Who says that older people cannot develop their brain and intelligence?
It’s a belief that intelligence is determined right at birth. But this is a misconception. Actually there are plenty of things we can do as adults to make us smarter, such as your hobbies!
Here are our favorite hobbies to indulge in…
Play a musical instrument
A long time ago Confucius said, “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”. It has also been known that music can stimulate human’s brain and has the power to invoke complex emotions and psychological states. Various researches also have shown that both listening to music and playing a musical instrument increases memory capacity.
Reading
Reading is like feeding your brain with new insights and knowledge. Reading also reduces stress and helps you to experience multiple emotions. Reading inspiring books motivates you to have a better life and live in a more positive way.
Work out the brain
It’s not only your body which needs exercise to keep it in shape—your brain does as well. Remember if you don’t use it, you lose it! Regularly challenging the brain to do new things enhances its abilities and sharpens your way of thinking. Give your brain a workout by solving puzzles, playing Sudoku, board games, or crossword puzzle. If you love math, solving mathematical problems (algebra, logarithm, and geometry, whatever you love) are the best thing to do. Maybe you could also teach it to students around you!
Exercising
A healthy body helps to ensure that you have a healthy brain. Exercising regularly keeps your brain and body functioning as they are supposed to. A better blood circulation to the brain means increased brain function, and eventually will improve overall brain performance.
Learn new languages
The process of learning a new language involves task such as analyzing grammatical structures and learning new words, which will enhance your intelligence and brain health. It may not be an easy task, but nobody expects you to master a new language in a short time though. Learning language with complex grammar like Mandarin, Korean, or Japanese sound challenging, no? In fact, just start by mastering Bahasa Indonesia to make life more interesting in Indonesia.
Writing
Writing has many benefits you can take, and one of them is increasing your level of intelligence. Writing can improve your linguistic abilities, and develop other skills such as focus, creativity, and imagination. Write in a diary, blog, Facebook or just tweet. Try to writing in language you’re currently learning.
Travel to new places
Travel to new places will expand your horizons. Every single place you travel to offers you new things to learn—food, people, culture, and society. The physical and mental workouts are involved in traveling can get rid your mind from stress. When you’re stress-free, you will be more able to focus on tasks, observations, and deepening your understanding.
Try new recipes
Cooking is one of the most therapeutic activities. When trying new recipe, you’re challenging your creativity and your attention to details. Cooking is also a great chance for you to multitask, measure with precision and make quick decisions. With all of these skills you’re acquiring, you’re becoming smarter too—plus, you’ve improved to a new whole level of cooking skill!
Hobbies are integral parts of our lives. These are the activities we love (or have talents in), and once we’re doing it, we can easily immerse in them. They are fun, invigorating, and of course enhance our intelligence.
