Smart people have always been highly valued by society. Possession of knowledge in different areas life automatically gives a person advantage and power. However, do not confuse erudition and the level of intelligence. You can know a lot interesting facts, but at the same time not to have a good speed of thinking and a high mindset. Fortunately, this shortcoming can be corrected, and even children can master the methods of developing intelligence.

How to develop the intelligence of a child?

Many parents often wonder how to develop a child's intelligence? The answer is obvious - you need to develop your IQ level with early childhood. Coefficient mental development manifested in the child's ability to think. And before you start developing thinking skills, it is worth remembering that the intellectual activity of children is inextricably linked with their physical activity. Many parents do fatal mistake, limiting the space where the baby is allowed to move freely. Many actions of children annoy parents. For example, it is rare when children are allowed to pour sand around them, stomp in puddles, etc. However, it is in this way that the child learns the world, and any restriction can slow down brain activity. From the age of two, it is necessary to introduce into the life of a child logical games, lungs math problems and word exercises. The sooner you start reading with your child, the better his thinking will develop and vocabulary. For kids elementary school board and computer logic games are well suited as a way to develop intelligence. Any acquisition of knowledge must be turned into a game, then the development of the IQ level will take place in a relaxed atmosphere, which contributes to a better increase in the level of thinking.

For many parents, the question of how to develop intelligence in adolescents is much more relevant. After all, the time of growing up is characterized not only by physical and mental changes. Numerous exams can be a real challenge for teenagers with intellectual difficulties. adolescence characterized by a lack of interest in cognitive activity. This common problem for many parents and teenagers can be solved not only by forcing the child to read more.

Intelligence Exercises

There are interesting and exciting psychological games, which contribute to the development of the IQ level of a teenager without forcing him to fall asleep over textbooks. Here is an example of a pair of such exercises that are suitable not only for teenagers, but also for adults:

1. Exercise "Similarities and differences". A fairly simple exercise, but its effectiveness is undeniable. Aimed at developing the ability of thinking to compare different objects, since the comparison operation is one of the main intellectual abilities person. Participants of the exercise are offered two objects or concepts for comparison. For example: photography and painting, stubbornness and perseverance. When analyzing the responses, it is important to note the number of errors in the participants' thinking, the ratio of similarities and differences. The winner is the one who named the feature of one of the items last and no one else voiced a new answer.
2. Method of focal objects. It consists in combining incompatible objects and objects, in which creative thinking and level of intelligence. Objects and adjectives denoting properties are written in two columns. For example:

The first word of the first column must be connected with every word of the second. Original phrases such as a fragrant bus or a liquid wheel are obtained. Thus, by connecting words, you can develop a lot interesting ideas for implementation.

Games and books that develop intelligence

Among the ways to have fun and become smarter, games that develop intelligence are in the first place. You do not need to invent anything supernatural to increase your level of thinking. You can develop your IQ even while sitting in front of the TV. To do this, it is enough to watch a television game like "Who wants to be a millionaire" or "My own game". There are analogues of these shows in the computer version. For those who do not like to be irradiated near screens and monitors, crosswords and sudoku are quite suitable, which also have positive influence on the brain.

As for books, this way to develop your thinking has already become a classic. True, there is a small reservation - you do not need to read everything in a row, but literature that will contribute precisely to the growth of intelligence. These publications include: scientific literature(not necessarily with incomprehensible terms), philosophy, serious fiction, history, poetry. You need to read books not for show, but for the sake of self-improvement. Make an effort on yourself and start reading useful literature to become wiser and find peace of mind. Very soon, not only you, but also those around you will notice what a wonderful intellectual you have become.

The inclinations of intelligence are given to us at birth, the habit of using mental abilities is instilled by parents and teachers, and the desire for the development of intelligence depends on each individual.

modern science says that thinking ability a person is 50% dependent on genetic factor, that is, half of the potential of intelligence is laid by parents - this is a type of character, a set of neurons, neurotransmitters. At the age of 5, a child has already formed a set of neurons and connections between them, most of of which will stay with him for the rest of his life. And then a lot depends on how his parents will develop him, and when he grows up - and he himself.

