25 practices to stimulate your intelligence on a daily basis

Many options exist to improve your knowledge and train your brain. Here is a list that will give you ideas.

Do you want to open your mind? A few daily exercises can take you a long way.

On the Quora thread "What would you do to be a little smarter every day?", participants shared their habits for exercising their brains.

Here are some simple practices that can help you become smarter.

Have 10 new ideas every day

Think of a way to alleviate poverty or a solution to one of your everyday problems. Write movie reviews, or anything else. It doesn't matter what the subject is as long as you exercise your brain and keep your idea box alive. Your list may even include creating a startup or a book project. (Claudia Azula Altucher)

Read the newspapers

The newspapers will allow you to become aware of important events happening all over the world. You will be able to form your own opinions and create links between seemingly unrelated events. You'll also have a lot more conversation at parties or with friends. (Manas J Saloi)

Play devil's advocate

Choose one thing you just learned and then come up with a unique opinion that wouldn't come to mind. Try to back up your arguments with evidence and be open to the possibility that new data might change your mind. Repeat this exercise daily, and you will become better at crafting opinions that are out of the ordinary.

If you can't find topics, try reading articles and use your critical sense. This will help you understand how other people form their arguments and express their opinions. (Peter de Paolo)

Read a chapter of a novel or topical book

Try to read one book a week. You can always find a time to read, whether it's on your daily commute or when you're waiting in line somewhere. The Goodreads site is a great way to keep track of everything you've read. It also offers to be part of a community of readers.

Novels are a good way to understand human nature and open up new perspectives. Books dealing with current events offer you new subjects relating to politics or psychology. (Claudia Azula Altucher)

Instead of watching TV, watch instructional videos

Sometimes watching a video about something you're passionate about can be more fun than reading. You can learn a lot of things this way.

Feel free to watch fun tutorial videos on Khan Academy or watch TED talks. The SmarterEverDay Youtube channel also offers relevant videos. The video support makes the information assimilable and memorable. So you are sure to remember it. (Hendrik Sleeckx)

Subscribe to interesting news feeds

Follow the personalities that interest you on Facebook and Twitter. You'll learn new things as soon as you open your News Feed or Dashboard. For example, if you want to be up to date with the latest scientific or technological information, sign up for the "I F*****g Love Science" Facebook page. You can also sign up for newsletters such as Cal Newport's Study Hacks or Today I Found Out. (Saurabh Shah)

Regularly browse your favorite news sources

Every day, browse Quora or Stack Overflow, specialized blogs or any other source to quench your thirst for knowledge. It is an extremely simple practice. You just have to read the information and other Internet users control the content for you. All you have to do is follow those who write about topics you find interesting. Use Pocket to save articles to read later, then try browsing before you go to sleep. (Manas J Saloi)

Share what you've learned with others

Find someone to debate and analyze your ideas. You can contribute to each other's knowledge base and get new insights. Moreover, when you are able to explain ideas to someone, it means that you completely master the concept. You can also share what you know without talking to someone directly. Many are creating a blog and involving others in a virtual dialogue. (Mike Xie)

Make two to-do lists: one on job skills you need to learn now and another on things you want to do in the future

Google Docs is a convenient way to create and update update these lists. Decide what you want to learn, gather the sources that will teach you those skills, and then work on them every day.

For example, if you work in IT, your first list should mention a skill related to the Python language or MongoDB.

For your second list, consider long-term goals, such as getting into marketing or architecture. Write down the intermediate steps you'll need to take to reach this goal, whether it's by reading the productions of experts in the field or taking courses. (Manas J Saloi)

Make a "I did it" list

Every night, write down what you did with your day. This list will allow you to be aware of all that you have achieved, especially if you feel discouraged. It will also give you perspective on your productivity and how you can organize your activity for the next few days. (Claudia Azula Altucher)

Start a "stop" list

To clear your mind, write down all those stupid things that waste your time. Let go of old habits and make room for new ones. As Warren Buffett says, "The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say 'no' to almost everything." (Shane Parrish)

Write down what you've learned

You can create a blog or use an app like Inkpad to help you keep track of everything you've learned. Not only will this be a good way to be aware of everything you do, but this practice will also be a source of motivation. You will want to learn more if you know that at the end of the day you have to write it down. (Manas J Saloi)

Boost your body

Running every day is a great way to boost your mind and keep your sanity in check. It's also a good way to reflect on difficult decisions or integrate new information. (Rick Bruno)

Take online courses

Check out this list of the most popular online courses for professionals. Make sure you don't overload your schedule, commit to a class or two and focus on it. The course outline will help you stay up to date. That way you know you'll learn something every day, whether it's listening to a class or working on an exercise. (Manas J Saloi)

Talk to someone you find interesting

Even if they're strangers, don't be afraid to approach them. Ask them questions about their interests. Often it's the people you barely know who teach you the most. (Manas J Saloi)

Date people smarter than you

Spend as much time as possible with smart people. Every day, strive to have coffee or walk with someone who inspires you. Always be humble and eager to learn. Ask as many questions as possible. If you are always with people who are better informed than you, you will have no choice but to learn. (Manas J Saloi)

Go to the end of your questions

If you see or hear something interesting, don't let it pass. Go further ; be curious and find the answer to your question (Mike Xie)

Download a word-of-the-day app

You'll increase your vocabulary, which will be an asset on tests such as the SAT or GRE. Above all, this will allow you to be more eloquent on a daily basis.

You can also learn new words in a foreign language. Every day, try to assimilate five to ten new words in the language you want to learn. To do this you can use the LiveMocha, Basuu or DuoLingo sites. (Manas J Saloi)

Do something scary

"Getting out of our comfort zone always makes us wiser." Every day, force yourself to push your limits. Shy people can try public speaking with ToastMasters courses, speak up in a meeting and offer to give a presentation. You can also get in touch with someone you admire by sending them a letter or email. (Claudia Azula Altucher)

Explore new horizons

If you can't travel every day, at least try to find something new in your city. You'll meet new people, learn new things, and understand a side of the world you've missed. It's much more productive than sitting at home watching TV. (Manas J Saloi)

Play "intelligent" games

Some games, like chess or Scrabble open your mind. Challenge yourself when you play it. For example, play Scrabble without a dictionary. You can also solve puzzles like Sudoku, 2048 or Doors. (Saurabh Shah)

Make time to relax

Often, sitting in silence can help you find inspiration and gain perspective on your day. (Claudia Azula Altucher)

Find a productive hobby

If you have a hobby that you can pursue on a daily basis (knitting or fly fishing), you can learn by doing. For example, you might try playing a new piece of music every day, reading a physics textbook, writing a few more pages to your novel, or learning a new computer skill. (Mayank Rajput)

Practice what you've learned

If you've recently learned a new coding method or a new musical instrument, practice that skill as often as possible. Learning by doing is one of the most effective ways to open your mind. (Himanshu Pal)

Exercise and eat healthy

Enjoy mind food to fuel your thoughts. Avoid alcohol and overly rich meals that can make you feel soft. When your energy is low, expend your energy. "The more blood circulates in your brain the better you will perform. Great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi and Charles Darwin were famous for their long walks." (Janne Piiroinen)

This is an update of an article originally written by Maggie Zhang.

Article by Jenna Goudreau. Translation by Manon Franconville, JDN.

See the original article: 25 daily habits that will make you smarter