Development of intelligence: 10 exercises on how to develop intelligence

In this article I will talk about how to develop intelligence. Here we will talk about the capabilities and potential of our mind.

But first, I would like to dispel a number of misconceptions and common myths about intelligence before moving directly to practical recommendations.

It is believed that intellectual abilities, type of thinking (mathematical-analytical mindset, humanitarian mindset) are given by nature and are further determined by upbringing and development in childhood, which sets the basic foundation for our type of thinking and level of intellectual development in adulthood. This is partly true, but only partly.

Is it possible to develop your intelligence?

The answer to this question causes a lot of controversy and speculation. Some people believe that intelligence is an innate quality of a person and cannot be trained or developed. Some of the information is true. But it only applies to those who, for some reason, have a certain barrier. These are people suffering from mental retardation, dementia and other similar disorders.

According to neuroscientists, the development of mind and intelligence is still possible. Research has shown that the brain is a plastic substance that changes its physical dimensions under certain actions. Therefore, even smart people have something to strive for.

In the history of mankind there have been individuals who were luckier than others. They turned out to be brilliant scientists. Their brain and, consequently, intelligence worked at full strength and did not require any exercises for development. A good example is the great physicists, including Einstein and Curie. However, these cases are rare. Therefore, every person needs to think about how to improve their intellectual abilities.

Wednesday measure your IQ

Let intelligence tests to assess IQ become a brain simulator on Wednesday. After all, they can be performed not only to measure the level of your mental development and IQ, but also for the purpose of intellectual training.

But these tests are usually solved within a given time. Therefore, first you need to see how much time you are allocated to solve the battery of proposed problems. Then note the time and begin the test.

By the way, by noting time, you thereby set yourself a certain bar for the future. Keep a record of the time you completed so that next time you can compare the old results with the new ones and track your progress.

Myths about intelligence

There is a lot of talk about the development of emotional intelligence in children and adults, as well as mental abilities. Hundreds of studies and experiments are being conducted with the help of which scientists are discovering new facets of the mind. Their other goal is to dispel a number of misconceptions:

Good innate intelligence does not need to be developed - this is the main myth. As stated above, from time to time geniuses are born on the planet whose mental abilities exceed expectations. But this is rare, since natural gifts are few. Here you need to take into account the influence of external factors: upbringing, environment, living conditions. All of them together helped famous people become who we know them to be.
The second misconception concerns age. According to many, it is much more difficult to develop intelligence in an adult than in a child. This is especially true for those who did not develop abilities in childhood. To think so is more than wrong. The development of intelligence in adults is possible. Becoming a genius is unlikely. However, you will definitely be able to improve your knowledge in one or more areas. This does not depend on how the child developed in childhood.
Another myth says that it is enough to be a specialist or even a genius in only one field; you do not need to gain knowledge in all others. You shouldn't think like that. The development of intelligence and memory presupposes harmony and a general broadening of horizons. A good example is a mathematician who can easily solve various problems and equations. But he cannot evaluate the actions of his new acquaintance. Or you can take a philologist who understands all the intricacies of his native language and literature, but is unable to correctly count change in a store. You can prove the fallacy of this judgment using the example of gaining muscle mass. If an athlete pays attention to the development of only one muscle group, he will look ridiculous. Beautiful relief is the result of regular pumping and development of the entire muscular system as a whole.

Intelligence is like a sponge. It absorbs all the information entering the brain and constantly requires a new “dose”. Therefore, there is no need to think that adults do not need to develop mental abilities. It is better to take time to educate yourself.

Where should the boundary be drawn between feelings and reason?

Instincts must exist and act in the place that is assigned to them. Since they have already saved a person’s life more than once, it is necessary that their mechanism starts when needed. Most of the material on this site will be devoted to how to achieve this.

For example, in case of danger, fear signals it and this is great. The body releases a lot of energy and, fleeing from a wild animal in the forest, you yourself don’t notice how you find yourself high in a tree, because fear made you react instantly and saved your life. But there is no need to allow this ancient instinct to break out from the depths of the unconscious and occupy other areas of our psyche.