The goal of many people who want to is to fully realize the abilities inherent in them, their potential. And the sure way to achieve this goal is to keep working on increasing your intelligence. Anyone who will actively work on the development of their mental abilities will be able to radically change themselves intellectually in a year.

So how do you get your brain to work? full force? Indeed, in our world, where competition reigns, it is not the strongest who wins, but the most intelligent, enterprising and resourceful.

Increasing your mental abilities is not a problem - there would be a desire and patience. Of course, the second, or we are unlikely to become - these are exceptional personalities-nuggets. But, having engaged in self-development, we will be convinced that our brain has such capabilities that we did not even suspect.

Of course, many people would like to become a genius easily and quickly without spending special efforts. Now there are many books on the development of mental abilities, for example, Stanislav Müller “Become a Genius! Secrets of superthinking" from the series "Your own psychologist", but most people are too lazy to even read them.

For them, the way out would be magic pill like the one that, by chance, went to the protagonist of the American film "The Fields of Darkness" (2011) with Bradley Cooper in leading role. Thanks to this pill, the brain of a failed writer from New York works with incredible power, and the depressive hero turns into a brilliant stock trader with huge prospects. But without a pill, he's nobody. In addition, it turned out that wonderful pills that improve brain function have serious side effects.

Although the hero finds a way out of the difficult situation in which he has fallen, we better be guided by common sense and engage in exercises to develop the intellect. For the brain to work, it needs to be loaded, but the exercises should be interesting, not monotonous. Otherwise, we will subconsciously avoid them by doing. And exercises will only give results when they become a habit.

What is IQ

In 1912 German psychologist Wilhelm Stern introduced the concept of "intelligence quotient" - IQ. It is determined using various tests with tasks of increasing complexity. The average value is 100. A value of 70 qualifies as mental retardation.

Intelligence does not mean the amount of knowledge accumulated by a person, but his ability to remember and analyze new information and be able to use it to solve subsequent problems.

American Andrea Kuszewski - consultant doctor and specialist in the field behavioral therapy. She works with children with autism who have cognitive impairments. One of her first patients was a delayed boy mental development: his IQ showed little mental retardation. After three years of learning to read, math, play, and communicate using the method she developed, his IQ was 100. Similar successes in the development of intelligence were observed in other children with cognitive impairments, with whom classes were conducted.

Therefore, if children with learning problems can develop rapidly, then the average person who does not have such problems, as they say, and the cards in hand.

Andrea Kuszewski made the following conclusions:

• intelligence is trainable;
• the more you train him, the better the result will be;
• to develop intelligence under the power of everyone, regardless of the level of his initial abilities.

We develop mental abilities

1. Looking for innovation

All geniuses are usually erudite - people with great knowledge in many areas of life. For example, he was not only a talented artist, but also a writer, musician, scientist and inventor.

People who seek to develop their intellect must be open to everything new: knowledge, activities, events. After all, each new activity promotes the formation of new connections - synapses that connect one neuron with the rest and through which they exchange impulses.

The production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter hormone that stimulates the formation of new neurons and increases motivation, also directly depends on the innovations that trigger this process.

Anyone who wants to have a high IQ should not think that after graduating from a university, you can forever forget about studying, because this is a direct path to degradation. Therefore, we do not stop looking for new food for the mind: we study new sciences, new languages, sign up for courses - for example, painting, playing the guitar, Latin American dances, go in for a new sport, go on a journey for new experiences.

The value for the development of mental abilities is not so much the knowledge itself, but the learning process itself.

2. Challenge ourselves

A lot has been said about the benefits of developing games for the brain that train memory and concentration: poker, preference, chess, backgammon, computer games like Tetris, Sudoku.

