Hey everyone! Hope all is well. This week we’re gonna discuss intellectual wellbeing and some ways you can enhance this area of your life. For an overview of each dimension of wellness, check out my post “The Dimensions of Wellness”. As we know, becoming the healthiest version of yourself requires a holistic approach. Health and wellness includes physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, social, and occupational wellbeing and by giving adequate attention to each domain, we can feel and be at our best.
What is intellectual wellbeing?
Today we’ll be discussing intellectual wellbeing. This dimension of health refers to the state of being engaged in stimulating mental activities that encourage cognitive growth and allow us to explore new ways of thinking. It involves lifelong learning, open-mindedness, curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and finding ways to challenge and stimulate your brain. This dimension of health is important for overall health as it improves social connections, enhances brain health, and promotes a sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Ways I like to take care of my intellectual wellbeing include reading, playing brain games, writing, researching, traveling, going to concerts and museums, scrapbooking, playing card games/board games, and listening to podcasts. These activities promote intellectual health because they involve problem-solving, creativity, critical thinking, open-mindedness, and continuous learning. These are just my favorite ways to enhance this area of my life, but there many different approaches we can take and things we can do to optimize the intellectual dimension of wellness.
If you’re looking to enhance this dimension of wellness, here are several ideas:
How can I improve my intellectual wellbeing?
1. Read a book about something you’re interested in:
Reading is so fun. One of my favorite hobbies. And the remarkable thing is that there are billions of lovely books in the world and we can all find a few we’re interested in. We all have things that pique our interest, so find a book about that topic to learn more about it. Or if you just love a good fictional storyline to get lost in, by all means, go for it. Reading is important for so many reasons. It keeps our minds open, allows us to learn, see different viewpoints and ways of life, can reduce stress, and is just an overall fun way to relax and use your mind at the same time. Some well-known benefits of reading include improved focus, memory, sleep, vocabulary, critical thinking, and writing skills; boosted productivity, creativity, and mood; prevention of cognitive decline; and enhanced emotional intelligence and empathy. So read a book, it’ll be good for you.
2. Do the New York Times games every day:
I mention time and time again my love for the New York Times mini-games. There’s a variety of games offered but I do the Wordle, the Mini, and Connections. It’s either a highlight or a low point of my day, depending on how well I do. But it’s just a little fun way to stretch your brain daily. And it’s kind of rewarding. Brain games such as those offered by the New York Times have many benefits such as improved working memory, cognitive function, focus, and concentration. So if you’re looking for ways to enhance your intellectual health, give these games a try.
3. Learn a new skill, hobby, or language:
Learning something new is always a great way to stretch your brain. Learning a new language, while daunting, is incredibly impressive. If that seems like a pain in the ass though, there are so many other skills and hobbies you can learn. What’s something you’ve always wanted to know how to do, but thought to yourself “I could never be that person” or “That’s just impossible”? I challenge you to a least try. Learn the basics, and give it a go. Neuroplasticity proves that our brains are adaptable and flexible. If it’s possible for someone, it’s possible for you. I always thought I’d never be a distance runner. That was for people with abs and minivans. The truth is though, it’s not. It’s for anyone who wants to do it and cares enough to try. And that’s the truth for most things. So, challenge yourself and learn a new skill, hobby, or language that has always piqued your interest. The benefits of learning something new include stress relief, enhanced cognitive function, personal growth, improved mental wellbeing, increased social connections, and greater time management and focus. Stretch yourself. See what you can do.
4. Painting, scrapbooking, coloring, making collages, drawing, pottery, and other creative hobbies:
Creative expression is a great way to strengthen and expand our brains. And the lovely thing about creativity is that there are no boundaries. There’s no right or wrong, creativity can take on many different forms to fit your needs and preferences. I used to tell myself I just wasn’t a creative person because I’m not good at most art-related things like drawing, pottery, and painting. I didn’t realize that creativity was more than that. That writing, decorating, scrapbooking, and even dressing myself for the day were forms of creative expression. So whatever creative hobby piques your interest, go all in. The benefits of practicing creative hobbies include stress and anxiety reduction, cognitive flexibility, enhanced self-expression, improved problem-solving and critical thinking, adaptability, innovation, and increased self-confidence. Whatever form of creativity makes you feel most like yourself, do it more often.
