How to improve your IQ

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Md Altaf Hussain :
Contrary to popular belief your intelligence quotient (IQ) is not genetically set in stone. While you definitely have some predisposed levels of intelligence there are a variety of ways you can improve your overall intellect with a little commitment and persistence. Your IQ score is more closely related to your ability to recognize patterns and manage life’s many challenges, so a little practice makes perfect!
So how can you increase your IQ? Here are six ways, but it really all boils down to stretching your brain by learning new things:
Play educational games
Educational games can be very beneficial to improving your IQ. You’ll need to be selective when it comes to choosing games and activities. Opt for games that require the learning of an intense set of rules, involve some strategic thinking, or require complex navigation. These games offer the most intense benefits when it comes to brain power.
Spend time reading
Reading has a tremendously positive effect on brain power. Through the reading process, you’ll have to piece together sentences, learn new vocabulary, and focus on your visualization. Each of these skills has long-term cognitive benefits. Challenge yourself to read at least one book a month altering genres and the level of difficulty. You’ll be amazed at the impact.
Physical exercise & balanced diet
Exercising for just 20 minutes each day can have a profound effect on your IQ. Exercise increases blood flow and oxygenation to the brain which promotes strong mental health. Exercises like running, walking, hiking, and yoga are all great options for getting your recommended dose.
A balanced diet ensures you maintain a high energy level throughout the day keeping you alert and prepared for new challenges. You should be very intentional about the types of food included in your diet. Your brain requires certain nutrients to function at its highest.
Seek new experiences
No matter how much people state intelligence as a factor of genetics and hereditary, most of it also depends on the environment. Nourishing your brain with a sustainable environment is essential for a healthy development of your brain. An enriched environment where active learning is promoted is crucial for the brain to show better signs of development. Learning new skills like juggling a ball, playing chess, playing a sport or anything for that matter which you haven’t done before significantly boosts your brain in the process.
Taking a long trip to somewhere entirely alien to you, learning a new language, etc are some of the examples of seeking new experiences that rewire the brain to process everything new. Learning new things out of your field will also help you develop the skills required to boost your IQ. Simple exercises like brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, switching your regular place at the dining table are also some ridiculously simple way to seek new experiences and perspectives for your brain.
Play crossword puzzles and sudoku
Crossword Puzzles and Sudoku are some of the great games that would significantly improve one’s IQ levels with a few minutes of game time each day. To add more value to this game time, try adding social interaction factor to your puzzle games, think of Scrabble. Playing such games online with friends would help you improve your IQ levels as you get interaction in addition to brain stimulation. Puzzles are a great way to improve one’s IQ levels, given how they stimulate the motor skills. An activity involving both hand and eye involvement simultaneously helps users to focus better, improving the IQ in turn.
Sudoku is also a great game that brings into picture logic, numbers and their proper positioning to make sense of the big picture. Crossword and other puzzles help keep users’ brains stimulated.
Although these games have not been tested to have a significant increase in IQ levels, they are a great way of keeping your mind in-tune and in developing logical thinking and cognitive skills.
Learn new things
If you want to improve your IQ, it’s a good idea to regularly expose your brain to new challenges. Learning a new skill improves the plasticity of your brain and can have an impact on IQ as well as your overall happiness and fulfillment.
 Suggestions for new skills include personal finance, a new language, a musical instrument, or activities like computer programming and mechanics work. Math and science-related activities are known to have the most profound effect on IQ.
These are just a few of the many ways you can improve your IQ. Brain health relies on routine practice and exercise just like many other facets of your life. The overarching lesson is that IQ is not as genetic as we’ve been predisposed to believe.
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