How to become smarter

How to Become Smarter: 21 Things You Can Do Daily

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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.

So how to become smarter?

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.

1. Visit New Places

Whether this means studying in a new coffee shop, taking a different route to work, or traveling 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Read

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.

Here’re some great books to read:

5. 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.

6. Do Brain Training

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.

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. Foster 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.

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. 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.

13. 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. [1]

Writing forces a person to pay attention to their memories, experiences, and internal dialogues – a combination that increases brain function altogether.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. Exercise

Studies constantly show people who exercise regularly have higher I.Q. scores. [2] 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. [3] “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.

19. 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.

20. 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. [4]

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.

21. 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. [5] To begin reversing unhealthy tendencies, try cutting out excess fat, sugar, and fast foods, and start adding more vegetables, fruit, and lean meats. These 12 Best Foods That Improve Memory and Brain Health are good for you too.

There are also a number of unusual drinks proven to help brain function. Matcha green tea, raw cacao hot chocolate, and ginkgo biloba tea all show benefits for the brain. Some scientist claim ginkgo biloba helps pump more blood to the brain, improving circulation.

The Bottom Line

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.

5 Practical Strategies on How to Get Smarter Now

Is there a way to get smarter and skyrocket your productivity? There sure is. Explore how to uncover your brain with these five practical strategies.

Can you learn how to get smarter? Many of us grow up thinking that intelligence is fixed and there’s nothing we can do about it. This thinking is fundamentally wrong.

In this article, we’ll give you a no-nonsense approach with practical tips on how to become smarter by working with your brain the right way.

But first, let’s define what smart means in this context.

What Does It Mean to Become Smart?

Basically, how to keep your mind and brain growing, evolving, and constantly learning.

One of the key elements in doing so is to remember that it’s your mindset that sets the stage.

What Is Growth Mindset?

Those who believe that their IQ is fixed throughout their lifetime often feel defeated and are unwilling to work hard. What’s the point of putting effort into something that can’t be improved?

So, what is intelligence? Is it fixed, or is it fluid?

You have to fully comprehend that you can increase your IQ. All it takes is hard work and knowledge on how to learn effectively.

The latter is especially important — you could be the hardest worker in the world, but be wasting a great deal of your time because you’re not learning efficiently.

How Can I Make My Brain Smarter and Faster?

One factor that plays a role in smarts and speed is to increase your IQ and your ability to develop a genuine willingness to learn.

Motivation combined with curiosity is a potent blend that will not only drive you towards your goal but will also make your journey legitimately enjoyable.

Get curious about becoming smarter! The topic can be truly fascinating.

And when you start reaping the rewards of your hard work and curiosity, you’ll feel more fulfilled and satisfied with the direction that your life is taking.

5 practical strategies to make yourself smarter

Here are five strategies that are widely used as smart hacks to sharpen your mind and brain:

1. Stop procrastinating

According to behavioral economics research from The University of Pennsylvania, bundling a habit that is good for you in the long run with a habit that feels good in the immediate moment is the secret!

The best example of this would be, only get a pedicure while processing overdue work emails.

The effects of skipping a workout now won’t be felt immediately. However, ditching your gym partner makes you look like a jerk. Be held accountable.

The premise is hilariously effective. You put money on the line. And If you don’t do what you say you’ll do, then the money goes to a charity you hate.

For example, you eat junk food all the time? Then next time you are home all day, vow never to stock up on junk food when you go shopping. NEVER!

Break down your big goal into “smaller achievable wins” that allow you to get to the next, smaller goal. You can do this all the way to the finale conquering one small win at a time.

2. Use the F.A.S.T method

3. Become smarter by practicing ‘mindfulness’

It seems like today everyone is talking about this thing called “mindfulness” or “being mindful”. But what is mindfulness exactly? Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present moment. You practice observing your thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.

It was rumored that Steve Jobs practiced a form of mindfulness meditation that was taught in schools of Zen Buddism. Decades later, researchers from Wharton confirmed the effectiveness of practicing mindfulness.