True, psychologists involved in the development of intelligence advise, having achieved mastery in one game, move on to the next. After all, the brain, having understood how to play, for example, begins to be lazy, while new synaptic connections are no longer formed so actively. In order for the brain to be loaded and continue to work hard, you need to constantly keep it in a state of some difficulty.

3. Learning to think creatively

3.1. , the ability to create original ideas and think outside the box.

For example, we take a certain task and find from 10 to 20 ways to solve it, especially without limiting our imagination. So,

• we were caught in the street by heavy rain, no umbrella, far from home, and the rain, most likely, for a long time;
• we rush to important meeting, and our heel suddenly breaks;
• the wallet with money and credit cards disappeared, and we are in a foreign city;
• we were invited to a party where we do not know anyone except the mistress of the house, who was urgently called to work;

3.2. After watching a movie come up with a name for it;

3.3. We open any book and write out 10 words taken at random from it. Now let's try to find a connection between them and make up of them short story out of 10 offers;

3.4. Imagine being an architect, before which the customer set the task of designing a house. The house is not simple: the project should reflect 10 words invented by the customer: fish, walnut, brick, cat, water, etc. We fantasize and draw a brick house, next to it is a walnut tree on which a cat sits and looks at the fish swimming in pond, etc.;

3.5. Choose any item you like, located in the room, and select 5 adjectives that best correspond to it. For example, orange - juicy, Spanish, orange, delicious, sweet. And 5 adjectives that are the least suitable for him: feline, sharp, kerchief, herbal, cloudy;

3.6. On a piece of paper draw 20 crosses and on the basis of each of them we depict an object that our imagination tells us: for example, a mill, a pan, a dragonfly, chessboard. Instead of crosses, as a blank for future pictures, you can draw circles or two perpendicular lines.

4. We are not looking for easy ways

Progress makes many tasks easier for us, but our brain, devoid of stress, at the same time relaxes. Take at least, thanks to which we have successfully forgotten how to produce even the simplest arithmetic operations in mind or on paper.

Or GPS, which helps to navigate the terrain. Those accustomed to it eventually find that they are no longer able to do without it, so they have lost own feeling orientation.

They have been created to help us, which at the same time worsen our knowledge of languages, since they deprive the brain of the opportunity to practice them.

Technology makes life easier, but at the same time, cognitive abilities suffer, because the brain needs training. Of course, there is no need to give up the benefits of civilization and products modern technologies, but sometimes it's worth letting the brain work to keep it in good shape.

The human brain is an amazing organ. It is the most accessible and at the same time the most complex “device” in the Universe.

We offer you a few tricks that will help "pump" the brain.

Workout

• Aerobic exercise. These are exercises where oxygen is main source energy. Aerobic training strengthens muscles, normalizes blood circulation, relieves stress. And a recent study from the University of Illinois also showed that "oxygen" exercise also has a beneficial effect on the brain. Just 30 minutes of training per day, and the work of cognitive functions improves by 5-10%.

• Strength exercises. Are the studs dumb? No matter how! Lifting weights not only builds muscle, but can also increase levels of so-called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein responsible for protecting brain neurons.

• Music. Another study found that the brain starts to work better if you listen to your favorite music during exercise. So onward to genius.

• Dancing. it great way keep fit, improve flexibility and coordination. Moreover, according to Daniel J. Amen, MD, neurophysiologist and neuropsychiatrist, author of the book A Great Brain at Any Age, dancing is also a great mind trainer. After all, dancing, we use different parts of the brain.

• Golf. It is not for nothing that it is called an intellectual game: it is not as easy to calculate the force of impact and the trajectory of the ball as it seems at first glance. In addition, doctors believe that golf stimulates the work of the sensory part of the cerebral cortex.

• Yoga. The ancient Indian spiritual and physical practice, it turns out, not only has a beneficial effect on health, but also improves memory, self-control abilities and long-term concentration. By at least, such conclusions were made by scientists from the University of Illinois, led by Neha Gothe.

