14個讓你變聰明的辦法

收看阿拉伯世界半島電視臺的新聞

Don’t shut yourself out from new ideas. A 2009 study found that viewers of Al Jazeera English were more open-minded than people who got their news from CNN International and BBC World.

不要將新思想拒之門外。一項2009年的調(diào)查發(fā)現(xiàn)，收看半島電視臺英語頻道的觀眾比收看美國有線新聞網(wǎng)國際頻道(CNN)和英國廣播公司世界頻道(BBC)的觀眾思想更開闊。

2. Learn a Language

學(xué)習(xí)一門語言

Mastering a second language gives a workout to your prefrontal cortex, which affects decision making and emotions. Enroll in a class, embed in deepest Sichuan province, or simply pick up Rosetta Stone software and teach yourself Latin.

掌握一門第二語言讓你的前額皮質(zhì)得到很好的鍛煉，這會影響你的決策和情緒。選一門課程，深入到四川省，或者找一下羅賽達石 (譯者注：解釋古埃及象形文字的可靠線索)軟件自學(xué)拉丁文。

3. Toss Your Smartphone

拋開智能手機

Constantly checking your email disrupts focus and saps productivity. And go offline from time to time by installing Internet-blocking software that lets you concentrate on the task at hand.

不停地查看電子郵件會使你的注意力紊亂并減弱你的創(chuàng)造力。時不時地下線，并安裝一些脫機軟件，這樣能讓你專注于手邊任務(wù)。

4. Sleep A Lot

多睡覺

Take a nap, then get to bed early. Harvard research has shown your brain continues to process memories even after you’ve gone to sleep, so you can recall them better later.

小睡片刻，并且早點上床睡覺。哈佛大學(xué)研究表明，即便在入睡之后，大腦仍然在處理記憶，因此你稍后會有更好的記憶。

5. Hydrate

補水

Sure, every doctor and trainer tells you this, and we will too: dehydration forces the brain to work harder and may dampen its planning ability.

當(dāng)然，每位醫(yī)生和訓(xùn)練員都會告訴你這一點，我們還是要強調(diào)：脫水會促使大腦工作更費力，可能會抑制大腦的規(guī)劃能力。

6. Eat Dark Chocolate

吃黑巧克力

It might not boost your IQ overnight, but dark chocolate is reported to have memory-improving flavonoids. And go ahead and pair it with a glass of red wine—another great flavonoid source.

黑巧克力或許不會在一夜之間就讓你的智商陡升，但是據(jù)稱它含有提升記憶力的類黃酮。吃吧，就著一杯紅酒，這是另一種富含類黃酮的食物。

7. Join a Knitting Circle

加入編織小圈子

Whip out the needles and make an awesome scarf. Refining motor ability can bolster cognitive skills. Plus—it’ll keep you warm this winter.

拿出針來織一條不錯的圍巾吧。改善機動能力可以支持認知技能。另外，它還會讓你溫暖過冬。

8. Eat Yogurt

喝酸奶

Probiotics are good for your stomach, but studies on mice suggest they are good for your brain, too: mice who ate them handled anxiety better and showed increased activity in sections of the brain handling emotions and memory.

益生菌對胃有益，但在老鼠身上的試驗表明，益生菌也對大腦有益：喝了益生菌的老鼠在處理焦慮上表現(xiàn)更好，在大腦處理情緒和記憶方面表現(xiàn)了更高的活力。

9. Write By Hand

用手寫字

Remember what that feels like? Brain scans show that handwriting engages more sections of the brain than typing. It’s easier to remember something once you’ve written it down on paper.

還記得那是種什么感覺嗎?腦部掃描顯示，用手寫字比打字會使腦部更多的部分參與活動。一旦你在紙上寫下某事，你就更容易把它記住。

10. The Pomodoro Technique

番茄工作法

This time-management method has nothing to do with pasta, but aims to make you productive using nothing more than a kitchen timer. Use it to help work in 25-minute blocks, taking a short break after each; the frequent rests aid mental agility.

這種時間管理方法與意大利面毫無關(guān)系，但是目的是讓你只用一個廚房計時器就能富有生產(chǎn)力。用它來制定25分鐘的時段，每個時段后休息一小會兒，經(jīng)常的休息有助于思維敏捷。

11. Zone Out

開小差

Let your mind wander. A string of studies suggests that zoning out, especially when you don’t consciously realize you’re doing it, allows the brain to work on important “big picture” thinking.

讓你的思緒開個小差。一系列研究表明，開小差可以讓大腦致力于重要的“大局”思考上，尤其是當(dāng)你沒有意識到你正如此的時候。

12. Drink Coffee

喝咖啡

And don’t just drink one cup: women who drank four cups of coffee a day were less likely to suffer depression than women who drank just one cup a week. Other studies have shown coffee to bolster short-term memory.

不要只喝一杯：每天喝四杯咖啡的女性比每天只喝一杯的女性患抑郁的可能性更小。其他研究表明，咖啡可以促進短期記憶。

13. Become an Expert

成為專家

Master one task you really enjoy and your brain will perform more efficiently when you do it. Chess whizz, for example, recognize patterns more quickly than amateurs. Expertise is not innate—practice, as the old saw goes, does make perfect.

精通一項你真正喜歡的工作，在你做這項工作的時候，你的大腦就會運轉(zhuǎn)得更高效。例如，象棋專家比業(yè)余愛好者更快地識別模式。專門的技術(shù)并不是與生俱來的，正如老話所說，熟能生巧。

14. Write Reviews Online

在網(wǎng)上寫評論

Anyone can be a critic on the Internet—and you should too. When you like or hate something, review it on Amazon, Yelp, whatever. Typing out your opinion will help you to better understand your own thinking.

任何人都可以在網(wǎng)絡(luò)上成為評論家，你也應(yīng)該可以。當(dāng)你喜歡或者厭惡某件東西時，在亞馬遜上對此評論，大叫，怎么都行。將你的意見用鍵盤打出來會幫你更好地了解你自己的想法。