Top Lessons from the World’s Famous Smart Guys to Unlock Your Brain

Discover some science-backed methods to enhance your brainpower.

Some neuroscientists argue that everyone is born with an unshakable memory, focus, and productivity. Yet despite being naturally endowed with superbrain power, you still suck at retaining information. Why?

Well, the obvious reason is that you have not discovered how to switch on your superbrain box.

Whether you are a professional coach, an entrepreneur, a student, or someone just looking to unlock the full power of their brain, this post is for you.

I will show you exactly how you can break every limitation holding back your personal growth so you can experience a life change elevation in your career and your entire life.

1. Learn to manage your stress

“The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.” — William James

Although our brains can help us get through stressful moments, we are not well-equipped to face stress over the long haul.

After just 30 minutes of constant stress, the body stops sending extra blood to the brain. As a result, the brain no longer has the sugar rush to stay especially alert and focused.

Connections between nerve cells can grow back and make remembering easier, but this can only happen if you can relax.

To cope with stress, some people change their lifestyles; others must change their minds. For example, you can try taking five minutes to close your eyes and meditate, walk fifteen minutes around the block during lunch break, or set aside half an hour to decompress each day.

2. Sharpen your memory by reading more

“To acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life.” — W. Somerset Maugham

An experiment showed that reading increases brain connectivity, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain that responds to physical sensations such as movement and pain.

Reading expands your vocabulary, increases your self-esteem, develops good communication skills, and strengthens the human brain’s prediction engine.

Also, not only does reading improve your cognitive functions, it also increases your ability to empathize with people. Those who read literary fiction, stories that explore the inner lives of characters, show a greater ability to understand the feelings and beliefs of others.

3. Unleash creativity writing by hand

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.” ―Graham Greene

Like reading, writing encourages vocabulary growth, grammar and language skills, and the use of correct syntax. But more importantly, handwriting helps us untangle our cluttered minds and think more clearly.

Our brains store information that we write by hand more effectively, which improves our memory and recall. The reticular activating system (RAS), a part of the brain, is stimulated when writing by hand.

This hormone filters all the sensory information it receives from its environment and decides what information is important and what can be ignored.

Writing by hand also forces a person to pay attention to their memories, experiences, and internal dialogues — a combination that increases brain function.

4. Get better at memorizing

“If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered.” ― Edgar Allan Poe

When you memorize things with bizarre images, you tend to remember things too well. By getting better at the skill of memorizing, you get better at other skills like experimenting.

Reviewing also enhances your memory. To maximize the effects, repeat the information at specific time intervals. Memorizing large amounts of information in a short time, especially the night before tests does not help with long-term memory.

A popular method to effectively practice memorizing is the “2–7–12 rule,” which says that we are likely to remember something after the second review for two days, after the third review for seven days, and after the fourth for twelve days.

5. Engage your brain with active sports

“The five S’s of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.”

— Ken Doherty

Practicing athletics isn’t just a good way to exercise your body; it’s actually a great way to improve your brain’s performance.

Research has shown that children who participate in athletics generally do better in school and are more likely to continue their education after high school.

That’s because athletes develop their brains whenever they have to make complex decisions at the spur of the moment.

Being an athlete requires you to master both conscious and unconscious decision-making. Your actions are more than a series of automatic reactions; they are part of a dynamic strategy to address an evolving mix of complex challenges.

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