Being in them, he can manifest himself in the most perverted forms. For example, in the form of all sorts of social fears: anxiety about people, about life’s difficulties, about relationships, about the future, about the opposite sex. If the biological mechanism that catapults us high onto the branches of a tree saves our life, then another, social or psychological fear is exclusively an obstacle to the implementation of our life plan, our goals and our development.

A person who is afraid of difficulties will never achieve anything. He will live with his fear. Anyone who is afraid of relationships will die alone. One of the key tasks of the mind in the context of self-development is to curb and control the ego and instincts, to tame the wild beast within and make it your ally. And also to pacify the Ego: to act contrary to the whims of pride, the whims of pride, not to take into account passions and fleeting emotions, but confidently, chart your life course and move along it.

Secrets of intelligence development

Before you start developing your intellect, you need to learn one rule: classes must be comprehensive and regular. An example is sports. To improve your health, you need to give up bad habits and add physical activity, for example, by purchasing a gym or swimming pool membership. The same thing happens with the development of emotional intelligence and mental abilities. You shouldn’t think that rare reading or problem solving is enough for development. We need complex actions, implying the presence of theory and practice.

Many people understand the importance of developing mental abilities. However, they do nothing in this direction. This is due to laziness, unwillingness to change habits and leave the comfort zone. In addition, most people want to find easy ways to solve problems, and not strain themselves by working on themselves. It is this feature of human nature that prompts people to buy advertised weight loss products or exercise equipment.

Achieving a goal requires effort, discipline, and willpower. Only with the help of these qualities can you force yourself to regularly devote time to developing your mind.

Types of intelligence and their properties

The mental ability classification system is extensive. Each variety influences a person’s interests, thoughts, and behavior.

There are seven main types of intelligence:

Analytical. Represents the ability to evaluate, compare, compare data, and also divide it into separate parts.
Logical intelligence is the ability to think and draw conclusions without violating formal logic.
People with critical thinking criticize and evaluate any information received. Thanks to this, they easily remove unnecessary and unworthy attention. The result is a clear view of things.
Deductive intelligence encourages you to select the necessary information from the stream. This is the ability to compare what is written in different sources, to combine data into a single whole.
Predictive intelligence helps to plan the future, warn, and forecast possible developments.
With abstract thinking, you can delve into the very essence of mathematical or philosophical problems. People with such intelligence are geniuses. In a matter of seconds, they solve complex equations in their heads.
Thanks to imaginative intelligence, a person formulates metaphors, deciphers, simplifies complex ideas, and also compares seemingly disparate data.

There is another type of mental ability - the ability to concentrate. It is developed in those who have willpower and know how to control their feelings and emotions.

Brain training online

If you have a computer, tablet or even a phone with Internet access, then you can train wherever you want, even at work, in a cafe, on the street in the park.

To train your brain, it is enough to have any device with Internet access, be it a computer, phone or tablet, because the games and exercises we offer are browser-based and after registration you will have access to about 30 free games. Here are some of them.

Brain Trainer

The Schulte table is one of the most effective exercises for developing attention, concentration, and accelerating visual search. This exercise is also the most popular exercise for developing speed reading. Schulte tables usually consist of randomly placed numbers or letters. The number of cells in tables also varies and most often they are 5x5 elements in size.

Game "Anagrams"

You can play this game right now on this page, they develop thinking, speed reading and speed of thought very well. The main thing is to find as many correct anagrams as possible within the time limit set in the game:

Tag

Tag is a great way to exercise your brain throughout the day! A game very suitable for brain fitness. The game of tag is a square board divided into 16 equal square sections. You have 15 square dominoes at your disposal, numbered accordingly. The dominoes are not located in order inside the box, that is. there is one free section left.

Gorbov Schulte tables

We recommend you an excellent game for brain training , which focuses on such qualities as: attentiveness, reaction, memory, visual search. It is required to mark the presented numbers in a cyclic sequence: minimum black, maximum red.

