Scientific evidence shows that Man can enhance his ability to get things done, by learning new skills that task or stretch his mental, emotional and physical abilities.
By choosing the right hobby or pastime, you can actually enjoy yourself while enhancing your skills and expanding your mental, emotional and physical abilities. Such hobbies create new neural pathways that increase brain power, capacity and ability.
Here is a selection of easy and enjoyable hobbies that can make you faster, sharper and smarter in life and business.
1) Play a Musical Instrument
Learn to play a musical instrument such as guitar, piano, saxophone, etc. Playing a musical instrument impacts your creativity, analytic skills, fine-motor skills, and more. Playing a musical instrument creates new neural connections that strengthen your corpus callosum which links both the left and right hemispheres of the brain.
Improved corpus callosum supports executive skills such as improved memory, problem solving capabilities, and overall brain function irrespective of age.
2) Read for Leisure
The benefits of reading are much the same whether you are enjoying a newspaper, a magazine, a novel or a classic such as Things Fall Apart; or just about anything else you’re able to lay your hands upon. Leisure reading reduces stress, makes you feel better about yourself, and increases your emotional intelligence.
3) Regular Exercise
Irregular or once-in-a-while exercise will not give you the much desired benefits of planned regular exercise. Planned regular exercise is much more effective and beneficial than once in a while vigorous, strenuous and energetic work-outs. Regular exercise stimulates the flooding of the body cells with BDNF, a protein that enhances memory, learning, focus, concentration and your overall mental acuity and alertness.
4) Learn a New Language
Research shows that bilingual people do better at solving puzzles than those who speak only one language. Learning a new language helps your brain perform mentally demanding tasks better. These include typical executive skills like planning, budgeting and problem solving.
In addition to your mother tongue, master and speak any one or more of English, French and German languages. Apart from the well-known neural benefits to your brain, you also gain extra communication advantages that enlarge your personal, social and business relationships; as well as improve your curriculum vitae, if you are in the job market.
5) Keep a Journal
Harness the power of cumulative learning by keeping a handy pocket journal to capture noteworthy bits and pieces of ideas, information and knowledge you stumble upon every day. Your journal entries should include your takeaways from books you read, from meetings with people, and from business negotiations, among others. Keeping a pocket journal helps to integrate cumulative learning into your self-improvement drive, as well as your life and work experiences.
6) Play Simple Games
You can gently task and stimulate your brain by playing such easy games as Sudoku, Puzzles, Riddles, Draft, Card and Video Games, in your spare time. Such activities increase neuroplasticity. Regular engagement with such games improves your brain’s ability to reorganize itself.
Regardless of your busy schedules, you are encouraged to always find time to engage in some of these activities. They relax your mind and body, enhance your mental acuity; and improve your productivity.
Related: How to Get Fast Promotion, Power and Influence at Your Workplace!
Related: Boost Your Self-Confidence and Achieve More - 5 Simple Tips
Related: 5 Wealth Secrets That Made Bill Gates Very Rich and Successful
Related: 7 Money-Wise Nuggets to Boost Your Financial Health in 2023
Stay Smart, Wealthy and Wise!