4. Play brain games to increase your IQ

If you are like everyone else that wants to get smarter, then you’ve asked the question, “how can I improve my IQ?” And you probably thought games don’t help much.

But here is a surprise…they help a lot!

5. Practice intermittent fasting

Apparent evidence shows that a practice called intermittent fasting elevates human growth hormone (HGH) which works to restore your body functions and promotes the growth of neuronal connections in the brain.

A new study in mice shows that fasting increases BDNF, a protein that promotes the growth of neuronal connections.

This isn’t something that goes unnoticed. Counter to popular belief, skipping dinner or breakfast and going on 10-hour fasts can really enhance your mental and cognitive abilities.

You will see for yourself that your productivity will skyrocket!

A Word to Remember

You can’t get clever overnight. Strengthening your intelligence takes hard work and knowledge on how to get smarter.

So don’t forget: Your intelligence is not fixed.

First, you make your habits and then, your habits make you.

As a transformation and self-development writer at Mindvalley, Irina uses words to transpire empowering ideas, transcendental feelings, and omniversal values.

How To Become Smarter? 10 Everyday Habits To Become More Intelligent

Figuring out how to get smarter is a question that plagues everyone.

Whether it’s answering your kids’ questions on the weekend, going to grad school while working full time, or simply trying to get more accomplished in a day, everyone would benefit from being smarter.

Smarter people have ways of thinking that are different from everyone else. They have developed certain habits, skills, and mindsets that propel them to be smarter.

In this article, you are going to find out what are the secret ways, habits, and mindsets of people who are smart.

Let’s get right into it.

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Why is Important to Be Smart & List of 10 Benefits

In general, it’s important to be smart because you can do more things and have a better life.

To keep your level of intelligence, you need to work every day to learn new things and improve upon what you know.

Smarter people are more successful. According to a study, people that are smart are more successful.

List of 10 Benefits That Most Smart People Posses

Here are 10 benefits that smart people have over those that aren’t:

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10 Best Ways & Habits to Become Smarter Every Day

There are some specific ways and habits that smart people follow to keep their level of intelligence up.

Here are 10 things that smart people do regularly.

Spend time reading every day

One of the best ways for smarter people to keep their brains active is by reading.

Reading helps your brain grow through exposure to new words, concepts, and ideas that stimulate creativity and expand the mind in a variety of ways.

Spend time reading every day, even if it’s only 15 minutes before bedtime.

You can also listen to audiobooks on your commute or during your workout session.

Make sure you read something challenging that will expand your knowledge in some way so you can grow as a person from it.

Focus on building a deeper understanding

Smart people want to always learn more, so they focus on building a deeper understanding.

They are not interested in passing exams or having shallow conversations about anything. They want to make sure that they truly understand everything by learning about the core concepts.

When you master these core elements, you can learn how it relates to other subjects and come up with some amazing new ideas because of them.

For example, if you are learning about history, don’t just focus on memorizing dates or names.

Focus instead on understanding why certain events happened the way they did and what caused them to change the world forever.

Constantly question and seek clarification

To get smarter every day, you need to question everything and seek clarification.

Smart people don’t just accept what they are told, they ask questions to get more information so they can come up with their conclusion.

They also seek clarification if someone tells them something to make sure an idea or concept makes sense.

These two strategies help smart people grow in knowledge because it forces them to learn about every aspect of a subject rather than just the surface-level details.

For example, when you watch TV or read articles online, always pay attention to the presenter’s words and think about how it relates to everything else you know about this topic.

Having these clarifying thoughts will push your mind further and make you smarter.

Diversify your day

Smart people diversify their day by engaging in multiple activities and hobbies.

This helps their brains become more flexible and solve problems in different ways because they’re always experiencing something new.

When your brain gets used to doing the same thing every day, it starts to get lazy and won’t work as hard to come up with unique ideas or answers.