Play now

Techniques and exercises for developing intelligence and memory

The development of intelligence in children and adults is carried out in several ways, each of which has features, pros, and cons.

Logic and intellectual games

These include chess, checkers, backgammon, poker, various puzzles, and educational computer programs. Their task is to improve mental abilities, memory, and concentration. Such activities teach healthy competition and allow you to enjoy further development.

Board logic games are sold in specialized stores. They can also be downloaded on the Internet.

Mathematics and science classes

According to Lomonosov, with the help of mathematics you can put your mind in order. He's right, because working with equations and problems is a great opportunity to develop intelligence. Several of its types are involved here: abstract thinking, the ability to criticize and analyze, as well as compare, lead to a single whole. Such activities are good for training memory and concentration. Essentially, these are exercises for all types of intelligence.

It is noteworthy that mathematics is needed by both adults and children.

Reading fiction

Books with a fascinating plot are about broadening one’s horizons by obtaining new information, developing taste, and developing mental qualities. They improve imagination and increase the ability to learn.

However, one should not assume that books are a panacea. Reading alone is not enough to develop intelligence. Combine it with other useful activities, for example, solving mathematical problems, learning languages, and logic games.

Education

Our brain has the ability to receive and analyze information. He also shows how to apply it in life. It is not for nothing that they say that teaching is light. Thanks to him, a person gains knowledge and experience, learns to find a way out of difficult situations, and adapt to new conditions.

Even if the information received is not useful in life, the learning is considered successful. It helps broaden your horizons, develop memory, and improve your ability to concentrate. Plus, the more a person studies, the easier it is for him to comprehend new things.

Learning other languages

According to scientists, learning foreign languages allows you to maintain a high level of intelligence even in old age. To do this, you do not need to enroll in specialized schools or enroll in courses. Just follow a few simple tips:

Listen to songs in a foreign language. This should be done all the time, for example, during long trips or when cleaning the apartment. The main secret of success is regularity.
Watch foreign clips. Often, at the same time, there are subtitles in which the spoken words are highlighted in a different color.
Watch films with a simple, understandable plot. Dialogues and acting will help you understand what emotions the characters are experiencing at the moment.

Learning foreign languages contributes to the development of almost all types of intelligence.

Communication with people

Interacting with people around you has many benefits:

broadens the mind;
provides new information;
helps eliminate complexes;
gives self-confidence;
promotes the development of mental abilities;
increases self-esteem.

In view of this, you need to devote as much time as possible to communication. It is desirable that it be alive. But if this is not possible, you can communicate on social networks.

Making familiar things unusual

Every person has many useful habits. Day after day, people brush their teeth, wash their face, go to work, watch TV, and do other everyday things. At the same time, the brain does not develop at all, since the actions are honed to the point of automaticity.

Is it possible to develop your mind in the above cases? The answer is yes. You just need to change your habits. For example, you can take a different route to work or cook a new dish for breakfast. Another option is to wear clothes in an unusual order. It sounds funny and ridiculous. But these actions make the brain work. Thanks to this, intelligence develops, mental abilities, awareness, and creativity improve.

Positive thinking

Life doesn't always go according to plan. Situations often occur that unsettle you and drive you into depression. You can, of course, panic and sound the alarm. But it won't change anything. It’s better to gather your strength, get up, and move on.

Positive thinking encourages you to take failures as a chance to become better, smarter, and more determined. Thanks to him, a person remains calm, concentrates on the problem, and finds a solution as soon as possible. And this is a direct path to developing the ability to think.

Vision of prospects

Any effort eventually leads to something. You need to clearly define the result of your actions, set a goal - then it will be easier to move forward. This rule applies to all areas of life.

A person needs to know what the desire for improvement and self-education will lead to. Perhaps this will be personal or career growth. Or is it an opportunity to get the desired position. In any case, seeing the prospects for developing mental abilities is the key to success.

