For quite some time, the rule of thumb has been that humans are born with a certain level of intelligence and the best we can do is live up to our potential. But scientists have proven that we can actually increase our potential and enjoy the process. By learning new skills, the brain creates new nerve pathways that enable faster and better quality work. Here is a list of seven hobbies that make us smarter.
1. Playing a musical instrument.
Playing music helps with creativity, analytical skills, language, math, fine motor skills and the list goes on. These are great benefits that some people claim can also be gained by playing team sports. The main benefit of playing a musical instrument is that it strengthens the corpus callosum, which connects the hemispheres of the brain by making new connections. An improved corpus callosum helps with executive skills, memory, problem solving and general brain function, no matter how old we are.
2. Reading.
The benefits of reading are the same whether we enjoy reading Harry Potter or the latest edition of the Wall Steet Journal. Reading reduces stress, makes us feel better, and at the same time increases three types of intelligence – crystallized, fluid and emotional intelligence. This helps with problem solving, applying prior knowledge to everyday problems, spotting patterns, understanding processes and accurately interpreting and responding to other people's emotions. In the workplace, this means a better understanding of how to get things going and better leadership skills.
3. Regular recreation.
Occasional recreation is not enough. Regular recreation is much more effective. By doing just that, our cells are flooded with the neurotrophic factor BDNF, a protein that helps with memory, learning, focus and understanding. This is often referred to as mental acuity.
Some scientists hypothesize that, on the other hand, sitting for too long hinders our brains from working as well as they could.
4. Learning a new language.
We forget solving puzzles to improve our memory. Instead, we prefer to learn a foreign language. Research shows that people who are at least bilingual are better at solving puzzles than people who only speak one language. Successful learning of new languages allows our brain to be better prepared for mentally demanding tasks. This includes typical executive skills as well as planning and problem solving.
Knowing at least two languages also has a positive effect on our ability to monitor the environment and to better focus our attention on processes.
READ MORE: 8 Signs You're Above Average Smart
5. Let's test our cumulative learning.
Many intelligent students "goof off" in high school or college. The problem with this is that we forget these things quite quickly, since we rarely repeat them in the same form. One of the reasons why learning a new language makes us smarter is certainly that it requires cumulative learning (the process of learning happens continuously and builds on itself). As we use it over and over again, the grammar and vocabulary are repeated countless times – improving our knowledge of the foreign language.
We apply the concept of cumulative learning in our daily lives and in our workplace by keeping track of the noteworthy bits of knowledge we acquire. Let's observe carefully or keep a small journal with anything that catches our attention.
6. Exercise your brain.
Soduku, jigsaw puzzles, puzzles, board games, video games, card games, and similar activities increase neuroplasticity (the brain's lifelong ability to rewire neural pathways based on new experiences). This involves many changes in neural pathways and synapses, which is essentially the brain's ability to reorganize itself. When nerve cells respond in new ways, this increases neuroplasticity, which enables greater abilities to see things from different perspectives and understand the cause and effect of behavior and emotions. We become aware of new patterns and our cognitive abilities improve.
Although neuroplasticity is also associated with impairments such as tinnitus, increased neuroplasticity may help prevent some conditions. People with high neuroplasticity are said to be less prone to anxiety and depression, and at the same time, they are said to learn faster and remember more.
7. Meditation.
In 1992, the Dalai Lama asked scientist Richard Davidson to study his brain waves during meditation. This was to see if he could generate special brain waves on command. It turns out that during compassion-focused meditation, the brain waves showed that they were in a highly compassionate state of mind. The results of the entire research were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in 2004 and then in the Wall Street Journal, where the research received a lot of attention.
Meditation has become interesting for ambitious people because a study has shown that we can control our brain waves and feel whatever we want, whenever we want. This means that we can feel stronger before various negotiations, more confident when asking for a raise and more convincing when we want to sell something.
