BREAKOUT: Intellectual Stimulation
Human beings have to walk a fine balance between relaxation and arousal. While many ailments we suffer from are linked to heightened stress and an inability to re-center ourselves, most people would find that a complete lack of stimulation would lead to a different kind of stress.
Intellectual stimulation is an important part of our overall well-being. It’s well-documented that intellectual stimulation is an important motivator in the classroom, particularly for children. (1) As we age, there’s some evidence that we are more satisfied when we’re performing tasks that are more intellectually demanding. (2) Among other things, keeping our brains active will help us recognize patterns and solve novel problems as they arise.
Here are some ways to start bringing intellectual stimulation into your life:
Next: Generosity (A Pillar of Joy)
Intellectual stimulation is an important part of our overall well-being. It’s well-documented that intellectual stimulation is an important motivator in the classroom, particularly for children. (1) As we age, there’s some evidence that we are more satisfied when we’re performing tasks that are more intellectually demanding. (2) Among other things, keeping our brains active will help us recognize patterns and solve novel problems as they arise.
Here are some ways to start bringing intellectual stimulation into your life:
- Read a book (ebooks count!)
- Follow the news to stay up on current events
- Learn a new skill, whether it’s cooking a new cuisine or memorizing all of the countries on another continent
- Brush up on an old one (crack open your high school biology or algebra book and see if it makes sense now)
- Take a course, in-person or online
- Learn a language (try Duolingo)
- Watch a movie (maybe one in another language!)
- Volunteer
- Complete a puzzle
- Play crosswords or sudoku
- Play a game (many classics like chess and newer ones like Catan encourage strategic thinking)
Next: Generosity (A Pillar of Joy)