Increasing intelligence.

Your brain is an extremely complex part of your body, and like muscles, if you want to access its full potential - you have to work it. So just like going to the gym to get fit, you can use simple mental exercises to get your brain working at its best. 

The benefits of mental finesse.

Quickened learning - Your learning rate will increase with your intelligence level, and you will be able to grasp certain concepts easier than before.

Logical thinking - With an increased intelligence level, your logical thinking will grow. Thinking rationally and logically is the best thing to do, while using the Bible for guidance.

Concentration - Your concentration levels will progress, making it easier to do a certain activity for a longer stretch of time.

Memory - Although these exercises will help with augmenting your memory, there are normally separate, more focused exercises for helping in refining memory.

Exercises for increasing your intelligence

1. Reading.

Reading is an activity that is deeply appreciated by many. Normally fictional books are the top choices, wanting a suspenseful, exciting book. However these books are not the best choice when it comes to challenging and improving your mind.

You should read books that make you focus, non-fictional books are great for doing this, as absorbing the information is needed to be able to stay focused. 

If you don't know the meaning of a word, don't worry. Just look it up and carry on. This will help in adding new words to your vocabulary. 

A great non-fictional book I would recommend is, the king James Bible. This is because there are many challenging sentences and words, and you're wanting to concentrate to get the full meaning of God's law.

2. Correct sleep pattern.

Nothing makes it harder to concentrate than sleep deprivation, so early to bed and up early in the morning is the best bet. You’ll be most refreshed if you go to bed early and don’t sleep for more than 8 hours. If you stay up late and compensate by sleeping late, you’ll wake up dormant and will have a hard time focusing.

Results show that people who sleep for more than 8 hours, and those who sleep for less than 6, have a higher risk of diabetes than those who sleep 6-8 hours. (No more no less). So as good as polyphasic sleeping sounds, I will probably give it a miss.

3. Exercise.

When it comes to improving your intelligence, exercising is not something that would jump to  my mind. But actually it does help, I've noticed the benefits of it myself when taking my dog for a walk each day. 

Getting out and doing exercising is great for thinking and making logical decisions. The fresh air clears your head, and you find it easier to concentrate after exercising. ( Although if you do something like a marathon, you may be too tired to concentrate.)

4. Avoid T.V.

People love to spend time vegetating in front of the television while the world flies by. I was guilty of this as well, but now have cut down by a huge amount. You don't use your mental capacity while watching T.V and your brain isn't properly stimulated, which isn't really very beneficial for yourself.

After a few hours of it, you've done nothing of accomplishment and you will feel drained from excessive watching. This is a horrible feeling.

Another thing about T.V, is that it has an effect on your mood. If you watch something that is sad - you normally will feel sad; if you watch something that is angry - you will be able to be more easily annoyed; if you watch something inspiring - you will feel inspired. Without even realizing it, T.V has an effect on you which is not naturally healthy and is often bad for you.

5. Chess.

Chess is a great game for boosting intelligence, and there is a lot more strategy to it than people may think. When I got into chess, I realized that actually, I wasn't as good as I thought. In truth, in comparison to professional chess players, I was rubbish. 

So after learning some new strategies and techniques, I felt an improvement.

There is so much more to take in than I previously thought. 

For example: openings; mid-game tactics; end-game play; traps; and many other types of play.

The fact is, you have to think about so much with chess when you're playing, you're taking in the current moves that are being made, and you're having to think about future play down the road. Sometimes you have to visualize ten+ moves into the game, to out-smart your opponent.

Chess helps enhance your memory, visual spacial acqutity and perceptive deduction.

6. Debates.

Debating (not arguing) is another good way to develop the way you think and process information.

When involved in a debate, your aim is to persuade and convince the opposing side to understand that your position on the topic is correct and that theirs is wrong. You will be forced to examine and cross examine the information presented, and go into greater depth to outwit the other party.