15 Ways to Increase Your Mind Power

The articles about increasing mind power seem to be quite popular on this blog. Here are some more ways to increase your mind power. I will link to other articles on this blog if the subject has already been explained in more detail.

1. Deep breathing. More air in means more oxygen in the blood and therefore in the brain. Several deep breaths can also help you to relax, which helps you to think more clearly.
2. Meditation. Meditation is a great way to relax and lower your level of stress. Right after a meditation session you will usually find it much easier to solve a problem or a difficult puzzle.
3. Good posture. Posture affects your thinking process. Try sitting up straight. Do a simple math exercise in your head while slouching, looking at the floor and letting your mouth hang open. Then do the mental math while sitting up straight, keeping your mouth closed and looking forward or slightly upwards. You’ll notice that it’s easier to think with the latter posture. This will also allow you to read faster and improve comprehension.
4. Clear space. Clear space equals clear thinking. So clear up your office or home. If your office or home is to cluttered, go somewhere else. A change of surroundings can be great for creative thinking. Instead of spending a sunny afternoon working in a crowded office, try doing some of your work on a park bench in the clean open air.
5. Time. Make use of the time that is otherwise wasted or just under-utilized. Use audio books while driving to work or cleaning the house. You can even speed up the audio, so that you can learn more in the same time period.
6. Modeling and role playing. We can partly reproduce the characteristics and even talents of others by imitating them. This is something we often discover as a child, and then forget. Pretending to be superman or another hero really does give a child more courage temporarily. To experiment with this as an adult, imagine you are Einstein when you are working on a math or physics problem. Be your favorite businessman when you are working on a business situation. The key here is to think like that other person would, and even sit, stand and move like they would. In NLP this is called modeling. Even though you are making these things up, this is a powerful way to access more of your subconscious brainpower.
7. Problem solving. To develop a more powerful and creative mind, use a problem solving technique daily for several weeks. Become a problem solver. If you don’t have a problem to solve on some days, make them up. Redesign everything you see for a while. Regular use for at least 21 days will make this a habit. Many good thinking habits take some effort to develop, but from that point on you can use them anytime you like.
8. Mental math shortcuts. Although most people will use a calculator (nearly every cell phone has one), doing math in your head is a really useful skill. And this does not always have to be hard. There are several tricks and shortcuts available to make doing math a lot easier. Try to create your own math shortcuts, or try any of the tricks and shortcuts you read about and adopt the ones that seem to work best for you. When you find the shortcuts that work easiest, train your brain to use them habitually. For examples of mental math tricks, click here.
9. Learning a new language. Learning a language is a powerful way to increase your mind power. It can expand the range of your possible thoughts. There are concepts in some languages that don’t exist in others, and differing expressions that affect the way we think. In Spanish, for example, you “gain” money (the verb is ganar). In other languages you “take” it, “earn” it, and so on. Each of those affects the ways in which people think about money. English, for example, is one of the few languages that speaks of “making” money. That way you could see money as something created, rather than a static quantity to be divided up. In Spanish, you are not thirsty, cold or afraid. You have to say “I have thirst (tengo sed)”, “I have coldness (tengo frío)”, or “I have fear (tengo miedo)”. This can change how you experience things. You don’t associate yourself too much with the way you feel. You gain new perspectives when you learn a language, and more ability to understand things. Another benefit is the general improvement in memory that many people experience from studying a language.
10. Basic brain exercises. Find several brain exercises that you enjoy, and make them a habit. Crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles , lateral thinking puzzles, and even good riddles are a great way to get brain exercise. You can increase your vocabulary and spelling skills by doing crosswords. The more games you do, the more brain capacity, the better you get with vocabulary and spelling. This will spill over into comprehension and understanding. It will also improve your ability to communicate. You can do brain exercises while waiting for a dentist appointment, or on the bus, if you are short on time. You can find all sorts of brain exercises online, in magazines and papers.
11. Asking good questions. Every now and then it’s good to question your beliefs and the things you do in life. For example, you might train yourself to always ask, “How does this advance me towards my important goals?” and “Is there a better alternative?”. Challenging certain assumptions you have will almost always increase the range and the creativity of your solutions.
12. Neurobics. With Neurobics you use your five physical senses and your emotional sense in unexpected ways to that encourage you to break out of your everyday routines. The aim of Neurobics and the specific exercises is to provide you with a balanced, comfortable, and enjoyable way to stimulate your brain. The exercises are designed to help the brain manufacture its own nutrients that strengthen, preserve and grow brain cells. An active brain is a healthy brain, while inaction leads to reduced brain fitness. For more information on Neurobics, click here.
13. Mind mapping. You can use mind mapping to visualize or structure your thoughts and ideas. It helps you when you’re brainstorming or if you have to recall things from your memory. Mind maps can be applied in learning, writing, organizing and decision making. Here is an article on how to use mind maps.
14. Reading. Reading books can be a great way to relax and pass time, but that’s not the only benefit. A good book can give you many new insights. History books and biographies can give you a shortcut in learning by studying the lessons other people have already learned the hard way. Fiction can give you an insight into other people’s thoughts, which you can blend into your own unique philosophy. If you want to get as much out of a book as possible, you might want to read this article.
15. Audio programs. There are several audio programs available that have been researched specifically to enhance and develop the mind. Most of them are really simple and you don’t really have to concentrate. With some of them you can even go to sleep. They are designed to increase your mind power automatically without very little effort on your part. A very good example of such a product is OptiMINDzation. There are cd’s for to improve your memory, energy boosting, brainstorming ideas, a. I’ve used the OptiMINDzation cd’s countless of times and they always leave me refreshed and full of energy. Another one that gets recommended a lot is Quantum Mind Power, so you can try that one out too. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s definitely on my to do list.

Some of the ideas mentioned above were inspired by two great books by Steven Gillman, 100 Ways to Increase Your Mind Power and A Book of Secrets. You might want to check out his books for more ways to increase your mind power.

Have fun!

Gerber

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