The quest to become smart does not end when you leave school. As an adult, there are several ways you can continue boosting your brainpower and performance. Here are some activities you can do that have been proven to make a person smarter:
Play a Musical Instrument
You can begin your journey into becoming smarter by searching for piano or violin lessons in Boulder. Better yet, pick up a guitar and start strumming.
Playing an instrument does not only make for an entertaining hobby, but it also completely rewires the structure of your brain and its function. When you play an instrument, you use several areas of your brain at once and, therefore, exercise multiple cognitive processes.
Research has shown that playing a musical instrument can increase the gray matter volume in the brain and strengthen long-range connections between them. It may also improve verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills.
Speak a Second Language
Studying a second language acts like a workout for your brain. When you read or hear a conversation in another language, it triggers processes that make certain areas of your brain work harder as it tries to understand and form a response. The more your brain has to struggle, the stronger it becomes.
Moreover, learning a second language uses analytical reasoning and memory. This may be why multilingual speakers are better at multitasking than people who only speak one language.
Read a Lot
Regardless of content, reading has been proven to make people smarter. When you read, you concentrate on the text which stimulates the mind and increases brainpower.
Reading also makes you analytical and it encourages reflection. Books on topics relevant to current events force a reader to think critically. Meanwhile, fiction increases the reader’s emotional intelligence. In addition, through reading, you absorb new ideas and gain a richer vocabulary.
Brain Games
If you currently do not have the time to do any of the aforementioned, playing brain games through the many apps available in the market will keep your brain on top form.
There are companies that developed brain game apps based on the suggestions of neuroscientists. These apps are programmed to improve a person’s cognitive and problem-solving skills by making you solve puzzles. Playing brain games for a few minutes a day can keep your brain performance sharp.
Exercise Regularly
A healthy body equals a healthy mind. You may think that exercising your brain alone through reading or brain game apps is enough to make you smarter. However, studies have shown that engaging in physical activities can also boost brain clarity — pumping blood and oxygen to the brain, boosting cognitive health.
Moreover, multitasking stimulates several areas of the brain. If you do another activity during exercise, say listen to a podcast or watch a movie, you will be giving your brain a proper workout, too.
Play Video Games
Contrary to some beliefs, video games can actually help make a person smarter. People who play action-oriented video games improve their ability to analyze a situation and make a decision within a short amount of time.
More specifically, playing video games increases “brain plasticity,” the ability to change the structure and adapt to experiences. Scientists previously thought that the brain is malleable during childhood, but recent studies show that the adult human brain is capable of rewiring itself.
Of course, you can only reap the benefits of playing video games if you do it in moderate amounts. Anything excessive is bad for your brain and your health.