The great thing about being smarter is that you have a strong ability to solve big problems fast so diversifying your day will help move this along quickly.

For example, if you’re a writer who spends a lot of time at a computer desk editing content all day, take a break from that for some exercise instead.

You can go for a jog or head out on a bike ride for half an hour before going into the office again.

Review learned information

Smart people are always reviewing learned information at the end of every day so they can solidify their knowledge in their minds.

By doing this, you will have a clearer understanding of all the small details that make up a subject and this will result in better plans or ideas that you come up with.

You will also feel more confident in your abilities because it shows you know what you’re talking about when someone else brings up the same topic.

For example, if you just learned how to solve some kind of problem after reading an article or book, take five minutes before bed to explain it to yourself again.

This might help cement the new information into your brain for when you need it later on.

Keep track of your ideas

If you want to always keep track of your ideas, it’s important not to leave them in your head because they will disappear from there.

Smart people know that if an idea is important enough, it must be written down or recorded in some way so that it doesn’t slip away.

Smart people constantly think about what they want to do next and how they can improve their lives.

They record this information in a journal or on the computer so they have something concrete to go back to when they need it later on.

You can also use tools like Evernote or OneNote so you don’t need to carry around pen and paper everywhere you go.

For example, let’s say you wanted to start reading more books.

Write down “Buy a new book” in your journal or set a reminder on your phone every so often to remind you when it’s time to buy one.

Allow yourself to change

Smart people have a habit of being open to change, which allows them to be more flexible in learning about new things.

People who are stuck in their ways don’t want to change because they feel comfortable with how they currently spend their time.

Their life becomes too routine and every day is the same so when something new comes along, they aren’t ready for it.

They also think any change will take up too much time so why bother even trying?

However, smart people know that growing as an individual takes effort and there might be some sacrifices you need to make if you want different results.

For example, let’s say your current job isn’t making enough money or fulfilling enough. If you hate the idea of looking for another one then try changing your skills so you can find a new career.

Hang out with smart people

People are often attracted to others who have similar interests, personalities, or goals in life so they can relate to each other better.

However, being around the same type of person every day becomes boring over time so you might need to take some risks and meet new people.

Smart people know that if they’re always hanging out with their friends, they won’t meet new people and expand their social circle.

They try to surround themselves with people who have different lifestyles or values because this opens them up to new ideas that might benefit them in the future.

For example, let’s say you’ve been friends with someone for a while but they never introduce you to anyone else.

This might mean they don’t have many connections and might not be open to starting a conversation with someone you’ve never met before.

Aim to do something new every day

Smart people are constantly learning about new things because it’s the only way they can grow as an individual.

They regularly try out new activities so that they can expand their minds and think differently about a situation.

If you want to improve yourself, you need to put yourself in a situation where your actions will lead you there.

This could either be by practicing some skill or simply observing how another person lives their life.

For example, let’s say when you leave work, you always go home and watch TV. Try making plans with friends instead, so that this allows you to do something that you’re not usually accustomed to.

Have a regular workout

The mind and body are usually connected so the only way to improve yourself is by working out regularly.

This helps you live an overall healthy lifestyle, which results in making better decisions and clearing your head.

For example, let’s say you never exercise but always find the time to go over to your friend’s house for dinner.

Start by swapping one dinner a week for a gym workout and you’ll start seeing the difference.

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How To Get Smarter In School

There are many different ways to get smarter in school, including the following:

How To Get Smarter In Math

If you want to get smarter in Math, then you need to try out all of the different methods we just mentioned and figure out which one helps you remember things better.

In addition, when it comes to math specifically, you should try executing as much as possible, instead of just reading through your textbook and trying to memorize everything.

Here are some really good ways to get smarter in Math:

Bonus Advice: How Can Reading Help In Getting Smarter?

If you want to get smarter, then reading is a great way to improve your vocabulary because it exposes you to all sorts of new words that you might not have heard before.

