100 Ways to Increase Brain Power and Think 100 Ways to Increase Brain Power and Think Like a Genius!
Like a Genius!
Blog meditation 1 comment Blog meditation 1 comment Increase brain power
Increase brain power with these 100 un with these 100 un eercises and habits! eercises and habits! "eeping a #ournal "eeping a #ournal stimulates the brain$ stimulates the brain$ Brainstorming increases Brainstorming increases brain
brain acti%ityacti%ity$$
Pu&&les are only one o Pu&&les are only one o many ways to increase many ways to increase brain p
brain powerower$$
Want to think like 'instein( )se these brain boosters to increase Want to think like 'instein( )se these brain boosters to increase
brain power or aster learning* better memory* sharper thinking* out+ brain power or aster learning* better memory* sharper thinking* out+ o+the+bo problem sol%ing* more e,ciency and producti%ity and o+the+bo problem sol%ing* more e,ciency and producti%ity and enhanced creati%ity-and get you thinking like the great thinkers$ enhanced creati%ity-and get you thinking like the great thinkers$ .on/t make working your brain a chore! These are un* they keep .on/t make working your brain a chore! These are un* they keep lie interesting and best o all* don/t take any etra time you might lie interesting and best o all* don/t take any etra time you might ha%e to gi%e up some T* but you/ll lo%e the results2$
ha%e to gi%e up some T* but you/ll lo%e the results2$ 100 Ways to Increase Brain Power
100 Ways to Increase Brain Power
3editate4 the 51 brain eercise! 6tress clouds your thinking* so 3editate4 the 51 brain eercise! 6tress clouds your thinking* so relie%e stress with meditation$ It/s easy! Put on your headphones* relie%e stress with meditation$ It/s easy! Put on your headphones* press PL78 on your 9mharmonics meditation music download* and press PL78 on your 9mharmonics meditation music download* and let the technology put you in a
let the technology put you in a meditati%e state$meditati%e state$ Work on being ambidetrous$
Work on being ambidetrous$ Brush your hair* write* use the Brush your hair* write* use the mouse and eat:drink with the mouse and eat:drink with the ;wrong< hand$
;wrong< hand$
When something is broken* =nd When something is broken* =nd creati%e repair solutions using creati%e repair solutions using common ob#ects$ 3ake do common ob#ects$ 3ake do with what you ha%e> make with what you ha%e> make repairs with odd items and repairs with odd items and ingenuity$
ingenuity$
Learn to con%incingly argue Learn to con%incingly argue e%ery side o an argument$ e%ery side o an argument$ Write with the wrong hand$ Write with the wrong hand$ Write backwards with both$ Write backwards with both$ ?ead upside down the tet* ?ead upside down the tet* not you2$
not you2$
@ydrate$ Water enhances the brain/s electrochemical acti%ity A @ydrate$ Water enhances the brain/s electrochemical acti%ity A dehydration slows it!
dehydration slows it!
hange your perspecti%e$ Turn the pictures in your home upside hange your perspecti%e$ Turn the pictures in your home upside down or a while$
down or a while$
.oodle and draw %isual solutions to problems instead o using .oodle and draw %isual solutions to problems instead o using numbers or tet$
numbers or tet$
3entally estimate the passage o time$ 3entally estimate the passage o time$ Listen to classical music$
Listen to classical music$ Power nap$
6top procrastinating! 'ercise daily$
'at eceptionally well$ Gi%e your brain energy and nutrients* not =llers and chemicals rom #unk:processed ood$
6ol%e math problems without a calculator$ ?emember phone numbers$
3i up your routine$
Play chess A especially a prolonged email %ersion$ 6ol%e optical illusions$
Play brain games like crosswords or 6udoku$ Watch T'. talks www$ted$com2
Be curious about e%erything* like a child$ Think positi%ely$ What can go right(
reate ;top 100 lists< o things to be grateul or* learn* places to %isit* etc$
"eep a #ournal$ Write down ideas as soon as you ha%e them and return to them oten$
6impliy* declutter and organi&e your li%ing and work space$
Take a class in
something you/%e ne%er eplored$
Take se%eral 10+minute brisk walk+breaks throughout the day$ Learn to spell backwards$
hange the urniture placement and art:accessories in your home$ Learn to play a musical instrument and read music2$
CBe/$ 9bser%e the world without #udgment* classi=cation* or e%en thought$
6hare something you/%e #ust learned or don/t know well$ The process o eplaining something helps clariy it$
Problem+sol%e rom a diDerent perspecti%e$ @ow would diDerent people approach this problem4 the rich* poor* cra&y* geniuses* achie%ers and slackers-(
Take up a new hobby$
Eind connections between seemingly unrelated items* topics or people$
reati%ely %isuali&e your ideal lie$
Take a slow day4 do e%erything at hal the speed and twice the awareness $
Learn memory techniFues$
6urround yoursel with intelligent* positi%e people$ Learn and use a new word e%ery day$
Tra%el abroad$
Be in ature$
ollect Fuotes by great thinkers$ Learn to lucid dream$
?emember and record your dreams$
6ay your problems out loud* as i you were eplaining them to a stranger$
Play$
)se a re%erse clock$
Learn yoga* tai chi or the martial arts$
Become hyper+aware o your en%ironment$ Identiy and locate the sources o sounds> subtle changes in temperature> diDerent smells* etc$
Get enough sleep an/t sleep because o stress( 3editate!2 'at less$
Laugh!
