Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge (or skills). It is the common denominator to everything we do in life, and learning how to increase IQ (Intelligence Quotient ) is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. So while these 30 tips won’t turn you into Albert Einstein or Steve Jobs, they will help to polish your current intelligence and make your mind work better. If you’re just looking for something to bump you up on the IQ scale (I personally feel the IQ test is complete rubbish, Intelligence is too vast of a concept to standardize and bring down to mere numbers) these tips according to research will have a positive effect your intelligence quotient.
But keep in mind that there are some psychologists who believe IQ does NOT change over one’s lifetime and then there are some who do. So I recommend you take everything “intelligence” with a grain of salt (including this how to increase IQ article as well) and do what feels right for your brain.
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life thinking its stupid. – Einstein
I personally find the following tips very valuable in keeping my mind sharp and I strongly feel that just like a muscle, with practice you can make your mind do amazing and powerful things. So, I hope you find the following tips beneficial and that over time you learn how to increase IQ and unlock the true potential of your mind. Best of luck!
Learn How To Increase IQ — 30 Easy Ways to Boost Your Intelligence:
- Read More – Intelligence begins with reading. The more you will read, the more you will absorb and therefore the more intelligent you will get. Reading rewires your brain for higher intelligence and empathy.
- Set Goals – Goals create structure in life and only through the proper structure can you increase intelligence. You are a reflection of how your brain works, organized intelligent thinking will lead to an organized, successful life.
- Meditate – When you meditate you calm and balance your brain. This peace and tranquility are crucial in building intellect. A brain that is upset and is plagued with depression, crippling anxiety or some other chemical imbalance is not a suitable ground for improving IQ and intelligence.
- Make Notes – The body remembers by doing. So by making notes on everything you do, you will increase memory and intellect. According to a University of Oregon study, more items stored in short-term memory is linked to greater intelligence, as measured in IQ tests.
- Play Sudoku – Playing Sudoku challenges your brain and helps you think logically. It is a brain game and according to the American Alzheimer’s Association and it might help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
- Stay Hydrated – Our brains depend on proper hydration to function properly. Brain cells require a delicate balance between water and other elements to operate at max efficiency. So try to keep your brain replenished and drink the medically recommended amount of water every day.
- Minimize “Bad” Television – Watching TV nowadays with all of its reality shows or just simply watching re-runs is one of the worst things you can do for your intelligence. While it can be relaxing you don`t stimulate your thinking. Try tuning into a documentary or the news every now and then.
- Exercise – Exercise keeps your body fine-tuned and energetic; it is a great way to increase your productivity and intelligence. A healthy body equals a healthy mind and just like how injured legs can’t win a race an unhealthy, malnourished brain can’t function at max capacity either.
- Mentally Simplify – Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge or skill. So try to unclutter your thoughts and process information one piece at a time. You will find that you will not just be more productive but your mental capacity will increase.
- Have a Good Breakfast – You can’t drive a car without fuel. Once you wake up and your tank is empty, eat a hearty breakfast to get yourself going again. Eating a healthy breakfast is directly linked to higher mental performance.
- Eat Yogurt and other “bacteria” – Certain bacteria have been scientifically linked to brainpower. So it’s possible that by simply eating yogurt you can promote the growth of neurons.
- Get Enough Rest – Imagine your brain like a smartphone. No matter how efficient and wonderful it is, it eventually needs to recharge and shut down. A good night’s rest will do wonders in making you smarter.
- Do Math Questions – The only reason people don’t like math is that it requires them to use their brains. By doing the math you exercise your brain and just like a muscle, through exercise it gets stronger and quicker.
- Make Connections – Don’t wait for ideas to become clear. Always be on the edge and make connections between things.
- Breathe – Oxygen is crucial to the brain and it can’t survive very long deprived of it. You should practice good breathing techniques and give your brain as much oxygen as it needs. “You don’t need to know all the answers. No one is smart enough to ask you all the questions”. – Unknown
- Do Crosswords – Crosswords are very effective in making your brain work and exercise. A large-scale online trial carried out by experts at the University of Exeter Medical School and Kings College London found that people who did crosswords regularly had better brain function later in life.
- Take Breaks – Your brain is just a muscle and overworking it will only cause problems. Take periodic breaks to keep your brain fresh and productive. And never forget to sleep.
- Refine Your Thinking – Don’t just think but think about how you are thinking when you think. It’s quite a handful of words, but it works. If you plan out your thinking process you will think more productively.
- Eat Brain Food – There are many foods that have been associated with brain health, including dark green vegetables, fish oil, and nuts. Try to incorporate as much as brain food into your diet.
- Draw Diagrams and Charts –Try to organize your thoughts using diagrams and charts whenever possible. This reorganization is very helpful in increasing intellect.
- Quiz Yourself – To become more intelligent try to always challenge yourself and push your brain to the limits. So if this simply means that by using your opposite hand you are challenging yourself; do it.
- Keep Your Brain Working – Your brain should never stop working unless you are sleeping or taking periodic breaks as mentioned above. Keep your brain active, and clicking on all cylinders.
- Get a Rubik’s Cube – A Rubik’s cube is a great way to exercise your brain and build intelligence. Challenging and putting the brain under stress has shown to improve your brain’s cognitive ability.
- Don’t consume too much sugar – Too much sugar gives your brain a short term jolt, or a pick me up, but after the sugar rush is over the sugar crash is just not worth it. On top of this, high levels of sugar can be very addicting and can activate similar pathways in your brain like stronger addictive street drugs.
- Learn to Play an Instrument – Playing an instrument is a great way to increase your intellect. The reasoning behind it is that you’re triple-tasking: listening, reading and playing the instrument.
- Work on Vocabulary – If you know more words you will be able to not just acquire more information but will be able to apply it more effectively as well.
- Eat throughout the Day – Your brain needs fuel to function. Try to avoid being hungry and keep yourself well fed. Hunger is tied directly to low blood sugar which quickly leads to fatigue and low energy levels this all wreak havoc on your brain and on your ability to focus
- Focus – Intelligence is largely influenced by focus, someone who is easily distracted can not consume or retain information compared to someone who is good at concentrating and absorbing new data. So practice focusing on tasks and avoid multi-tasking and other distractions.
- Listen to Classical Music – According to the “Mozart Effect” by listening to classical music an improvement in productivity is induced.
- Don’t Give Up – Anybody can become smarter and improve their intellect so never give up and keep trying. Your brain is malleable and is constantly changing. If something seems difficult today that does not mean it will be difficult tomorrow. With practice, your brain is capable of amazing and powerful things. For example when you first learned how to read it was probably extremely taxing on your brain, but you are doing it now without even breaking a sweat 🙂
I hope these 30 tips have taught you how to increase IQ and will inspire you to do more “work-outs” for your brain :). Remember you should always take “intelligence” related content with a grain of salt because frankly speaking we just don’t know enough about how the brain works. These tips while very effective to make your brain sharper and improve your overall general brain health are not guarantees for anything much more than that. Maybe one of you reading this article will be motivated by how little we know about the brain, to study it more and help give future humans wanting to increase their intelligence a more concrete solution.