This will help when you’re doing something like an essay where your choice of words can change the entire meaning, so try to learn at least three new words every week.

It’s also really important to read in different genres because this means you might find yourself learning more about history through non-fiction while picking up interesting information from fiction stories.

If you find a book boring, just start reading another one just for fun. There’s nothing wrong with doing this because it keeps things fresh and helps you stay enthusiastic.

Reading books of personal development is another good habit to get into because you will learn new things about yourself that can help improve your life, including how to set up new goals.

You can also take different tests/quizzes (such as the High5test) to help you get smarter and learn more. They only take a few minutes and the results can be very interesting.

You will also get new proven evidence that helps you understand that you are getting better (and smarter) with each day that passes.

Finally, you should set up a schedule for when you’re going to study and work on your skills/techniques because this means you’ll be able to complete everything without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out about having too much to do at once.

How to Become a SMARTER Person: 18 Habits to Be More Intelligent

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​Do you know that it’s possible to become smarter—at any age?

Many people are under the general misconception that intelligence is a fixed value that’s set when they are young, and that it has no chance of changing as they grow older.

Research shows that improving our intelligence is possible at any age. The things we do and our outlook in life, such as possessing a growth mindset as opposed to a fixed mindset, can contribute greatly to improving our cognitive abilities.

There are simple habits that you can apply in your daily life that can help make you smarter. In today’s post, we feature 18 habits that are guaranteed to make you smarter.

We hope that these pointers will inspire you to develop your brain to its fullest capacity.

Your path to becoming a genius starts now.

What You Will Learn

1. Read books, and read a lot.

Studies have found that the earlier in life a person learns to read and the more reading materials they are subjected to, the more cognitive skills they will develop.

Reading and literacy seem to be linked to intelligence, as researchers have found that a student who is not proficient in reading by the 3rd grade is four times more likely to drop out of school than their more literate peers.

However, even for those who have limited reading comprehension skills, reading can help enhance their vocabulary and their development of intellectual functioning. Reading an actual book improves your memory and makes you smarter.

Reading stimulates your brain and keeps it healthy, which is critical for your memory. Reading has been found to reduce age-related cognitive decline, helping people maintain their memory and preventing the development of mental illnesses.

When you are reading, there is a lot of information to remember—from characters’ names to the sequence of events in the story. You may even be reading a mystery that has you trying to interpret or decipher information on your own, requiring you to remember everything that has happened in the book from start to finish.

People who read literature also have an edge when it comes to interpersonal skills. Aside from the fact that reading will give you something to talk about in conversations with other people, studies have shown that people who read have more emotional intelligence than those who don’t.

Reading improves your ability to pick up on other people’s facial cues because it provides you with a larger reference point to decode another person’s expressions. Also, reading gives you a chance to subconsciously practice empathy.

So not only does reading make you smarter, it can also make you a better person. Knowing how to better understand people’s emotions can make you more relatable and helpful to others.

2. Use filtered news services.

A lot of people think they have to be up-to-date with all of the latest news—usually to feel like they know about everything that is going on. However, any knowledge that is acquired through chaotic consumption when your brain is on information overload rarely adds value to your intelligence.

Subscribing to filtered news services gives you a better perspective on current events and topics only in areas of your interest.

Don’t waste your time taking in irrelevant information just so you don’t suffer from FOMO. Filter out what’s not important and focus only on the things that matter to you.

Make sure you are spending your time learning material that you can apply and benefit from in the long run.

One suggestion is the The Morning Brew newsletter, which sends you daily email digests on topics ranging from “Wall Street to Silicon Valley.” This is a good option if you want to stay up-to-date on only the critical news.

3. Hang out with smart people.

There is an advantage to surrounding yourself with like-minded people. But if you want to get smarter, hang out with people who are more intelligent than you are. Create connections with people who inspire you, and those you deem to be exceptionally successful.