Physical exercise

This is an indirect way of developing intellectual abilities. However, it is no less effective than the others. And there are two reasons for this:

Exercising improves blood circulation, saturates the body with oxygen, and stimulates the production of proteins. Thanks to this, the brain begins to work more actively.
Physical work helps you relax mentally, frees your intellect from unnecessary information, and allows you to “reboot.”

Simultaneous physical and intellectual development is what every person should strive for. Both of these activities allow you to find yourself, find harmony with your soul and body. But there is one thing: you need to exercise regularly.

Top 10 recommendations on how to increase your IQ level

Since IQ is directly related to brain activity, you should think about how to improve its efficiency. Use the following tips.

Lead a healthy lifestyle. In order to think sensibly, think better and faster, master the required amount of information and at the same time stay in good shape, you should follow basic rules: eat a balanced diet, do not overeat, do not starve, do not smoke, do not indulge in alcohol, spend more time outdoors, be active, move more, play sports or do gentle physical exercise.
Balance work with rest. The brain, like the body, needs to rest. If you spend 24 hours improving your intellect, the first thing to fail is your head. Doctors advise choosing the number of hours of sleep that the brain requires for full recovery. A reasonable balance between rest and work will allow you to better perceive everything you want to learn for your development.
Read regularly. Reading is one of the best ways to “wake up” your brain cells. It develops imagination, speech, enriches vocabulary, broadens horizons, and increases educational level. This is generally a unique function - it allows the head to work and rest at the same time, switching the brain to another type of activity.
Find intellectual forms of entertainment for yourself. Physical activities can be successfully alternated with intellectual ones. Educational games, crosswords, educational quests, logic and imagination tasks - all this is recommended not only for the younger generation, but also for adults as a preventive measure for strokes, dementia and other diseases associated with weakening of the intellect. One of the useful types of recreation can be visiting lecture halls, intellectual clubs, interactive museums, and even libraries, which today are equipped with modern technology and host many interesting events.
Learn foreign languages. This is not just a way to learn to understand other people, but also a great opportunity to learn about another culture, traditions, get acquainted with the original texts of books, watch the best films and performances, and find new friends with similar interests. In addition, language develops memory, which means it activates brain activity, which helps improve intelligence.
Watch educational programs and films. This is one of the best options to expand your horizons. Documentary films, travel shows, educational television programs or scientific films will allow you to go beyond the usual and often rather narrow boundaries of your own interests.
Try to study the exact sciences. Intellectual scholars will confirm that the boundaries between the exact sciences and the humanities are often very blurred. It is no coincidence that, for example, mathematics is called the music of the mind. Both children and adults are often recommended to solve entertaining problems for intellectual development. And acquaintance with miracles and discoveries in other sciences incredibly enriches the human mind.
Change established habits. A monotonous lifestyle, otherwise known as routine, greatly inhibits development. Change your daily routine. Change your route when going to work. Devote your weekend to something unusual for you. Make a cultural and educational plan for the week. Plan a “meaningful” trip for your vacation - for example, visit all the castles in Austria, visit all the Orthodox churches in Crimea and learn their history, go on a culinary tour of Italy and learn how to cook Italian dishes. Rate the best books for the mind and heart and gradually read them.
Learn new skills. Take an interest in the intricacies of other professions, master a different specialty, and use your experience to expand your own sphere of employment. If you have always been interested in history, sign up for an archaeological expedition, sing well - learn to dance well, take guitar lessons, go to courses in mastering some craft. New experience always means new knowledge. And the opportunity to learn is the first step to increasing your intelligence level.
Train your brain with IQ tests. There are many different intelligence tests available in the public domain on the Internet. Set yourself the task of completing as many of them as possible. How to increase your intelligence level - go from simple to complex. If something doesn’t work out the first time, don’t be afraid to go back, use supporting literature, scientific consultations, and reference books.

And keep in mind that in self-development, high results are not always important. The process itself carries no less, and sometimes more, intellectual charge.