Year of Wellness: Finding Balance in Intellectual Wellness
10 Ways to Improve Your Intellectual Wellness Today
Want to hone in on a skill that slows cognitive decline, lowers stress, increases life satisfaction, and can even impact economic growth on a wider scale?1,2,3 Nurturing your intellectual wellness does just that. It also helps open you up to new ideas, increases your creativity, and encourages curiosity, further expanding your knowledge and aiding in relationship building. It feeds into all aspects of life, benefiting overall wellness. But what is intellectual wellness? How can you cultivate it? Let’s explore these questions, along with my top tips and product recommendations to help incorporate intellectual wellness into your daily life.
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What is Intellectual Wellness
Intellectual wellness encompasses a great deal. It is about being a lifelong learner and open to new ideas. It involves nurturing your creativity and curiosity, as well as staying up to date on current events. Intellectual wellness may look like reading or picking up a hobby. It is about keeping your mind active and engaged. But, what can we do to nurture our intellectual wellness?
Practical Tips for Enhancing Your Intellectual Wellness
1. Read Regularly
Reading is one of the most impactful ways to stimulate your mind. This is true regardless if you are reading fiction or non-fiction, a book or an article. It expands your knowledge and enhances your critical thinking skills. If you are looking for some suggestions on books to enhance your wellness, check my resource page which contains some recommendations on all aspects of wellness that I cover! If reading a physical book isn’t your thing, try an audiobook or even a podcast! (Psst! Don’t tell anyone but audiobooks are how I average over 100 books a year!)
2. Learn a New Skill
Learning new activities or hobbies challenges your brain and keeps it sharp. I try to have at least one of my goals every year to learn something new. I have learned skills to fix up my house, better myself in my career, explore my creative side, become a health coach, and more. You could learn a new language, play a musical instrument, or even master a new skill that you can monetize. The possibilities are truly endless!
One skill I am working on this year is this: blogging and building out my website. If blogging sounds like it could be an interest to you, check out this site, which has everything needed to get started and hone your skills from day one! I am currently working through the Start Blogging 101 Mastery Course, which has been the perfect step in continuing to perfect this skill!
3. Engage in more Thought-Provoking Conversations
Surround yourself with people who challenge your perspectives and stimulate your mind. Engaging in deep, meaningful conversations helps you see different viewpoints and expand your understanding. This can be with strangers, friends, or family.
Join a club or group in your local community that excites you (ie. Book Clubs, Running Groups, Young Professionals Organizations, etc). Go to events near you that encourage conversations (ie. themed meet-ups). Check out online clubs or organizations that facilitate these conversations in a healthy format. Get a deck of conversation cards to use with your friends, family, or coworkers. Check out this deck, which is a standard deck of playing cards with 5 questions on each card so it can be used to play cards and/or start conversations. And, for more related to fostering deeper connections, check out my post on social wellness!
4. Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Sitting in silence and/or stillness may not be what first comes to mind, but this tool is one of the best tools you can hone to better your intellectual wellness. To be able to absorb information, find what fuels our passions, think critically, and have thought-provoking conversations, you have to be in the present moment. Mindfulness and meditation help to train your brain to be more present. It also supports lower stress levels and better cognitive functioning4. These are essential to nurturing your intellectual wellness. If you aren’t sure where to start, check out a few of my recommendations for apps to help guide you!
5. Stay Curious
This one may seem obvious. However, for many of us, especially as we age, we become comfortable or complacent in what is. We don’t always ask the questions we used to as children. Continuing to nurture our curiosity helps us to stay in a growth mindset. This is what is needed to help us stay lifelong learners. See the graphic below to understand what a growth mindset looks like!
Recommended Products to Nurture Your Intellectual Wellness
1. Journal
Journaling is a great way to write down your thoughts and questions. It also allows your creativity to shine. If you are not sure what to write, try a guided journal.
This journal set is both fun and practical, incorporating sensory tools and aromatherapy. The interactive covers and embossed pages can double as fidget or sensory tools. The pen comes with four different essential oils for you to choose from, depending on the scent experience you are looking for.
This guided journal helps you focus on gratitude, your goals, and what you learned each day. Frequent reflection on these topics helps to encourage continual learning and a positive mindset.
2. Noise-Canceling Headphones
If you are anything like me, it can be difficult to focus at times. Noise-canceling headphones help reduce outside noise and help you focus and retain more. They are also great when you are meditating, listening to a podcast or audiobook, or just want to sit in some silence.
These are phenomenal for the price and what I currently use. I prefer them over my Pixel Buds! They’re waterproof, fit great, and have touch control. They also have amazing sound quality, noise canceling and transparency modes, and external noise reduction in the microphone. Tozo also carries a very high-rated over-the-ear version as well!
