10 hobbies that will make you smarter

People are living with the misconceptions that people are born with a certain level of intelligence, and there is nothing much to do to enhance the intelligence. Human intelligence is a combination of skills, knowledge, and cleverness. These can be sharpened through regular practice and pushing yourself. Finding activities that are refreshing is important; because it helps in maintain a proper work-life balance. There are plenty of things that can be done to make you smarter. Here are ten hobbies that will make you smarter.

Daily exercise:

Daily exercising is one of the best hobbies that will make you smarter. Exercise leads to a greater brain refinement. Moving your body is constructive for your physical and mental health. It will improve your sleeping pattern and your energy level also. Infrequent exercise does not do the part; instead, regular exercise is much more effective. Exercise does not mean you have to go to the gym and lift weights. That’s not true. You can play any sport you like, and you can dance. Moving your body is essential, doesn’t matter how you do. When you exercise regularly, the cells in your body are flooded with BDNF, which helps in learning, focusing, concentration, memory and understanding.

Meditation:

Studies have demonstrated that meditation has several health benefits. Regular meditation changes the brain and helps in regaining emotional control, leading to better focus and control. The general idea behind meditation is that the human brain can develop further and all it need is a little push.

Music:

Listening and playing music improves a person’s memory power. Studies have shown that playing an instrument turns out to be an entire workout for your brain as it activates many areas of your brain. Playing music helps with math, language, creativity and more.  Playing musical instruments strengthens the corpus callosum, a part of the brain which helps in forming new connections with other sections of the brain.

Brain teasers:

Puzzles, video games, board games, riddles, maths and other similar activities that give your brain a workout will help in strengthening your brain power. Participating in these kinds of activities will increase the neuroplasticity of the brain. This will allow the brain to reconstruct itself. This will help in understanding different causes and set of emotions.

Reading:

Reading reduces stress. Reading improves your vocabulary, thinking skills and speaking skills. Reading stimulates the brain and can prevent diseases like Alzheimer’s, which is caused due to degeneration of neurons in the brain. Regular reading helps with the problem-solving capability and gives the knowledge to lead their life in a much better way.

Cautious drinking:

Studies have shown that moderate drinking is linked with better brain activity. Moderate drinking not only helps with cerebral functions but also helps in defending against diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Writing:

Writing helps in clearing space in your mind. It loosens you from the state you are feeling. Regular writing helps in materialising the thoughts and feelings, which diversely occupies the space in your mind. It helps in focusing on other important things. Writing has many emotional benefits, as it increases productivity.

Learning new things:

Leading a hectic and busy lifestyle makes it difficult to think about learning and trying something new in life.  But learning something new will help you both personally and professionally. For instance learning a new language enables the brain to perform any mentally demanding tasks very easily.

Obsession:

Obsessing about an idea can make one smarter. The concept is that you would do anything to fulfill that idea. The dedication and commitment make the person stay focused and concentrated all the time. It will help in picking up new skills and gaining knowledge in a short period of time.

Travelling:

Travelling gives a person new experiences. They learn new languages, the culture; eat different kinds of food and more. Travelling can boost one’s intelligence. The physical and mental workout involved with travelling help in getting rid of stress.