Is there a possibility that something which we do for fun and pleasure, makes us smarter, as well as more productive?
Well, that possibility definitely exists. It turns out that practicing your favorite hobbies is not just a way of dealing with stressful situations easily or also to have fun and relax, but that also helps you in sharpening your mental skills.
The levels of your intelligence can be increased when you expose your brain to new stimuli. Challenging your brain can make it form neural pathways that make it work better and faster too. So, the more you challenge it, such as gaining new skills and learning different things, the stronger it will get.
This sounds wonderful, right?
Here, we have a list of six super creative hobbies which you can practice in your free time, which will help you sharpen your brain. Remember to practice them regularly.
1. Playing a musical instrument.
Regardless of choosing to play the violin or strum the bass, you will not make any mistake. Playing an instrument is not just going to enhance your motor skills, but it will enhance analytical, language and math skills too.
Playing an instrument will strengthen the corpus callosum which connects the two hemispheres of our brain by forming some new connections. A strengthened corpus callosum will also improve the memory, as well as the problem-solving skills and the overall function of the brain, irrespective of the person’s age.
2. Read anything you want.
Reading has positive effects, and they are the same no matter if you are reading the masterpiece of Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, or also some daily newspaper, or even enjoying Game of Thrones. Reading is going to reduce your levels of stress, and in that way, you will feel much better about yourself.
Reading also increase the three different types of intelligence – the emotional, crystallized and fluid – which enable you to comprehend processes, as well as detect patterns and identity, and even respond to the feelings of others.
3. Exercise on a regular basis.
You probably never thought that exercising could do as much to your brain as it, in fact, does to your body. Well, remember that exercising is going to keep your mind sharp.
But, here, exercise does not refer to the occasional going to the gym or also doing push-ups at your home. In fact, it means that you have to do the exercises every day, as exercising regularly will make your body produce more BDNF, which is a protein that helps the brain to create some new connections, as well as protect its healthy cells. This is a protein that is also helpful in memory, learning, understanding, and concentration.
4. Learning a new language.
In order to improve your problem-solving, as well as planning skills, you should learn a new language. Speaking two or also more languages are going to improve your perception of the environment, as well as enable you to focus your attention to processes better.
In addition, speaking at least two languages can be useful for you when traveling abroad or coming across tourists in your country or city. According to some researches, bilingual speakers are better when it comes to solving puzzles than those that are monolingual.
5. Testing your cumulative learning.
The single way in which you can ensure that the things you learn are stored in your permanent memory is to test your cumulative learning. One of the reasons why learning a new language will sharpen your brain, is that it requires cumulative learning. For instance, you continuously learn new grammar rules and vocabulary, and you constantly have to revise them.
However, you can test your cumulative learning in everyday life, not just when you learn a new language. You may do that by keeping track of keywords from some books you read, observing during meetings or anything else that is new and you learned during that day. Also, you can keep a journal of everything that caught your attention.
6. Practice meditation.
By meditating, you have the ability to control your brain waves, and also feel whatever way you want to feel. For instance, when you dare to ask your boss for a rise, you will feel more confident. Or, you can also feel more powerful, as well as look more convincing when you are doing business with someone.
We believe that you already know how the powers of meditation exercises reduce the levels of stress and make you feel more relaxed.
It's important to wear soft, calming clothing when you meditate. Your clothes should never be a distraction or a hindrance and allow you to focus on your inner self. The clothing you wear can set the tone for your meditation as well.
Tight-fitting clothes may prevent you from breathing comfortably and meditating so this Flowing Meditation Zen Robe is ideal for meditation because they will be comfortable no matter what position you meditate in.