The diversity of opinions and expertise sharpens your brain. In order to improve yourself, you have to be exposed to environments that are challenging for you, and that give you the opportunity to grow and learn.

Stop wasting your time with people who hold you back or make you feel bad about yourself. Being selective about who you spend your time with becomes increasingly strategic with age, as it has been said that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. If the people who surround you impact you so deeply, you should learn to attract others you admire, and phase out toxic relationships in your life.

You can implement this idea by finding people online who share a mutual desire for self-improvement. To get started, here are three articles you can check out:

4. Aim to do something new every day.

Doing something new every day will give you a wide range of perspectives to pull from in your small, everyday areas of specialization. For example, people with naturalist intelligence like to analyze, and manipulate the things in their environment.

Doing new things helps you learn, which then makes you more readily adaptable to new circumstances.

Having a wide range of knowledge of unconventional situations promotes innovation by inspiring you to think outside of the box and giving you examples to follow.

Doing new things deepens your character and makes other people look up to you as being an inspiring person. Knowing you have the ability to do more things will also make you more confident. Doing unfamiliar tasks will stimulate your brain and make you smarter. Here is a list of over 100 things to learn beginning today.

5. Play board games (e.g., Scrabble, chess, or Battleship).

Playing board games has been proven to make you all kinds of “smart.” Board games improve your logical thinking skills, enhance your learning skills, and decrease your risk of developing age-related cognitive disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s.

From 2008 to 2009, a pair of researchers studied 31 middle school special needs students. Sixteen of the students were given their typical math instruction, while the remainder of the students went through a 30-week chess training program in addition to their regular math instruction.

When the school year was finished, those who participated in the chess program had higher grades in math and higher standardized test scores than those who didn’t. This suggests that playing games keeps your brain sharp and helps you comprehend new information better.

6. Make a list of the things you’ve done.

A “did” list is the opposite of a to-do list. List down things you’ve already accomplished. This type of list-making boosts your happiness and confidence, which are two components of intelligence.

Intelligence is often seen as a predetermined trait, which limits people’s motivation to try to change their own level of intelligence. However, studies have shown that there is a link between IQ and happiness beginning in childhood and spanning across one’s life.

When it comes to confidence, if you have a healthy self-esteem, you will be more accepting of yourself. Other people will be able to see this confidence, and will give you more credibility when you are talking about any given subject.

Making a list of the things you have completed can act as a reminder of how far you have already come in whatever you are working on. This can keep you motivated to keep moving forward with your work and continue to learn.

7. Learn a new language.

Scientists have proven that being bilingual boosts your intelligence. This means that learning a new language will improve your cognitive abilities. It can have a significant effect on your brain, even improving your intelligence in areas that are not related to language and shielding you from dementia in old age.

In fact, knowing two languages has been shown to delay the onset of dementia by five years, and knowing three languages delays it by 6.4 years. Knowing four or more languages delays the onset of dementia by nearly a decade.

When you learn a new language, you are exercising your brain in a way that uses every form of memory that you have. Think about it—when you learn a new language, you have to essentially learn a new dictionary of words, and the grammatical rules to put all of these words together.

You also have to use your muscles and motor skills to speak with the correct pronunciation—and you have to be able to do it quickly, instinctively, and without having to stop and figure out each translation. You need to know the words and understand the relationships between them.

Once you are equipped with this knowledge, studies have shown that you will have an improved attention span, a better memory, and more self-control. When learning a new language, make sure to take on a growth mindset. Pursue the challenges and aim to stretch beyond your capacity.

8. Explain what you know to others.

To make sure that you understand what you’re learning, try explaining it to others. This is one key step in the Feynman technique, a way to learn something faster and more efficiently.

Researchers have found that students who are enlisted to tutor others work harder to fully comprehend the material, recall it correctly, and apply it to real-life situations better. If you are learning not only for your own sake but to be able to explain the lessons to someone else, you need to have a firm grasp on the material.

