Tiny White Lies

6 Everyday Habits That Destroy Your Intelligence

Your intelligence is defined as the “mental quality that consists of the abilities to learn from experience, adapt to new situations, understand and handle abstract concepts, and use knowledge to manipulate one’s environment.” In other words, it is your intelligence that prepares you to adequately face the world that we live in, empowering you to succeed in a variety of situations.

Americans understand the importance of building our intelligence, recognizing that our overall psychological and mental well-being is incredibly important. Phone applications such as Lumosity, Happify and ReliefLink allow us to actively focus on improving our overall health by boosting our mental capacity and staying sharp from the comfort of our own home.

Watch for these 6 everyday habits that may be killing your intelligence:

Relying on Google

There once was a time that in order to be seen as a knowledgeable expert in a field one had to dedicate the time, effort and energy required in order to learn all the information involved in their industry. Today, with the rise of Google, many Americans believe that they can specialize in anything with the click of a button.

Lack of Sleep

We are often told that in order to stay happy and healthy we need to ensure that we are getting a good night’s sleep, but are you really aware of how important that time of rest is on your mental capacity? A study outlined in the book ‘NutureShock: New Thinking About Children’ reveals that missing out on even one hour of sleep each night can result in the equivalent loss of mental cognition that would take two years of mental development to acquire.

Multitasking

Studies completed by researchers out of Stanford University concluded that the act of multitasking can hinder your overall mental capacity, making you less productive than you would be if you had been focusing on doing just one thing at a time. This is particularly important in a society where we are constantly bombarded with electronic information forcing us to multitask on a regular basis.

Forcing Socialization

Often, we think of introverted individuals and those who choose not to be highly social as being lonely, upset or depressed, however, a number of studies have discovered that those who are highly intelligent are often less social than they average peers. In fact, socialization may even have a negative impact on the overall happiness and well-being of intelligent people. If it feels right, embrace your relationships, however, don’t forget yourself into social situations because you feel as though you must.

Drinking

We live in a society that encourages drinking, incorporating it into nearly every holiday and social setting, however, all of this drinking may actually be causing dangerous, negative effects on your overall mental well-being. Alcohol abuse has been associated with impaired memory, slow reaction times and impaired judgment.

Poor Nutrition

The food that we eat is the fuel allowing our body to function. Our brains are a large muscle, and like any other muscle in the body, they too require proper nutrition to function at an optimal level. In order to ensure that our brains continue to function at an optimal level, we need to take the time to pay careful attention to our diets, ensuring that we are getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals.