popular quizzing community where you can challenge people around the world. Answering questions on varied topics within a time limit not only boosts your knowledge but also your attentive power. Select a topic at a times and get going. You can also bring around friends to download the gaming app and play together.
Achieving a higher level of IQ is not a one day or even one-year thing. It requires a devoted practice every day for years to reach your goal. With correct motivation and dedication if you follow the above points, be assured you will benefit out of it. You can evaluate your performance by taking free IQ Test available online.