Food

• Water. The body is 80% water. It is necessary for every organ, but the brain in particular. In the course of another scientific experiment, it was found that people who are thirsty cope worse with logic puzzles than those who drank half a liter of water before testing.

• Omega 3. Unsaturated fatty acid super useful. For the brain and nervous system. They provide a rapid influx of energy necessary for the transmission of impulses from cell to cell, which, in turn, increases mental abilities and helps to quickly extract from the "reservoirs" of memory. necessary information. Lots of omega-3s in fish walnuts and linseed oil.

• Greens. Spinach and other greens contain folic acid, vitamins E and K. These substances prevent the development of dementia (dementia). In addition, the antioxidants found in greens protect the brain from stroke, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

• Apples. They contain quercetin - a substance that has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and other beneficial actions. But for us, the main thing is that quercetin protects brain cells from damage, and therefore prevents the violation of its cognitive properties. Most of it is in apple peel.

• Nuts. They are rich in protein, and protein supplies the brain with energy. In addition, nuts are rich in lecithin, the lack of which in the body can cause multiple sclerosis and other nervous diseases.

• Vitamins. B9 (citrus fruits, bread, beans, honey) and B12 (liver, eggs, fish) - without these substances, the normal functioning of the body is impossible. The first is necessary to create and maintain in healthy condition new cells, and the second reduces symptoms senile dementia and confusion of thought.

• Eggs. Which came first: the chicken or the egg? Perhaps you will find the answer to this philosophical question if you eat both. After all, chicken yolk is a source of choline, and it helps to develop the cognitive functions of the brain, that is, the ability to understand, learn, study, realize, perceive and process.

• Milk. Drink, children, milk, you will be healthy! After all, milk is calcium, which strengthens bones. In addition, scientists have found that a glass of milk a day improves memory and other mental abilities.

• Coffee. It's not a joke. Scientific research found that caffeine can improve attention and short term memory. And of course, it will add vivacity.

• Chocolate. You go to the exam - eat a chocolate bar. Everyone does it, but few people know why. Or rather, few people know how chocolate makes us smarter. It's all about glucose and flavonols. Sugar speeds up the reaction and improves memory, while flavonols stimulate other cognitive skills.

Schedule

• Deep sleep. We have already talked about how important sleep is for normal life. Let us repeat only - in order for the convolutions to move, you need to sleep at least seven hours a day.

• Drowsiness. Dozing is helpful. This is an indisputable fact. The question is how much? The ideal duration of an afternoon nap is 10-20 minutes. A person does not have time to fall asleep soundly and it is easier for him to wake up. But on the other hand, according to scientists, the best effect on the brain is a 90-minute nap (memory improves, creative ideas appear). More details about .

• Habitual style. Break it! Yes, yes, for one day destroy the established order for years - drink coffee in another cafe and not at 9, but at 11 o'clock, go to work by a new route, redraw things in your diary. Such "shake-ups" are very useful - they help the brain to be in good shape.

• Sense organs. Another interesting training for the brain is the sharpening of individual senses. For example, hearing. To do this, blindfold and try to walk around the room, focusing only on the surrounding sounds.

• Workplace. Will the devil break his leg on the table? Then in the head too. cluttered workplace- not only ugly, but also significantly affects performance. Negatively affects. Tidy up your workplace, and you will be surprised how much faster your brain starts to work.

• Sketches. If you find it difficult to focus on a task (and you really need it), try taking a pen and paper and draw it. Diagrams, tables and other sketches will help you concentrate and, perhaps, open up a new vision of the problem.

• Notes. It is useful not only to draw by hand, but also to write. Gadgets have almost ousted paper from our lives, which is why we are unlikely to become smarter. After all, the creation of a handwritten text develops higher brain functions, such as memory, attention, psychomotor coordination and others. Not by chance, foreign word written by hand is remembered better than typed on the keyboard.