5. Puzzles:
I’m gonna give this suggestion, but I won’t lie. I fucking hate puzzles. I can’t imagine spending any of my free time on a damn puzzle. But, that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy it. Try doing a puzzle to improve intellectual wellbeing. It works your brain in a way that improves memory, concentration, cognitive function, reasoning, logical thought, mood, focus, motor skills, and productivity. Puzzles also are known to enhance problem-solving skills, increase attention to detail, reduce stress, and delay cognitive decline. If you’re a puzzle girl, good for you. If you don’t know if you’re a puzzle girl, might as well give it a try, the benefits could be worth it. And if you are gonna get a puzzle, order from Salem Mitchell. My favorite model of all time makes puzzles and it’d be awesome to support her!
6. Go to museums, concerts, musicals, or other art events:
I love a little appreciation of the arts here and there. I adore concerts and a little stroll through a museum never killed anyone. Any way we can admire and take in the arts of this world is worthwhile. There’s so much creativity, expression, passion, and love in art, music, and literature. The stories and expressions shared through these means are beautiful and inspiring. Take it all in. Let it challenge you and change the way you think. Let it make you feel something. This is a great habit to implement if you’re looking to optimize intellectual health and wellbeing because experiencing the arts increases confidence and self-expression, improves mood, reduces stress, improves memory and attention, and fosters appreciation of culture and history. Go experience the arts. But concert tickets. Walk around a museum. Go to a festival in your community. Just shit like that, ya know.
7. Travel:
I deem travel as an intellectual activity because you cannot travel someplace new without learning something about both yourself and the world around you. Travel fosters growth and perspective. Travel opens your worldview, challenges your beliefs, and exposes you to the experiences of others. It makes you think and provides an opportunity to reflect. If you have the means and the freedom, travel someplace new. Benefits of travel include improved mood and outlook, enhanced creativity, reduced stress, personal growth, improved communication skills, and a greater sense of gratitude. Where to next?
8. Have an engaging conversation about a topic you’re passionate about:
We learn so much from our peers and talking with others about your interests is not only a great way to build connection but to learn more in the process. Bounce your ideas off others. Listen to their ideas and give feedback. Unpack whatever topic you deem worthy and have a fucking blast doing it. Because it’s good for your intellectual wellbeing of course. These engaging conversations hold many benefits such as reduced risk of cognitive decline, increased confidence, improved cognitive abilities, boosted productivity, cultural understanding, stronger relationships, and enhanced empathy and understanding. So talk your talk girls.
9. Explore current events and form your own opinion about them:
Current events, so invigorating nowadays. Maybe defeating is a better word for it. The point is though, that staying up to date with current events can be a way to grow and strengthen intellectual wellbeing. Especially when you can think critically about them and form your own opinions based on your experiences and values as opposed to what everyone in your family thinks. The benefits of staying updated on current events include improved decision-making, enhanced understanding and critical thinking, increased self-awareness, and personal growth. Maybe I should take my own advice on this one. I never know what the hell’s going on. I don’t really fuck with the news like that.
10. Take an online class or attend a workshop about something you’re interested in:
This is a great way to expand our knowledge about any subject. There are endless classes and workshops offered for a multitude of disciplines, careers, skills, and hobbies. If you’re truly interested in something and want to learn more, this is a great way to do so. Benefits of taking classes and attending workshops include improved time management skills, increased confidence, career development, and self-discovery. It’s also an opportunity to learn from the best in a given field and build important skills that can be used in the real world. If you’re looking to learn more about a certain subject or interest, this is a great place to start.
