How to Increase Your IQ

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While IQ has genetic components, habits like sleep, nutrition, practice, and consistent learning can improve cognitive performance.

Try puzzles, logic problems, memory games, and regular reading to sharpen thinking skills.

Foundations: Sleep, Nutrition, Movement

  • Sleep 7–9 hours: Consolidates memory and supports attention.
  • Nutrition: Emphasize whole foods, hydration, omega‑3s; avoid heavy sugar before testing.
  • Exercise: Aerobic and strength training correlate with better executive function.

Practice That Actually Helps

Training is most effective when it matches the tasks you want to improve. Mix short, focused sessions (10–20 minutes) with breaks.

  • Pattern drills: Letter/shape sequences and analogies
  • Logic puzzles: Syllogisms, conditionals, odd‑one‑out
  • Working memory: Digit span, chunking, N‑back practice
  • Reasoning: Word analogies, ordering problems, calendar math

Learning Strategies (High ROI)

  • Spaced repetition: Revisit material at expanding intervals.
  • Interleaving: Rotate problem types to force flexible thinking.
  • Elaboration: Explain answers in your own words to deepen understanding.
  • Deliberate practice: Target weaknesses; track errors and fix patterns.

30‑Day Cognitive Tune‑Up (Example)

  1. Days 1–7: 15 minutes of pattern sequences + 10 minutes logic drills
  2. Days 8–14: Add 10 minutes working‑memory (digit spans or N‑back)
  3. Days 15–21: Mixed sets at slightly higher difficulty
  4. Days 22–30: Timed mixed sets; emphasize review of mistakes

Keep sessions short, focused, and consistent. Quality beats quantity.

Memory Techniques You Can Use Today

  • Chunking: Group items into meaningful clusters (e.g., 149‑284‑5261).
  • Mnemonic images: Turn abstract items into vivid visuals.
  • Method of loci: Place items along a familiar route in your mind.
  • Active recall: Close the book and reconstruct from memory.

Mindset and Habits

Performance rises with focused effort and recovery. Set realistic goals, track practice, and celebrate steady gains.

  • Reduce multitasking during practice
  • Use a timer to keep sessions short and sharp
  • Review errors weekly to spot recurring blind spots