• Flight of thoughts. Everyone is familiar with the round dance of thoughts. This is when you need to think about a project, there are a thousand and one ideas in your head, but not a single one is necessary. At such moments, we try to “curb” randomly jumping thoughts and, finally, get down to business. And in vain. Research by scientists shows that by letting our thoughts fly, we stimulate creative activity brain. So relax and let yourself just dream.

Education

• Novelty. A new, more complex activity stimulates the release of dopamine, which contributes to the growth of neurons. Go up the intellectual stairs. Each time complicate your task - solve more difficult puzzles, read smart books.

• Orientation. Poorly know your city or even area? Excellent! From the point of view of mental training. Mastering new routes develops memory, attention and other cognitive functions.

• Music making. Musicians have a well-developed parietal lobe of the brain, which is responsible for hearing, motor and visual-spatial skills. If you want to "pump" these qualities, try to learn how to play some musical instrument.

• Foreign languages. Mastering a second or third language improves memory, broadens one's horizons, and also protects the body from Alzheimer's disease.

• Oral speech. If you say something out loud, then it is better remembered. Proven scientific fact.

• positive thinking. Specialists in positive psychology relentless and unanimous: think positive and become smarter.

Relaxation

• Meditation. We have already written about. We only recall that the regular meditation practice helps to get rid of a sudden feeling of anxiety, respond more adequately to physical ailments, and also better understand other people.

• Computer games. On TV they shout that children are getting dumber from computer games, that teenagers who spend a lot of time on the Xbox are degrading. But a professor from the University of Rochester claims that gaming improves multitasking and spatial thinking. In addition, logic computer games cannot be called “stupefying”.

Relations

• Conversations. "Hi, how are you?" - hate this phrase? It's a pity time for "empty" chatter? Do you prefer to keep the dialogue strictly on the case? On the one hand, it is commendable, but on the other hand, even trifling conversations, “about nothing”, develop cognitive functions - speech, attention and control.

• Sex. This activity, pleasant in all respects, increases the level of serotonin in the blood (“hormone of happiness”, which, among other things, increases creative potential) and the level of oxytocin (“the hormone of trust” - helps a person think in new directions and make bold decisions).

• Laugh. He, like sex, - the best medicine from many diseases. If you long time doing strenuous intellectual activity, then it’s not worth it when you come home from work to take up a volume of Schopenhauer. Give your brain a rest, turn on a good comedy and laugh heartily.

• Ancestors. in a prestigious magazine dedicated to social psychology, has been published. According to him, people who thought about their ancestors before taking tests of memory, thinking and attention received top scores than those who did not remember grandparents. It is difficult to say how objective the arguments of scientists are, but knowing your genealogy is definitely useful.

How do you train your brain?

We are born in order to improve ourselves and no matter what your initial data is, everything can be brought to perfection: to develop ear for music you can do music, you can develop the body with the help of physical education, you can develop culinary talent, coordination, and much more. But most of us are more interested in another question: how to develop your intelligence. The fact is that the ability to think with your head is also not innate, otherwise the losers would never have turned into world-famous scientists.

What is the intellect

The size of the brain, and the number of convolutions, are given to us from birth, but in fact, these indicators do not play a special role: an elephant or a whale has a larger brain than Nobel laureate, surprisingly. Therefore, it is in our power to increase the number neural connections in the brain, and this will only positively affect the functioning of the brain. But intelligence can be different, for example, analytical, logical, critical, predictive, deductive. The ability to figurative and abstract thinking, as well as the ability to concentrate, affects its development. Intelligence can be evidenced by the ability to distinguish cause from effect, and the speed of performing various operations, and the depth of the mind, and erudition ... why do we need all this? Yes, just for a more comfortable survival, both in an office environment or in a dangerous jungle. Either way, exercise your brain. Exactly how, let's find out.

play

Yes, do not think that games are for children. First, any game teaches right attitude to life: we enjoy the process itself, not the results, and we also learn to be friends with rivals. What kind of games does the brain need?