Learn to manage emotions by ocusing on the eeling instead o the thought that generated it$
.escribe an eperience in as much detail as you can remember$ Take H+ days to do this*
each time probing deeper or more inormation$
Practice Ctheme obser%ation/4 pick a theme and try to spot it as many times as possible in one day$
Learn a oreign language$ Brainstorm$
isit a museum$
?ead at least one thought+pro%oking book a month$
Get to the root o your problems$ What were you thinking* that caused you to do or say something that had an unpleasant conseFuence(
3emori&e names$
Take an impro%isation class$ .ance$
6eek out the random> select a random word* and eplore it on the Internet$
Imagine absurd* Cimpossible/ and ridiculously cra&y solutions to e%eryday problems$
@elp someone learn your language$ Learn origami$
Learn to eat with chopsticks$ Learn to #uggle$
Juestion e%erything$ 7sk* ;why(< A especially i something doesn/t ring true to you$
Eind your learning style and apply it to something you/re struggling with$
Try new ethnic2 oods with an open* eager attitude$ Become aware o your thoughts during meditation$ Gi%e 110K A always deli%er more than epected$ 6ummari&e something you/%e #ust read$
ome up with one possible solution to one problem e%ery day$ .on/t worry i it/s ridiculous* unworkable or Cimpossible/ A write it down$ Place inspirational items in your workspace A Fuotes* pictures* ob#ects* etc$
Breathe deeply$ 6it up straight!
)se Cdown time/4 listen to books on tape while you commute* play memory games as you mow the lawn* etc$
Be mindul$ otice thoughts that are subtly bothering you the little nagging %oice2 and clear up that mental clutter$ .o what you need to do and get it out o your head!
3ake a to+do list so you don/t ha%e to ha%e one in your head$ .e%elop and ollow your intuition$
7%oid oods that cause allergies4 sugar* wheat* corn* soy* nuts* dairy$ 'liminate these or a while and watch the mental og clear up!
Learn to speed+read$
Practice walking meditation$ The rhythmic nature o walking lends itsel to contemplation$ Begin by ocusing on the physical act and sensation o walking* and then allow your thoughts to ocus on one topic only$
3odel what successul people do and say$
reate a new habit$ It takes 0+M days o consistent repetition or a thought or an action to become a habit$
6et goals$ 'at breakast!
)se peak energy times or comple mental work$ Eollow your own rhythms whether you/re a morning person or night owl$
@a%e se$ 8es* really!
)se caDeine* in moderation$
3ake mistakes$ .on/t be araid to mess up A mistakes are powerul teachers!
10 Brain @acks To 3ake 8ou 6marter
P?9.)TIIT8 B8 '3IL8 W'6T N M01 6@7?'6
Training your brain to unction on a higher le%el doesn/t in%ol%e a .octoral program or becoming a Buddhist monk$ The three key steps are to =rst* eed your brain* second rewire your brain and third* to challenge your brain$ I you want to wow the world in H01M* here are some actionable brain hacks to make you smarter$ 1$ Eeed your brain
This is the =rst and oremost hack* because i your engine doesn/t ha%e the proper uel* then it won/t be running at it/s best speed$ Little did the proponents o the low at diet know* our brains are powered and upgraded by atty acids* particularly those 9mega /s$ In%est in high Fuality ats A coconut oil* almond butter* grass ed bee* grass ed butter* wild caught salmon$ These healthy ats will gi%e your brain the best supply o energy it can get$
H$ ?eboot your ircadian lock
o one gets enough sleep$ But* you can reboot your
circadian clock your internal sleeping rhythm2 by getting more sun and eating less sugar and caDeine$ By aligning yoursel with the 6un/s natural patterns* you will rid your brain o that inamous morning grog and e%ening
insomnia$ There are also numerous apps o your phone* like 6leep ycle that monitor your sleep and help you determine when you enter the %arious stages o sleep$ 7nd then there is E$lu* which ad#usts the setting o your monitor to imitate an e%ening sunset to help you get ready or bed$
$ Practice 7wareness
7n easy* and %ery actionable way to upgrade your memory is to practice awareness$ This simply means to ocus on only one person:task at a time$ Is your boyriend telling you about how his work day went* but you are instead ticking oD a grocery list in your head( Take that =%e
minutes and instead ocus and be present* your signi=cant other will appreciate it and e%entually reciprocate* and you will also Fuiet your mind in the process$ The Fuote that I ha%e come to li%e by is that 8ou must be the change you wish to see in the world$
$ .o 8oga
When I was still working a desk #ob I always elt tired* groggy and unmoti%ated no matter how much cardio I did* or how many Paleo meals I ate$ Then* I started hot yoga$ This simple practice I preer 8og7lign * a low impact type
o yoga2 helps to stretch out the body* rewire your brain with your body* and to also help you gain a better
helped me to become rooted* to be more aware o how my body elt* and what areas I needed to ocus on$ I reali&ed that the way I was sitting in my desk chair was causing my lethargy and immediately corrected it$
M$ Learn to 6peed ?ead
"nowledge truly is power* and there is so much
inormation out there* how are you supposed to consume it all( 'nter speed reading$ The techniFue to consume inormation and retain that data at nearly unathomable speeds is possible$ Eor the a%erage person* learning to speed read could be the ultimate game changer$
O$ ?ewire your emotions
6ome o the smartest people I know could be e%en smarter and producti%e i it weren/t or the emotional baggage that they drag around$ 3editation is a way o rewiring your brain so you no longer ha%e negati%e
associations* and can unload the mental baggage that has been a burden so you can mo%e orward with your lie$ In my lie personally* yoga and meditation ha%e allowed me to accept my ailures* and in turn accept mysel$
$ )se a Pen and Write it down
There is something that can be said about physically writing something down$ Personally* I notice that I
remember things much better i I write it down %ersus i I #ot it in my phone$ The brain+body connection is strong
when you take the act o writing out your thoughts with your own hand$
Q$ Listen to the lassics
There is a reason why the greats #am out to Beetho%en or Bog 6eger A they =re up those neurons$ lassical
music has the ability to reduce stress* reduce pain* stop sei&ures and can e%en help you to battle insomnia$ R$ .o something new
9h* monotony* it is the killer o creati%ity$ 7 R+M lie and a habit o sinking onto the couch and watching etSi makes or a lie and brain well wasted$ ancel the etSi and in%est that money in that cookbook you/%e always wanted$ Learning a new skill* like mastering
3editerranean cooking* is not only good or your brain* it is good or your lie as you in%est in a new skill$
10$ ?epeat
This is the theory is* i you do something enough times and or long enough* it becomes habit $ I recently ha%e begun the ritual o reading my a%orite blogs e%ery morning beore I do any work$ I log into my Bloglo%in account and read Paleo ewbie* ?eason and Intelligent Tra%el$ This habit pro%ides me with new inormation
e%eryday! I cannot count the ways in which I ha%e bene=ted rom this repeated action$
1 6mall Things To .o '%ery .ay To Be 3uch 6marter
P?9.)TIIT8 B8 3'T9? P7L9"7 N R" 6@7?'6 Lo%e this article( Get more stuD like this in your inbo 6ign up
ow 8ou an 6a%e 7rticles To 8our ollection To ?ead Later or Eree! ?egister ow
?ead 3ore 7rticles 7bout Producti%ity
Intelligence is Seible and there are a lot o things to gi%e it a daily boost$ Eor smart thinking your mind needs things4
1$ To be trained in thinking processes H$ To ha%e plenty o inormation
$ To ocus on a problem or idea
Eor eample* Thomas 'dison was able to think o his light bulb because4
1$ @e was a trained logical thinker
H$ @e knew a lot about electrical engineering $ @e ocused on sol%ing a problem
@ere are a bunch o things to do e%ery day to help your mind to think smart$
1$ .rink H glasses o water within 0 minutes o waking up
6ince you/%e been asleep or hours* your body has not gotten water or O+R hours$ Water is needed or the =ltration o waste products and Suid balance$ Two big glasses o water oDset the Suid de=cit you had rom sleeping$ 6tudies on kids study 1 * study H 2 show that drinking more water increases their ability to complete mental tasks$ 3ake sure your brain is not dehydrated at the beginning o the day already$
H$ ?ead a book summary during breakast
?eading books is great* but breakast is ar more suitable or something shorter$ Instead o reading news articles that ha%e little impact on your lie:intelligence* read best selling book summaries$ 8ou can =nd summaries by4 Googling your book title U summary* or eample ; @abits o @ighly 'Decti%e People summary<
)se a summary subscription like Blinkist or get7bstract $ Listen to stimulating podcasts:audiobooks
during your commute
'%en i you spend only 10 minutes on your bike like I do* load your phone up with intellectually stimulating audio$ Good sources could be4
T'. talks their app lets you pre+download audio so you don/t eat your mobile data2
Blinkist has some o their summaries in audio orm 7udiobooks you purchased
Podcast o your a%orite authors $ .rink green tea while working
Where caDeine makes many people anious* green tea especially 3atcha tea2 contains l+theanine$ This
aminoacid causes an increase in alpha brain wa%es in the brain4
In practice this means that where coDee can induce aniety* high Fuality green teas cause a relaed ocus without inducing sleepiness$ This is also why l+theanine is a%ailable as a supplement to aid in relaation