This may be why studies have found that first-born children tend to be more intelligent than their subsequent siblings, because they spend time teaching their younger siblings lessons they have already learned themselves.

Also, getting feedback from a student further enhances one’s learning. A student’s questions can inspire teachers to consider and explain t he material in ways they had not previously thought about. What’s more, watching a student solve problems lets the teacher see their knowledge being put to use.

9. Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the capacity to focus on the current moment without judgment. It is cultivated from daily meditation—doing some deep belly breaths brings more oxygen to your brain, slows your heart rate, and allows you to release thoughts of the past or future, bringing your entire self into the moment.

Practicing mindfulness boosts your ability to make smarter decisions. When you are not present in the moment, you may be tempted to multi-task—and studies have found that people who allow themselves to get distracted by incoming email or phone calls at work had a 10- to 15-point decrease in their IQs.

What’s more, multi-tasking can actually damage your brain. Those who switch their attention quickly from one thing to another have a lower brain density in the area of the brain that is responsible for empathy and cognitive and emotional control.

10. Write your notes by hand.

Research shows that when people write their notes longhand, they retain information longer and can better grasp new ideas. Yes, it takes longer to write out notes instead of typing them, but taking this time to digest the material is critical. This means that students who write their notes rather than type them gain a better understanding of lesson materials.

When you are typing your notes, you are likely to record almost everything you hear without considering the meaning behind the words or processing the material. You’re simply mindlessly transcribing what you hear, which does not require a lot of cognitive activity.

Alternatively, when you take handwritten notes, you are unable to write down every word the teacher says. This forces you to listen, summarize the information, and list the key points. Your brain has to stay engaged during this process of comprehending the new material, which helps you remember the information better in the long run.

11. Play action-oriented video games (in moderation).

A neuroscientist revealed that people who play video games in moderation have better decision-making abilities and improved focus. Playing action video games helps improve your probabilistic inference, which is the ability to quickly infer the probability that an answer is correct when you have limited evidence.

This is a key factor in making decisions. This ability is used in several sensory and perceptual tasks, so people who play video games can transfer this skill to other areas of their lives.

Also, cognitive flexibility is not a fixed trait. It can be improved through fun learning tools such as playing video games. Playing action video games in moderation can increase your performance in both sensory and perceptual tasks, even in ways that greatly differ from the tasks required in the game play.

12. Get caffeinated.

As the most commonly used stimulant in the world, caffeine has been recognized to help you become smarter. It not only helps improve your concentration, but can also help boost your mood.

Caffeine’s indirect impact on your brain’s arousal, mood, and concentration contributes to its cognitive-enhancing properties. It helps make you more alert, which in turn makes it easier for you to learn and process new information.

Further, caffeine’s primary impact on the brain is its ability to block the effects of an inhibitory neurotransmitter called adenosine. When adenosine is blocked, caffeine increases the firing of neurons, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain. This helps improve your mood, memory, reaction time, attention, and overall cognitive function.

13. Have a regular workout.

Exercising boosts your intelligence in many ways. It sharpens your focus, improves memory and recall, and enhances your productivity. Even in children, exercise is a simple yet critical means of enhancing mental functioning that is central to cognitive development.

Just like in adults, exercise enhances children’s executive functioning, which includes the cognitive processes that are required to choose, organize, and initiate goal-directed actions.

Experiments performed on adult humans and animals have both revealed evidence that when exercise is performed on a regular basis for an extended period of time, brain function that controls cognition and behavior is improved.

Physical activity leads to many biological responses in your muscles and organs that help improve and regulate the structure and functions of the brain.

Keeping in mind that children have a similar response to exercise as adults, getting sufficient exercise as a child is important when it comes to their education and ability to learn.

If you want a simple way to add more exercise to your busy schedule, then here are 11 simple workout programs you can add to your morning routine.

14. Allow yourself to daydream.

Spontaneous forms of cognitive functions such as daydreaming can help you arrive at deep insights and allow you to cultivate your imagination and creativity.