Firstly, there are many applications on the Internet, so if you have a free minute, it is not necessary to look at photos of cats. There is, for example, a memory simulator that is based on the N-back task, there is the Einstein game (a collection of tasks for the brain), there is the Brain of a Genius game. By the way, all these entertainments significantly increase IQ, which has been proven by experiments.

Crossword puzzles are also needed and this is not killing time. But it's better if they are serious.

"What where When?" and company. In all, more or less big cities there are intellectual leisure clubs and fans of intellectual games. Do not think that only the children of Anatoly Wasserman or Alexander Druz are taken there - everyone is taken there and this is an excellent and interesting circle communication. Sometimes talking to smart people is as useful as reading books. By the way, in Mind games fans play not only in the club, but also away, on buses, in the courtyard at the entrance. Here is the answer to how to become smarter.

Tetris. So what? Experiments prove that this toy increases the amount gray matter. Those who played it for three consecutive months and 30 minutes a day noticed in their critical thinking, the ability to process information and reason, positive changes.

Chess, poker, checkers, preference. Too interesting communication and the opportunity to develop the rudiments of logic. Those who are good at chess or checkers may well try the game for a while.

Feed your brain

The right diet will help heal memory. Therefore, we focus on:

• Walnut.
  The basis of the erudite diet, and there is also so much lecithin that five nuts a day is enough to quickly activate the memory;
• Fish. Protein is! Plus iodine and omega-3s. These substances give the energy needed to transmit an impulse to cells;
• Spinach. There is a lot of lutein here, which saves brain cells from aging;
• Pumpkin seeds. Again, omega-3s, and also zinc, which helps you think faster than ever.
• Sage. It not only soothes and relieves inflammation, but also does not allow the amino acids responsible for memory impairment to clear up. Drink sage tea!
• Coffee. Of course, it is important not to overdo it with this drink, but with the right dose (up to 4 cups of a natural drink), the release of norepinephrine and dopamine is stimulated, which will help maintain concentration. If there is no coffee, caffeine tablets, green tea, chocolate, cocoa, energy drinks or Coca-Cola are suitable.
• Tablets. And there is nothing wrong with them, especially if you need to work with your head a lot. We are looking for phenotropil, deprenyl, allertec or phenibut in the pharmacy. The latter, however, does not act too quickly. Also, dietary supplements with ginkgo biloba, ginseng root, guarana or eleutherococcus will be very useful.

Learn, learn, learn

This does not mean that you need to get a second, third, tenth diploma. If the soul and mind are not drawn to such knowledge, then there is no need.

The Internet has free courses, for example, knowledgestream.ru, you can also start an unusual hobby and achieve perfection in it, sign up for ballroom dancing: this style of dancing, by the way, teaches not only to communicate successfully with the opposite sex, but also to think with your head - after all, you have to think here and about every movement, about what you need to do in a second, and you also need to learn to improvise. And of course, it’s impossible not to, without which the brain will simply wither. So, there are sites where Russians and Russians are placed in parallel. English lyrics films or books. This is it!

Well, don't forget to read. You can, you can fight inner voice, singing something while reading, you can listen to an audiobook while cooking borscht. If the reader's voice doesn't match your inner voice, try the method of humming while reading...

And finally, if there is a free minute, we don’t look at photos of cats, but open Wikipedia and study random article. Or we are looking for an answer to the question that has long worried, but the hands did not reach.

Write!

Indeed, keeping personal diary allows you to keep the intellect up to old age and is a vaccine against Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, as well as senile insanity. What's the secret? Yes, it's just an opportunity to learn how to formulate your thoughts correctly. Why is a personal blog better than a diary? Yes, by the fact that many people read it, which means that we try not only to express our thoughts correctly, but also think about what would be interesting to write tomorrow, and also about how to respond to the sharp comments of readers ...