These over-the-ear headphones rank at the top of high-end brands for a good reason. They are noise-canceling, have amazing sound quality, and are durable. They come with a higher price tag, but if you are going for premium headphones, this is my choice.
3. Comfortable Workspace
Feeling comfortable is important, whether you are at your 9-5, catching up on some to-dos, trying to learn a new skill, or just wanting to relax with a book. I have two zones in my office: my desk corner and armchair corner. These offer me two areas to find comfort in an ergonomic way to get what I need to do done.
Try setting up a couple of areas of your home, even if small sections, dedicated to getting work done. I use a convertible sit/stand desk, ergonomic chair, and anti-fatigue mat for my desk setup. Below are a couple more items I use to create a perfect balance of focus and comfort! Along with the below items, try adding in plants, natural lighting, and adequate storage space to help your spaces feel light and fresh.
A monitor stand can help raise your screen to eye level to help with posture and focus. It can also allow for storage underneath. I am currently using these simple metal ones, but you can also find options in every size, shape, and color as well as mounts that give you more versatility.
When you do not want or are able to sit at a desk, a lap desk is a perfect alternative. I use this lap desk as it can be used at multiple angles and has storage, making it great for anything from journaling to drawing to using a laptop or tablet!
4. Games and Puzzles
Learning doesn’t have to be and shouldn’t be boring. Taking time to just have fun by playing also stimulates our brains. There are so many options out there. My favorites are strategy games. Check out a couple of my top suggestions!
I love Catan because you can build a different board every time you play. It also has so many extensions you can buy to change up the game and even increase the number of players that can play.
This is a fun game that combines luck and strategy. You have to think ahead quite a bit and plan possible paths for your opponents, making it a great game to keep your mind engaged.
This is also a game that has a different setup each time, making no two rounds the same. It is a quicker game and has simple rules, making it perfect when you are short on time or wanting something lighter that is still a strategy game!
Azul is another easy-to-learn game that requires strategy but doesn’t take a great deal of mental capacity to play. This makes it great for family or friend game nights!
5. Adaptogens and Nootropics
Along with activities that we do and products that we use, what we consume can help benefit our intellectual wellness! Making sure we eat nutrient-dense foods and are getting enough essential vitamins and minerals, like Omega-3s and B Vitamins, in our diet is beneficial for our intellectual wellness.
Additionally, adding adaptogens and nootropics can also be of support. They help with stress reduction, and improve memory and brain function, among other benefits.5,6 I incorporate these into my diet mainly through functional beverages and teas, but many of them do come in a variety of formats. Below are a few of my favorites. Check out a few more options in my article on alcohol alternatives!
Mushroom Coffee has grown in popularity with top brands including Mud Wtr, Dose, and Four Sigmatic. I have tried many of the options out there and have found benefits in all of them. Currently, I am using Four Sigmatic as it has a reasonable price point and so many options. I have linked the Think blend, but I also use Balance, Protect, Calm, and others for various benefits! They also have protein powders, as well as latte and tea mixes.
This tea blend is packed with multiple brain-boosting herbs and uses clean, organic ingredients. These blends can be used by anyone but were made with persons with autoimmune concerns in mind. Part of the proceeds also go to support autoimmune research organizations!
Conclusion
As we age, nurturing our intellectual wellness takes effort and curiosity. However, integrating these tips and recommendations into your routine makes that effort minimal. Learning is lifelong and should be full of enjoyment and fulfillment. What can you do to get started on that journey today? Looking for individualized support, reach out to me here.
- American Academy of Neurology (AAN). “Does being a bookworm boost your brainpower in old age?.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 July 2013. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/07/130704094454.htm>. ↩︎
- “Lifelong Learning: Types, Benefits, Examples.” Status.net, 6 May 2023, status.net/articles/lifelong-learning-types-benefits-impact-examples/. ↩︎
- Li, J., Xue, E., Wei, Y. et al. How popularising higher education affects economic growth and poverty alleviation: empirical evidence from 38 countries. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11, 520 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03013-5 ↩︎
- MD, Andrew E. Budson. “Can Mindfulness Change Your Brain?” Harvard Health, 13 May 2021, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-mindfulness-change-your-brain-202105132455. ↩︎
- Panossian, Alexander, and Georg Wikman. “Effects of Adaptogens on the Central Nervous System and the Molecular Mechanisms Associated with Their Stress—Protective Activity.” Pharmaceuticals, vol. 3, no. 1, 19 Jan. 2010, pp. 188–224, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3991026/, https://doi.org/10.3390/ph3010188. ↩︎
- Malík, Matěj, and Pavel Tlustoš. “Nootropics as Cognitive Enhancers: Types, Dosage and Side Effects of Smart Drugs.” Nutrients, vol. 14, no. 16, 1 Jan. 2022, p. 3367, www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/16/3367, https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163367. ↩︎
