With a few tips, you may be able to increase your IQ by one standard deviation. Challenge your brain by breaking the routine, solving puzzles and searching for new experiences to improve your IQ. Supplement your efforts with a diet rich in protein and B vitamins and the right amount of rest to optimize the brain's ability to stay alert. The right diet and lifestyle can work wonders. Are you ready?
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Changing Your Routine
Step 1. Always do things differently
Challenge the brain to form new connections and neural pathways by doing differently the things you normally do with "autopilot" on. Brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand. Move back as if you were going back in time. Speak to yourself in a different language. Anything you can do to change a little, do it!
By doing this, new neural pathways and connections will form in your mind. We often take the ease of certain tasks for granted, especially after learning the basics. By changing a few cards on the table you will force the brain to relearn certain skills, stimulating it more
Step 2. Meditate
The results of numerous researches show that in addition to relieving stress and improving mood, meditation is also good for the brain. In fact, when you meditate, the blood flow towards the skull, and therefore towards the brain, increases, favoring greater concentration, patience and memory. Furthermore, meditating promotes relaxation.
Try meditating every day for 30 minutes. You can also divide the practice into 2-3 sessions of 10 or 15 minutes. The ideal is to meditate as soon as you wake up, after exercising and just before going to sleep in the evening
Step 3. Consider taking natural supplements
They are a much healthier alternative to the so-called "smart drugs" (or more correctly nootropics, or drugs that increase cognitive abilities). However, make sure you know the correct dosage by consulting your doctor beforehand. The usefulness of the following substances is proven by numerous scientific studies:
- Caffeine;
- Creatine;
- Ginkgo biloba;
- Omega-3 fatty acids.
Step 4. Start exercising regularly
Studies by Dr. Win Wenger show that there is a direct correlation between breathing and the attention span. You can try running or swimming underwater; however, any type of aerobic exercise should be fine. Exercise twice a day for 45 minutes, possibly when you wake up and before bedtime. To get the best possible result, you should meditate after exercising.
The waistline will also benefit from training and, in general, physical activity improves mood. The more endorphins the brain produces, the more active it stays and you feel happy
Step 5. Sleep when your brain asks you to
Some people reach their maximum thinking ability at nine in the morning, others at nine in the evening, still others are at their best at three in the morning or just when they finish their third cup of coffee of the day. Since every person is different, you should try to sleep when your brain asks you to. Can you work better at night? Then keep the small hours. In fact, you will not be a sluggard, but a wise person!
Whatever time of day you prefer to sleep, you should get 7-9 hours of sleep. When you are tired your brain cannot function at 100%, so it automatically reduces your energy consumption in the way it thinks it makes the most sense, putting you into a sort of "hibernation mode"; the only processes kept in place are those that allow you to stay alive and breathe. Chronic sleep deprivation prevents the brain from developing to its full potential and, in the long run, can cause the onset of numerous physical and mental diseases
Part 2 of 3: Exercising Your Skills
Step 1. Read more
Aside from genetics, culture is an element that greatly contributes to improving the IQ. Try to read up on various science subjects, such as physics or math. The sciences develop awareness of the world, which in turn improves the level of understanding, vocabulary, logic, and spatial and mathematical skills.
You can take advantage of the "MIT OpenCourseware" project developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to make notes, syllabi and tests on over 1,800 of its courses available free of charge. You can also find a lot of training material by browsing the sites of Coursera, KhanAcademy and even YouTube
Step 2. Solve crossword puzzles and puzzle games
To prevent dementia and keep your brain at its full potential, train it regularly with riddles. Nowadays you can find several sites and applications for computers and smartphones for free. Download an app like Lumosity, Wordbrain and Fit Brains Trainer, to get the brain moving and train, for example, memory and attention. Stop playing Candy Crush and spend your time better in order to increase your IQ!
The two famous tests "Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale" and "Stanford-Binet" do not measure intelligence in a single simple form. Rather, they evaluate the ability to process information quickly, understand what is said and recognize sequences
Step 3. Repeat the tests again and again
The tests that measure IQ aren't all that different from the ones you had to repeat over and over in school to get a good grade. The basic structure and type of questions in many ways coincide, so the harder you try, the better the results you get.
The tests you can take for free online are not the same ones you can access through a career center or psychiatrist. If you want to know your real IQ you have to go through the authentic ones, which generally have a fee, so do your best
Step 4. Get new experiences
When you do the same things day in and day out, the brain relies on a kind of autopilot. Feeling calm and comfortable, he stops paying attention to stimuli. On the contrary, when you live a new experience the mind wakes up, is highly alert and enhances its functionality with each change. So tonight, instead of watching a DVD, visit a museum, catch a show, or discover a place you've never been before to get neurons in motion.
Simply tasting a new food or visiting a different place is a worthwhile experience. It allows you to broaden your knowledge and gain useful information to make future decisions. However, the further the experience is from your current routine, the better. Think of it as a good excuse to book a vacation in an exotic location
Step 5. Learn something new
Actively learning new information helps your brain be more receptive and allows you to make connections that you could not have seen before. For example, you can learn to play chess or lacrosse, try your hand at juggling, or experiment with any activity you've never practiced like that before. The benefits on the brain will be greater than you can imagine.
Studying a foreign language is a great way to foster the development of new neural pathways. The advantages do not concern only the setting in motion of some parts of the brain that until that moment lay unused, but can give rise to new scenarios or outlets even in real life
Part 3 of 3: Changing Your Diet
Step 1. Eat protein foods for breakfast
Proteins have the ability to increase the brain's production of neurotransmitters and, consequently, the levels of dopamine and noradrenaline (or norepinephrine). All of these substances make you more alert and also more adept at problem solving.
Eating protein for breakfast is especially important, as it allows you to feel energized and eager to start a new day. On the other hand, sugars cause an inevitable collapse of energy and a slowing down of the brain faculties after a couple of hours from taking, and also make you feel even more hungry
Step 2. Snack on dark chocolate
It is rich in flavonoids, but also in magnesium and vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. It is also a concentrate of antioxidants, which help the body fight free radicals. All these substances ensure you strength and health.
However, remember that moderation is always the best choice, in any field. A quantity of dark chocolate between 30 and 150g per day is ideal
Step 3. Get more B vitamins
These tiny nutrients increase blood flow to the brain. B vitamins are contained in foods such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, meat, eggs and cheese. Again, be careful not to overdo the quantities. Consult your doctor to find out what doses are appropriate for you.
Folic acid, riboflavin, thiamine and niacin are all part of the structure of the B complex vitamins, which therefore are a real concentrate of benefits
Step 4. Avoid convenience foods and junk food
Numerous studies have shown that a healthy diet generally corresponds to a higher IQ, especially in children. To keep your brain functioning perfectly, avoid packaged foods and foods that are high in fat or sugar, such as cookies and chips. Prepare your meals at home to safeguard both your brain and your wallet.
Overall, vegetarians have a higher IQ of around 5 points for both genders. Try to avoid meat one day a week, for example every Monday
Step 5. Consider fasting at regular intervals
Several studies have shown that the intermittent fasting technique leads the brain to function better. The method is applied by fasting for 16 hours and then eating freely for the next 8 hours. As in everything, there are different schools of thought, some of which also include a restriction on the number of calories.
