11 Healthy Habits That Will Make You Smarter

It’s no wonder that many people wish to be intelligent and excel in every part of their life. However, not everyone is born with a high IQ level. Nor does that mean you can’t improve your intellect now. You can get smarter by opening your mind and practicing new ways of learning.

Be mindful, becoming smarter is a continuous process and can’t happen overnight. Though, the good news is that increasing your IQ level doesn’t cost a fortune. You only need to spend quality time and make adequate efforts to practice healthy habits daily.

If you think you have the grit to get smarter, then don’t be lazy. Get up every day and include the following habits in your routine:

1. Observe And Question Everything

You probably have read the phrase “feed your curiosity” many times, but are you implementing this tip? Your first step to becoming smarter must include questioning every little thing. Observe each and everything throughout the day and search for answers to something that you can’t comprehend. Don’t consider yourself as a cynic, when in actual your curiosity will make your mind sharper. It might come as a surprise to you how many new things you can learn daily by just questioning and not making assumptions.

2. Learn Consistently

Let’s admit it; your life is dull and bland if you aren’t learning something new every day! Your learning must include both personal and professional interests. If you are passionate about arts and design, then make sure to dedicate one hour each day to learn a new design technique. Similarly, if you are currently working as a nurse, acquiring post masters dnp programs online can help you continue to learn more and grow professionally.

Moreover, sharing would never hurt anyone. Sharing knowledge with others increases your memory, and who knows, you might find different perspectives on what you learned. So start sharing what you learn with your family, friends, or colleagues.

3. Take Up Intimidating Challenges

You don’t want to miss out on many life adventures and experiences by letting fear take control of your life. After all, you can’t enjoy your life to the fullest if you aren’t open to take challenges. Look for different challenging yet exciting activities or habits and encourage yourself to practice them. You might fail countless times and feel like quitting. However, keep pushing yourself; eventually, you will become a pro at it.

4. Eat Healthily

Remember when your trainer would advise eating healthy foods before any big event properly; be it a test or a match? Your trainer wasn’t just bluffing for sure. According to studies, starting the day with a healthy diet will ensure your body is ready to face every challenge more efficiently. It also helps enhance your memory and make it easier for you to learn and adopt new skills. Your healthy diet must include an equal proportion of vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish, and meat to go the extra mile in your life.

5. Read Daily

Reading is the best way to improve your knowledge and get smarter. With the advancement in technology, reading is no longer a difficult task. You don’t have to wait every morning to get a newspaper for reading. Instead, the simplest way is to make use of your smartphone. If you have already spend a fortune on buying the latest smartphone with the newest features, it’s time to put these features to use. Search for different reading apps that best align with your interest and, at the same time, keep abreast with all the happenings around you.

A best practice is to take out fifteen minutes from your everyday schedule for reading. Furthermore, try reading something that you strongly disagree with to broaden your knowledge.

6. Keep Yourself Fit

Skipping exercise keeps you both physically and mentally lazy. Working out helps produce Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factors (BDNF) in the body cells that enhance your concentration levels, learning, and memory. Bear in mind, exercising occasionally now and then is not a road to being smarter. Instead, discipline is the key. Force yourself to get up every day and follow a fitness exercise plan for maximum benefits.

7. Implement What You Have Learned

What’s the point of learning new things if you cannot apply them in the first place? Suppose you have recently learned how to make brownies, but how will you satisfy your cravings if you aren’t stepping in the kitchen to make them? Therefore, before setting aside time to learn a new thing, ask yourself: are you ready to apply the new-found knowledge in your life? Or are you just discovering them for the sake of killing time only? Once you have a clear cut goal in your life, you will be more than willing to implement it.

8. Make Gaming A Part Of Your Routine

Against the widespread belief that gaming has adverse effects on health, playing video games improves your thought process and enhances problem-solving skills, for real. Instead of roaming around or binge-watching favorite series, utilize time by playing exciting puzzles such as Sudoku, jigsaw, scrabble, and many more. You may realize it or not, but you can also alleviate stress from your body by doing so.

9. Enjoy Me-Time

After having a fully worked up day, every one of us deserves some quality me-time. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you should spend the whole day hanging out or getting the spa done. A fifteen minutes break would also suffice. Accommodating time to yourself will reload you with lots of energy and prepare you for the next task or day. Treat yourself a lunch alone, gaze at the stars, and whatnot. Make sure you have detached yourself from social media during this time and pamper yourself.

10. Socialize With Smarter People

The company you spend your time with speaks volumes about your personality. Look for smarter people in your circle and hang out with them by strolling at the park or meeting up at some café. Not only will you exchange creative ideas, but it will also grow your social circle in meaningful ways. Moreover, in this tech-savvy world, how hard is it to get in touch with the people that inspire you the most?

11. Bring Music Into Your Life

Let’s face it, every one of us are habitual of singing songs in the bathroom. Some shy away, while others are not hesitant to unleash their singing talent in front of others. Are you also fond of music and love playing with the strings of the guitar? Then hoist up your musical instrument and start exploring your passion. Playing musical instruments refines your analytical skills and increases manual dexterity. Most importantly, it also fortifies the anterior cingulate, the membrane that connects two parts of a brain. In short, music actually makes you smarter!

Conclusion

All in all, you have to compete against yourself; it is you vs. you. If you ever feel discouraged or demotivated, remind yourself that all these successful people in the world are normal human beings just like you. Although all these healthy habits may seem like a bit too much, the results would be worth noticing. Overcome your fears and step out of your comfort zone. Try to learn new things and stop saying “no” to complicated things. Smart people don’t do that!