When you let your mind wander, it subconsciously processes all of the information that you have packed into it. This can help you increase your imagination when you aren’t focusing on anything specific.

You may have multiple ideas in your head that are meant to be together, but until you relax your mind and allow it to make connections on its own, these ideas may not come together. In other words, you may be your most creative when you are daydreaming.

Also, those who allow their minds to wander have a better working memory, which has a direct relationship with intelligence. Your working memory is also strongly linked to things such as reading comprehension and your IQ score.

One note of caution: Sometimes too much daydreaming can hold you back in many areas of your life. To learn more, read this article about the dangers of maladaptive daydreaming.

15. Socialize.

In addition to the knowledge that you hold, intelligence comes from high-quality, frequent interactions with other people as well. Scientists are starting to see that the more social interaction one has, the more likely they are to be smart and stay smart.

For example, studies have found that socializing with friends and family improves memory. One such study is found here, and discusses how socialization boosts cognitive abilities.

However, in order to reap the cognitive benefits, you have to be engaged in your conversations with other people and actually try to understand their perspectives and points of view. This can help change your brain because it makes you look at things in a new light.

16. Utilize your online time wisely.

Spending too much time on the Internet scrolling through social media posts is a major time sink for most people. In our online age, it is so easy to become distracted on the Internet.

You go to check your email and before you know it you’re three pages deep into a “Game of Thrones” forum and then you’re re-watching the latest episode.

Don’t let temptation on the Internet get the best of you. Write down your priorities when it comes to your Internet activities and get them done in order of importance. Be conscious of which websites to visit, and maximize your time online by visiting sites promoting learning, such as TED Talks (we recommend watching TED presentations on stress management, overcoming procrastination, and practicing mindfulness). You can also take up computer hobbies that are worthy of your time and effort.

17. Draw, paint, or color.

Exercise your brain and strengthen it by engaging in visual arts activities such as drawing, painting, or coloring. All of these activities contribute to boosting your intelligence.

Children become more prepared to learn in school when the growth of their brains is promoted by engaging in art. Also, children can improve their communication skills through art, and therefore have an easier time conveying their ideas to others.

Creating art makes use of your imagination, whether you are drawing images of concrete things or portraying your emotions through abstract art. Drawing, painting, or coloring plays a beneficial role in the continuous development of your brain.

For those who are right-brained, creating art is a healthy way of using and enhancing creative skills. For left-brained (or analytical) people, it can help stimulate their creative side and improve it.

18. Travel as often as you can.

Traveling can make you smarter. The brains of individuals who travel and expose themselves regularly to unfamiliar environments produce more neurons in anticipation of new experiences and developing ways to effectively deal with them.

Having the willingness to question your old views and being open to viewing the world from various perspectives can expand your ability to consume new information. When you travel, you are forced to think in new ways and embrace unique cultural practices.

Both of these factors will ultimately create more neurological connections in your brain, which makes you quicker to react. It also improves you ability to think through logic and problem solve more efficiently. Traveling has creative and cognitive benefits, as shown in this research.

Conclusion

What activities featured above on how to become smarter are you looking forward to trying soon?

We hope that after reading this article you’re convinced that becoming smarter can begin at any age.

Also, if you’re searching for specific book suggestions that can help increase your intelligence, then we suggest checking out this list of over 250 books, broken down by category and specific interest.

7 Ways to Become Smarter Every Week

Spend time every day learning something new.

To be successful in business, you need a nimble mind to react to problems faster and you need to be adept at understanding whatever is thrown your way. In short, your ability to succeed is often determined by how smart you are.

yipengge | Getty Images

With practice, anyone can increase their knowledge base, sharpen their intellect and learn new skills. There are a number of ways to boost your cognitive skills and expand your mental capacity. We should aim to spend time every day learning something new. The more we learn and the more deeply we understand, the better we can improve our brain performance and increase our capacity to learn.

