Hobbies that make us smarter

For a long time there was an opinion that people reach a certain level of intelligence and then they can no longer change it – it remains only to live according to the potential inherent in nature. But recently, scientists have shown that we can become smarter… through our passions and hobbies.

Researchers explain this by saying that as our brain learns new things, new neural connections are created that help it work better and faster. We will tell you what hobbies will help you become smarter. Time to choose something interesting for yourself!

1. Play musical instruments

Playing the piano, guitar and any other musical instrument develops motor skills, analytical skills, helps in learning foreign languages ​​and mathematics, and also develops creativity.

Many will argue that playing team sports will bring as many bonuses, but only playing music strengthens the corpus callosum – the plexus of nerve fibers in the brain that connects the left and right hemispheres. As a result, memory, reaction, and leadership qualities are improved. And all this happens regardless of age!

2. Read

Ray Bradbury in the dystopia “451 degrees Fahrenheit” very accurately described the portrait of a man who refused books. Reading relieves stress, increases self-esteem and the ability to think logically, analyze, solve problems based on life experience. At work, these qualities will help you better organize your affairs and lead other people.

3. Go in for sports

We are not talking about visiting the fitness center on weekends. Regular exercise brings much more benefits than even the most intense workout once a week. With regular exercise, cells are filled with a protein also known as BDNF. It enhances concentration, increases concentration, improves memory, and also provides sharpness of thinking.

The brain of a person leading a sedentary lifestyle works worse than that of someone who runs in the morning

But a sedentary lifestyle makes us dumber, German scientists assure. In support of their words, they showed the results of studies that show that the brain of a person leading a sedentary lifestyle works worse than that of someone who runs in the morning.

4. Learn a new language

The best memory training is not solving riddles, but learning a foreign language. In addition, it trains our brain, helping it quickly solve difficult problems, plan and find a way out of the most difficult situations. But that’s not all.

Studies by the US National Academy of Sciences have shown that those who know two languages ​​solve problems faster than those people who have only one in their arsenal. Knowledge of two foreign languages ​​has a positive effect on the ability to assess the environment and concentrate on the task at hand. In addition, such people are more likely to move up the career ladder.

5. Always look for something new

Before the exam, students so cram certain subjects that by the time of the test they become experts in this field. True, only for one day – if you do not regularly repeat and update knowledge, they are quickly erased. That is why learning foreign languages ​​makes us smarter – we repeat what we have learned with the same intensity and acquire new things.

Apply this approach to your daily life: write out quotes from books, print articles you like, just write down everything that seems interesting and important to you. Review your notes periodically. Your brain will hold on to more and more information and your horizons will expand.

6. Play games

Sudoku, puzzles, puzzles, board games, card games and even video games increase brain plasticity. They put before us all new tasks that need to be solved – this increases the ability of the brain to learn, as well as to look at the situation from different angles. Moreover, people with high neuroplasticity are less prone to panic attacks and depression.

7. Meditate

In 1992, the Dalai Lama invited Richard Davidson to study his brain activity during meditation using electroencephalography. As it turned out, what the monks thought about before meditation, they focused on the same during the practice, without realizing it. This proves that we can control what we should focus on and what we should think about.

If we tell ourselves to feel more confident, then over time it will bear fruit. In the same way, you can do with any idea, whether it is getting rid of shyness and gaining self-confidence, or even working on the mistakes you have made.

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