Increasing Intelligence: 7 Genius Tricks

Increasing intelligence is always possible. Although it’s true that we’re born with some genetic factors that predispose us to be more or less intelligent, it’s also true that the brain is a highly plastic organ capable of making changes in response to experiences.

There’s no consensus in terms of how to define intelligence. For some, it’s the capacity to learn. For others, it’s the ability to apply knowledge. Perhaps the most universal definition is that intelligence is the ability to find new solutions to old problems. On the other hand, there are various models that allow intelligence to be better understood in relation to other variables: emotional intelligence, social intelligence, logical intelligence, etc.

Intelligence isn’t only applicable to a professional activity. In one way or another, being smarter also helps us to be happier because it makes us more capable of dealing with difficult situations. Increasing intelligence is worthwhile. Here we have 7 tricks to help you make it happen.

1. Increasing intelligence through meditation

Meditation increases intelligence in the sense that it awakens us and allows us to better observe what happens within ourselves and in the outside world. It’s not just a matter of simple appreciation, but a conclusion supported by studies. In several experiments monitored via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it has been shown that the brain works better after a meditation session.

There’s no worse enemy to brain function than stress. Under this condition, cortisol, a hormone that impairs concentration and memory, is released. Meditation reduces stress. You don’t have to become a monk. It’s enough for you to take advantage of any moment to do breathing and relaxation exercises, like when you’re waiting in line or waiting for a bus.

2. Exposing yourself to new experiences

Everything new is stimulus that increases intelligence. Novelty creates unprecedented connections in your brain. This is because you have to perform a thought process to absorb, understand, and incorporate new information.

Taking a trip, going somewhere new, reading a new book, or any original experience is great fuel for your intelligence. Keeping yourself in your comfort zone only makes your brain progressively more lazy.

3. Do regular physical and mental exercise

Physical exercise oxygenates the brain and improves its function. It’s also a way to reduce stress and perform mental hygiene. The mind and body are always united. A healthy body is an essential condition for a healthy mind that is able to increase its capacity.

It’s also important to do regular mental exercises. Try to stimulate your memory by trying to remember phone numbers or specific facts. It’s also good to do simple math operations manually. Playing chess, doing crossword puzzles, or doing other similar activities are very positive actions for increasing intelligence.

4. Learn a new language or play an instrument

Learning a new language is always a great challenge. It’s not easy, especially when it comes to a language that is very different from your native language. But that difficulty is precisely what makes it an excellent way to increase intelligence. 

When you learn a new language, you exercise many intellectual functions at the same time. The same thing happens when you learn to play a musical instrument. In both cases, cognitive functions such as attention, memory, coordination, analogies, etc. come into play.

5. Find the hard way

When we choose the easy way, we may save time, but we also contribute to our brain power’s atrophy. In general, we want to have everything “step by step” so that we don’t have to think. Instead, we want other people to think for us.

This may be valid in several circumstances, but it’s also good for us to sometimes choose the difficult path. Don’t look for instructions, but rather deduce the way to reach a result. This makes you more creative and intelligent. It also increases your self-confidence.

6. Connect with all kinds of people

Just as it’s important to expose yourself to new situations, it’s also important to get in touch with different types of people. Each relationship imposes the challenge of seeing, grasping, and understanding the other person’s point of view, and this ends up increasing intelligence.

It’s worth having friends of different ages, backgrounds, beliefs, etc. If you only relate to people who look like you, you significantly limit your field of experience. With this, you also put limits on your brain.

7. Get enough rest

It’s crystal clear that rest is more important than work. Elite athletes have come to understand this very well since they have very high fatigue points. The brain needs rest breaks so that it can function properly. If there’s no rest, the consequence is a dull brain, which operates at mid-range and diminishes its capacity.

There are three important factors to rest: active pauses during work, the dream state, and leisure time. All of these aspects are very important. Active pauses are a protective daily measure to prevent dullness. The dream state allows the brain to process the information it has absorbed. Finally, leisure time is absolutely necessary in order for the brain to work as it should in the long-term.

It’s fundamental to build a lifestyle that allows you to be more aware and attentive to the reality that surrounds you. That also includes regular measures to ensure your brain functions properly. This, without a doubt, will be reflected in your well-being and intelligence.