The list below includes the best ways to engage your mind and grow your intelligence so you can meet the ever-mounting challenges you face. By following these seven tips, you can become a little smarter every week.

1. Spend time reading every day.

The mind is like a muscle: the more you use it the stronger it will become. Reading is an important element for developing your mind, as it’s one of the basic ways we gain knowledge and learn.

If you’re looking to quickly grow your knowledge, one easy way is to speed up your reading so you can charge through books, written material and even online articles (like this one!). Most people read at an average rate of 250 words per minute. At that rate, it would take you about six minutes to read this article. But with speed reading, you could cut that time in half. Just remember, the goal is to help you rapidly consume more information, not just zoom past words without fully comprehending their meaning.

2. Focus on building a deeper understanding.

They use a deep and meaningful knowledge of their world and a flexible mindset to understand problems and quickly come up with solutions. Their deep knowledge base gives them the foundation they need to perform.

Work to steadily build a deep and meaningful knowledge base on a few key topics and issues. Be honest with yourself about areas you are weak in and seek to reinforce your understanding of important subjects until you have a rock-solid foundation that you can build on. Knowledge is cumulative, so start with the basics. You need to have a firm grasp of how something works before you can fix it. It’s good to have a breadth of knowledge, but it’s also important to take “deep dives” to truly understand difficult and complex issues.

3. Constantly question and seek clarification.

Asking questions is the single most important factor in becoming smarter. Innovation always begins by asking questions and being curious. There is value in asking questions because it’s the way we push the boundaries of our world and our mind. That’s why it’s so important to hone a curious, open mind by constantly questioning everything.

It’s not just a matter of asking questions; you should be asking insightful questions that probe the validity of assumptions, analyze logic and explore the unknown. Practice asking questions that get to the heart of a matter and cultivate a willingness to push for answers.

Like anything else, developing this skill takes time. As you’re working, reading or engaging in activities, keep a running log of questions that come to mind about anything and everything that you’re involved with. Don’t be afraid to seek clarification when something isn’t clear.

4. Diversify your day.

One of the best ways to increase your intelligence involves flexing different areas of your brain. You aren’t going to get any smarter by doing the same ol’, same ol’ every day. While having a routine is a good thing (so your body knows when to get up and when it’s bedtime), you don’t want to spend your waking hours stuck in a rut.

By inviting a little novelty into your daily life, you keep things fresh and interesting. That might mean checking out a new place for lunch, or going for a midday stroll on which you pay attention to the sights and sounds around you. You can also mix things up during working hours by simply finding new ways of doing your everyday tasks.

5. Review learned information.

We recall new information most crisply right after we’ve learned it. If you don’t use that information again soon after you’ve learned it, it will quickly fade from your mind. After a few days, we may only be able to recall a little of what we initially learned. In order to increase our ability to remember, we need to store this information in our long-term memory, and the best way to do this is to frequently review what we’ve learned until it’s locked in our memory banks.

6. Keep track of your ideas.

Not all of your new ideas are going to be winners. Some may be fleeting or simply won’t pan out. But once in a while, you might have a lightbulb moment that could change your life.

7. Allow yourself to change.

Whether we realize it or not, sometimes we hold ourselves back. There are times when even the smartest people allow themselves to become bound to obsolete or erroneous ideas and ways of thinking. To become truly intelligent, you must allow yourself to make mistakes, to take risks and leap at opportunity and learn from all these experiences.

You must allow yourself to change, to be open to new things and to ultimately become a different, better version of yourself. By opening yourself up to new sources of knowledge and pushing your mind to learn new things, you may ultimately question some of your old, foundational thinking. You may find that some of your perceptions were off, or that your viewpoints weren’t grounded in fact.

Challenge ideas, discuss them with others, hear out other sides and flex your analytical skills. But be open to changing your mind. And above all, give yourself room to grow and continue on your path to seeking wisdom. As you become smarter, success will follow.

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