5 Best Hobbies to Make You Smarter in 2017

Feras Antoon
Jul 10, 2017 · 4 min read

Times have changed, and so are the people. For a long time, we thought intelligence can only be acquired genetically. Thus, those unfortunate few must live up to their potential — but not in the 21st century. Researchers have found that humans can hack their brains to work better. They added, intelligence doesn’t solely depend on genes, and can be amplified deliberately. Scientists said that by performing cognitive activities the brain produces new neural pathways that boost intelligence. Here are the 5 best hobbies you can do to improve your brain’s speed and performance:

Learn and play a music instrument

Violin player
Violin player

Playing music can make you smarter in several ways; it refines your motor skills, it helps you become more creative, it improves your math adeptness, language, and analytical skills. More than that, learning music and playing a new instrument, strengthens the link of corpus callosum and the hemispheres of the brain. Your brain makes new connections when you play music, which doesn’t happen in other activities like sports.

The changes that happen on your corpus callosum can enhance your memory, upgrade your executive skills, as well as the brain’s overall function even when you get older.

Read more, read any book

Vacation with books
Vacation with books

Do you feel good about yourself after reading? Perhaps, do you feel relaxed after a few chapters of your favorite book? Well, this is because these are just a few effects of reading to the brain. In addition to that, reading can also expand the three types of intelligence: emotional, crystallized, and emotional. These types of intelligence are vital to the overall performance of the brain. Such as, emotional intelligence can help you understand what other people feel. You can be much more compassionate and empathetic to others, which is directed to your level of emotional quotient. The 2 other types of intelligence can help you become a good problem solver, can help you detect patterns, and use newly acquired knowledge to your daily life.

Study a new language

New languages
New languages

Learning a new language isn’t only fun, but impactful to your brain too. Researchers learned that people who are bilingual are better at solving puzzles compared to those who know how to speak only one language. This is because learning a new language trains your brain to do better at mentally demanding tasks. It makes you improve your abilities at executive skills such as planning and solving problems.

Furthermore, researchers claim that bilingual individuals are better at monitoring processes. This could be the reason why many of the most successful individuals speak different languages.

Do regular exercise

Exercise
Exercise

Sad to say, working hard doesn’t count; as well as intermittent exercise. If you dream to be smarter, work on improving your brain, not your muscles. Though having toned abs can be a bonus. Doing regular exercise can enhance your intelligence as it flushes the cells with BDNF. It results to a better memory, improved learning, sharper focus and concentration. This phenomenon is commonly called as mental acuity.

The researchers added that sitting for long hours does the opposite. It prevents our brain to perform its best. Thus, it is advised to avoid lounging on your seat for a long time. Make sure to exercise every day to keep your brain neurons firing.

Learn to meditate

Buddha meditation
Buddha meditation

A study conducted by scientist Richard Davidson proved how the performance of the brain improves when meditating. It was in 1992 when Dalai Lama invited Davidson to study how the brain works during meditation. The monks that were subjected to be studied were told to focus on compassion while meditating. Results showed that the brainwaves of the monks were in a deep state of compassion. Meaning, we can control our own brainwaves through meditation. This study gathered innumerable positive responses, and was even published in the “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” in 2004 and in the Wall Street Journal.

Originally published at ferasantoonreports.com

Feras Antoon

Written by

Entrepreneur, tech savvy and passionate about cheese balls. Writer at https://ferasantoonreports.com

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