We train memory

Without it, erudition is unthinkable, by the way.

• The simplest thing that can be done with memory for its own good is to learn poetry from a third of an hour a day. Most likely, you have not done this since your graduation, and you memorize everything at the speed of an Estonian turtle, but the results will please you with time.
• Going for groceries, we re-read the list several times and remember not the names, but imagine the route through the store. Having skimped, try to estimate the price of everything at once as accurately as possible. If everything worked out, reward yourself with nuts or spinach.
• You also need to develop a sense of numbers. It is difficult to explain what it is, but if it is there and you can estimate by eye how much and what you have, the brain works better. When pouring coins from your wallet, try to say how many of them, but not counting. It is equally useful to pack things in a small bag - this is how the brain solves difficult problems. That's why you need to travel!

Other

• Listen to the classics. Better than Mozart, and even better a sonata in C major or a symphony 40. Whether or not there is a Mozart effect is not easy to say, but the classic relaxes and puts the mind in order;
• Develop intuition by trying to guess what the interlocutor will say in the next few seconds;
• Walk. Where without fresh air.
• Engage in physical education. It is better if it is weight lifting or running. These exercises promote the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a protein that develops neurons.
• Drum on the table. The sense of rhythm also affects the brain positively.
• Get enough sleep and rest.
• Read! It's always fashionable.

The theme of increasing the intellectual level. The most popular answer, which received 1.6 thousand votes, was given by the holder of a scientific degree in the field theoretical physics Steve Denton. The editors of the CPU chose the key practical advice from this post.

The brain needs intellectual challenges

During the decision challenging tasks such as learning a new language, a field of mathematics, or mastering an unfamiliar musical instrument the brain becomes more plastic and flexible. According to Denton, one win-win option is to study various areas mathematics - this science opens wide opportunities for brain development. Mathematics classes allow you to train logical, numerical and visual abstract thinking, while improving concentration skills and "mental endurance".

Steve Denton

You should associate with well-educated people

Meetings and conversations with highly intelligent people can improve performance own brain. In the course of such conversations, you can learn a lot of new things, in addition, understand the train of thought smart people very useful.

Computer games can be used to train the intellect

Games are different - shooters and sports simulators allow you to have a good time and train your reaction, but in terms of developing intelligence, they are not particularly useful. Denton recommends choosing games that involve solving complex problems and making multiple decisions. The physicist himself is a fan of the game EVE - in his opinion, it is the most complex and versatile of all computer games ( game system runs on the most powerful gaming supercomputer called Tranquility).

Read at least one serious book a week

Brain training with special software

Denton recommends using special software for the development of the brain, with the only caveat - it is necessary to use only services that have proven their effectiveness. Most of these projects in reality do not allow you to achieve the results that their creators promise - most often with their help you can only learn how to play a certain game well, which does not translate into an improvement in the general cognitive abilities of a person. However, the Dual N-Back project was able to prove its effectiveness. Another positive moment- can be downloaded for free.

A healthy lifestyle is important

Playing sports has a positive effect on brain function, healthy and not too short sleep also increases productivity (however, “oversleeping” can be even more harmful than lack of sleep). It is important to use alcohol wisely - in small amounts it helps to relax and communicate more freely - as mentioned above, communication with other people is good for the brain. But excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages (like smoking) causes obvious harm to the body. In addition, for the most effective work the brain needs proper nutrition. Get required amount nutrients the body can only with a balanced diet - a person should eat fruits, vegetables, fish and meat.

You need to get rid of limiting ideas about your own intellectual level.

Many people are actually smarter than they think they are. Often this humble attitude to their own mental abilities does not allow them to achieve more in life. This phenomenon is called the Dunning-Kruger effect, according to which people with below-average intelligence often overestimate their intelligence, while those with above-average intelligence often underestimate their abilities. You can get rid of such an attitude towards yourself with the help of a simple logical refutation of myths about your own insolvency.