and increasing cardio%ascular health$ M$ Take naps during the day
apping helps your mind reresh$ It/s been shown that napping during learning increases learning speed$ 8our mind has a rhythm that determines when it gets sleepy and when it needs sleep4
7s you can see on a%erage people eel more sleepy than usual between noon and P3$ This is a perect time to ha%e a nap* and will increase your alertness and
producti%ity or the rest o the day$ Personally I/%e has good results with post+workday naps too around O P32$ O$ .on/t take sugar during the day
In act* i you can cut it altogether$ But i you can/t or whate%er reason* #ust make sure not to ha%e it during times where you need to ocus$ 6ugar highs and the ollowing lows are not good to keep your brain
unctioning smartly$ What does work %ery well are atty acids$ Try to switch any sweet stuD during lunch or something more substantial like =sh or eggs$
$ .o social media : meme websites only a couple o times a day
The brain adapts to the inormation you throw at it$ I you bombard it work non+stimulating and ast switching
inormation your ocus will get destroyed$ "eep your brain unctioning on a higher le%el by throwing
stimulating things at it$ I you eel the need to
procrastinate* set a timer and don/t get lost in mindlessly scrolling$
Q$ Play games instead o watching series or mo%ies
Watching t% is a passi%e acti%ity$ 8our brain is consuming inormation* but not processing or interacting with it$
6ubstitute or supplement this entertainment with gaming$ 7 H01 study showed that e%en a simple game like 6uper 3ario has %isible impact on brain plasticity
Eorbes shows the same$ 7cti%ely engage your brain where you can* instead o letting it slumber passi%ely$
R$ ?ead a book instead o watching t%
6imilar to playing games instead o watching t%* reading a book is an acti%e eercise or the brain$ Where watching %ideo entertainment is a passi%e consumption o
inormation* reading a book reFuires your brain to
acti%ely construct mental images o what you are reading$ 10$ .o some programming
Programming is a great way to learn to think logically and in patterns$ oding used to be hard to learn but with ree websites like odeacademy and ree:paid platorms like )demy it is easy and un to learn$ onsider it the net le%el o pu&&les$ 7s an added ad%antage learning to code in your ree time increases your employability in the #ob market$
11$ Watch T'. talks while cooking
Preparing dinner is a great time to catch up on some cutting edge de%elopments in Technology* 'ducation and .esign ted$com 2$ It turns what would otherwise be downtime into a ascinating and stimulating block o time$ It/s like watching the news* only you are watching the world/s most inspiring indi%iduals talk about their work$
1H$ .o some simple eercises during the day
The body and the mind are strongly connected$ Physical =tness helps the brain unction well$ 8ou don/t howe%er ha%e to go to the gym e%ery day to bene=t rom this though you can o course2$ .oing some push+ups throughout the day and walking or skipping up some stairs has a great impact already$ Try to do something physical e%ery hour or so* e%en i it/s #ust getting up* stretching a little and tensing all your muscles as hard as you can or M+10 seconds$
1$ 6pend time with someone smarter than you
@abits are socially contagious$ It is a well known act in science that obesity or eample spreads through social networks link to research 2$ The habits and thinking patterns o those you spend time with rub oD on
you$ 'pose yoursel to people who are smarter than you in order to bene=t rom them$
1$ Talk to people who disagree with you
Get into riendly2 discussions with people who disagree with you on any topic$ 7rguing with them allows you to either4
6harpen your arguments
Be con%inced that you are wrong
In both cases you win$ In the =rst you con%ince the other person by out reasoning them* and I the second alse logic you pre%iously had is not eliminated$
1M$ Go or a walk in nature
Walking through nature has a number o bene=ts4 There is more oygen since plants produce it
The human mind calms down when surrounded by plants Walking helps your blood circulation
@a%ing a walk in a park at lunch time can greatly help you work smartly or the rest o the day$
1O$ arry a notepad
Great minds like Leonardo .a inci always carries a notepad$ They used it to #ot down ideas* sketches and Fuestions they had or later re%iew$ @a%ing a little book on you and writing down interesting things can greatly help you train your curiosity and logical thinking$
1$ Take 10 minutes at the end o the day to plan tomorrow
By planning tomorrow the day beore you begin the day with a plan$ This allows you to work much more
producti%ely$ 3any people are busy all day* but not actually producti%e$ 7 great part o being smart is knowing that hard work is inerior to smart work$ Pick your battles in ad%ance$
