How to Make Yourself Smarter

Tired of being the slow one in a conversation, or having a hard time learning something new? There are some very basic things you can do to improve your mental clarity and fortitude. Will it cost a lot? No, nothing more than just a little effort and time. Don’t worry though, we’re not talking about endless tests or repetitive tasks you must complete, you will find these are in fact very simple ways.

Coffee coffee coffee

Coffee does not actually increase your intelligence, however it does stave off the potential risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 60% new research shows. However a more healthy alternative to the beloved coffee would of course be the ever sweet and even more so antioxidant filled tea.

Sleep

While those all nighters or gaming or work may make you feel as though you accomplished more, you are actually doing more harm than good. A lack of sleep causes proteins to build up on your brain’s synapses, making it harder to process new information. Prolonged insomnia has actually been linked to a mental decline with older age.

Sudoku, scrabble, crosswords, heck even jenga!

While there is lacking evidence to ever support the claim that brain teasers actually improve intellect, it is well proven that mental challenges help you maintain mental sharpness. However this doesn’t mean take on the same challenge over and over again, the mind thrives off of new challenges actually. So throw away that jugsaw puzzle you have done over 50 times and get a new one.

Peace and Harmony, aka CHILL THE FREAK OUT!

Stressed? Know what your hippocampus is? No?! Probably because you are so stressed out that you have flooded it with harmful chemicals that the body releases when stressed that decrease memory capabilities. That’s right, want your problems to go away, stop thinking about them. This will allow your mind the opprotunity to develop a more well thought out solution to a problem and remember what you learned in the process.

Watch your diet

While not only possibly losing weight from this, if you get the appropriate amount of calories, roughly 3000 a day depending on body type, it will help your mind grow. Too few calories per day, as experienced with a frightening number of diets, leads to confusion, a lacking ability to remember things and an inability to focus. Just watch that you don’t overindulge, and don’t starve yourself as well. Find a healthy medium and you will thrive in far more ways than I honestly care to cover. A high in fiber, low glycemic diet with a reasonable amount of fat and protein, allows for a steady processing and flow of energy, greatly improving the minds abilities.

Flax Seeds

While fish is a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, many fish have a mentally damaging amount of mercury. However flax seeds are a healthy, reliable, cost effective source. Where can you get these? Safeway, Trader Joes, Whole Foods and many other grocery stores have flax seed chips. These are much like regular potato chips but far healthier, replacing regular cheeps with these slightly sweet alternatives may be one of the best decisions in snacks you can easily make. But what do Omega 3s do? They enable your brain, plain and simply put. Omega 3s also stave off depression in some cases.

GET OUT! Go get some exercise

Scientists are almost unanimously agreeing that exercise is one of the most proven way to exercise your mind. For peek mental efficiency, try and get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Treadmill, jog, basketball, swimming, anything. While your heart is pumping and your lungs are gasping away while the sweet drips down your brow, your mind is getting stronger as well.