11. Listen to a podcast:
This is one of my favorite hobbies of all time. Just walking and listening to a podcast. I learn so much. There are podcasts for every niche so whatever you’re interested in, you can find a podcast that’s relevant to you and your life. Podcasts are also kinda cool because they give you access to such a diverse array of topics, so if there’s something you want to learn more about, there are experts who share what they know through this platform. It’s a great tool to enhance your learning or just something to do to break the silence or kill your boredom. The benefits of listening to podcasts include reduced stress, language development, improved active listening, and enhanced communication skills. Podcasts have also been known to stimulate brain activity and foster empathy and compassion. As someone who loves health and wellness niche podcasts, these are some of my favorites: The Rebecca Leigh Podcast, The Genius Life, and Girls with Goals.
12. Expose yourself to difference:
We all need to hear and see ideas, cultures, beliefs, insights, and thoughts different from our own. We must challenge ourselves to stay open-minded to the values of others and the ways people choose to express themselves. We don’t always have to agree with others. I do think, however, that we at least need to hear others out. At least try to understand their viewpoint knowing everyone has different life experiences and therefore a different perspective of the world. When we close ourselves off to those who differ from us, we fail to grow and evolve. We fail to learn. And most of all, we fail to be compassionate. Exposing ourselves to difference offers many benefits such as a broader understanding of others, reduced bias, enhanced creativity and self-awareness, improved problem-solving and conflict resolution, and greater empathy. Lean into the differences between yourself and others. It’s the best way to learn.
13. Play a card game or a board game:
This is one of my favorite tips that I’m giving today. Playing games such as chess, Uno, war, checkers, and Clue is a great way to enhance your intellectual wellness. We all know games like chess require a lot of thought. And you also feel very intelligent and classy when you play it. Just another bonus. Other games also require strategy and thought such as Clue, Yahtzee, Uno, and Scrabble. Games such as these are also cool because you’re spending time with others while engaged in an activity that requires critical thought. But not so much thought that it’s a pain in the ass. So play a game or two with friends or family when you can. Benefits of this tip include enhanced creativity, improved mental health and problem-solving skills, decreased screen time, lower blood pressure, reduced stress, greater connection to family and friends, and improved cognitive function. Sounds good to me.
14. Engage in research:
Not the most exhilarating way to spend your time, but it’s not all bad. I think when we’re passionate about something and spend our time exploring that topic, it doesn’t necessarily feel like research, but it is. Research sounds so formal and scary, but the truth is, when we read articles and other content about our interests, you bet your ass we’re researching. It just sounds way more boss and cool than saying “surfing the internet” or “reading an article”. When we research we’re expanding and learning. Learning about the world and also more about ourselves and our interests. Benefits of research for intellectual wellbeing include knowledge acquisition, skill development, enhanced problem-solving and critical thinking, improved judgment, and intellectual growth. Live, laugh, love, research.
15. Write:
I love to write. Adds up considering I started a blog because I didn’t know what to do with all my post-grad free time. Whether it just be through journaling, creating stories, for school, or just for fun, writing is a great way to think critically and stretch your mind by putting words to how you feel. It’s also a great form of self-expression. Those who write music, novels, short stories, research articles, blog posts, letters, and whatever else, are expressing their thoughts, values, beliefs, experiences, and opinions all with written words. It’s a lovely thing, to be a writer. To express and share what you have to offer this world. I think we should all write more. Whether it be kept private in a journal, shared online, published, released as a song, or just shared with friends, we get a lot of benefits from it. For example, writing improves memory, mood, and wellbeing; enhances communication skills, self-awareness, and critical thinking; increases creativity; reduces stress; boosts confidence; and allows us to think more clearly. Plus it’s kinda boss.
Closing:
Alright, lovely ladies. That’s that. The rundown on all things intellectual wellbeing and how you can improve this area of your life. Hope these tips were helpful and at the very least, amusing. Catch you later.