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I just recently did a test that shows how high my IQ is. I got back 90-108. And it says that I have a short attention span!!! I need to develop better cognitive skills but don't know how! Especially with paying attention. Im notice it but its not bad ( not mental sickness bad) But I miss little things sometimes. And I'm kind of frustrated about it and want to become better at my weaknesses and overall raise my IQ.
I just recently did a test that shows how high my IQ is. I got back 90-108. And it says that I have a short attention span!!! I need to develop better cognitive skills but don't know how! Especially with paying attention. Im notice it but its not bad ( not mental sickness bad) But I miss little things sometimes. And I'm kind of frustrated about it and want to become better at my weaknesses and overall raise my IQ.
To increase IQ: go to graduate school. Or immerse yourself in some other type of intensive learning. Also: develop your memory. Memory is a significant part of IQ. Memorize poetry, study a foreign language--these are things that help develop your memory muscle.
For attention spen: take up meditation. Meditation is an exercise in maintaining focus on a single thing; this could be the breath, or it could be a visualization--your deity of choice, for example. (Buddha, Jesus, whoever) Or visualizing a serene scene, like a beach with all its sights, sounds, smells, or a sunny meadow. In order to calm the mind so that you can focus, and not get distracted by passing thoughts, first you do a few rounds of very deep, slow breathing, "pushing" the breath into your belly with your diaphragm. You should be able to slow your breath to two breaths per minute. Watch your breath in your mind's eye, coming in through your nose, down your windpipe, past your lungs (slo-o-wly) into your belly. Hold for 2 seconds, then in a slow, controlled fashion-- release, watching the breath pass back up and out of your nose or mouth. Push the last wisps of breath out, hold for 2 seconds, and repeat the process.
This will turn off your stress hormones, and will engage the parasympathetic nervous system, calming your body and mind so that you can concentrate. A good exercise for beginners is to simply sit and continue watching the breath for 10 minutes. If your mind wanders, simply bring it back to the breath. The more you practice this, the easier it will get, and the periods of serene focus on the breath will lengthen, with fewer interruptions from your thoughts. Be patient with yourself. It takes time.
That's a very effective way to increase your attention span. In a few months, you'll notice the difference in your everyday life. It's a discipline; it takes time to build it up, but with patience (don't try too hard, just do it without pressuring or judging yourself) you'll reap the rewards.
I think we all have more trouble paying attention today due to the constant interaction on social media. We have a harder time just sitting and concentrating on one particular thing because there are SO many things to distract us. I'd recommend taking a few minutes every day to really focus on something... notice all the details about it. Try to train your brain to not let any outside influences in while you're studying every detail. This can be the start of learning how to meditate.
Read books... start on the subjects that you're very interested in. Branch out from there into subjects you might have some interest in. It's never a bad idea to have more information, even if it's information that doesn't necessarily engross you. You never know when it might come in handy. Your brain is good at retaining information you never even realized you had stored.
Take the time to look over what you've written. You'll notice errors and then soon you'll be trained to detect them quickly. Being able to write and communicate correctly is a very good life skill. Find quizzes online. There are grammar and spelling quizzes and those help immensely. You'll start to look at the etymology of words. It requires patience and concentration to correctly spell words, so it will help with the problem of short attention span. I'm 48 and I still regularly test myself because I do not want to lose my spelling ability. I also read through the dictionary frequently. No matter how many words you already know, there are thousands more to learn.
Reading has always been the answer to raising IQ, in my opinion. You cannot go wrong with reading. Traveling and experiencing new cultures is also an excellent way to learn. Make sure you get enough sleep, eat a diet that has balanced nutrition, do something creative every day, ask people questions and really listen to their answers in an engaged way (it helps with focus,) and challenge yourself to do something that is out of your "comfort zone." You'd be surprised at how much you learn when you do something you didn't think you were able to do. Listen to comedians. It sounds silly, but really good comedians have to look at the world in a different way and in order to really make people laugh, they need to be creative and intelligent. You might start to see the world in a different light. You'll notice the absurdities that we all experience in life and it will encourage you to think creatively.
This was such a good question, I have to tell you. It made me think and consider the ways I can help myself with this, as well. I am lacking in knowledge about world history, to be honest, so I'm currently reading books about the British monarchs. I try to stick to just one subject for awhile so things start to *click*. I often engage my husband in conversation about this topic since he's very well-read. It helps me to memorize the names and dates because I find it easier to recall what was said in a conversation than what was written on the pages of the book quite often. The book helps me start the conversation, though, because you simply can't start a conversation if you don't know where to start a conversation! For years I refused to listen to audio books, don't ask me why. After having listened to a few, I realized it was a great learning tool, after all. Live and learn.
Good luck! You can do it. You've already started, actually, because you're asking the question about how to improve. Smart!
watch a lot of jeopardy .. stay away from the politics forum on this site .. i get dumber every time i open it ...
Watching Jeopardy won't help, if you don't know the history and other background info where they get their questions. Besides, a lot of it is just pop culture-related. What will help is studying diverse histories (actually learning and memorizing facts and important people's roles), civilizations, literature, etc.
Actually this isn't hard to do. Learning how to take tests better will help. It's learning how to game the system to make it more in your favor. One of my best tricks is to take the test fast and answer everything I just know right away while leaving the other questions blank. Then I go back and work on the questions I wasn't sure about.
Know and understand how the test is scored. If it's just correct answers that count, you should make sure every question is answered. Even if all you do at the end is mark all the unanswered questions 'B'. If you know how the test is scored, you can come up with a strategy that will help you. Developing some real test taking skills is worth the time and effort and the payoff is great.
Learn how to study. If you are using a textbook, the first thing you always do is go over the review questions at the end of the chapter. That tells you what you are supposed to learn from the chapter and what's likely to be on a test. Then you read the chapter while making sure you know the answers to those questions. Always look for ways to work smarter, not harder.
Read a book every week. For life. Whatever you want as long as it's a real book. And you have to look up the words you don't know! I have friends who are addicted to historical romance. UGH! But it's amazing how much history they know. Just read. Every day.
Get off the internet and READ. A lot. The internet literally melts your brain because people need to get to the punchline in 20 seconds or need gratification instantly. If you read a book, you have to follow all of the characters, follow a plot, and look up new vocabulary words all of the time. It takes a while, but it is like getting in shape physically, only this it is your brain. Once you make reading a habit, you'll see your ability to listen attentively, follow details, writing, and your ability to converse improve.
Take up a hobby like cooking or baking too and learning how to perfect a recipe. You don't realize how much it is like doing PhD science--it takes optimization, controlled experiments, etc. etc. Think about how many variables you can change to make the perfect loaf of bread. Keep a notebook with variables you've changed and record how they affect the final product. It would be literally like working in a lab.
I just recently did a test that shows how high my IQ is. I got back 90-108. And it says that I have a short attention span!!! I need to develop better cognitive skills but don't know how! Especially with paying attention. Im notice it but its not bad ( not mental sickness bad) But I miss little things sometimes. And I'm kind of frustrated about it and want to become better at my weaknesses and overall raise my IQ.
IQ tests do NOT test knowledge. They test the ability to think and reason... find patterns, figure out puzzles, etc.
How do you make anything stronger? You exercise it and practice doing what you want to get better at.
Learn stuff, do brain games, study logic, think. Try to figure stuff out on a regular basis rather than just looking up the answer. Think about cause and effect of everyday stuff.
IQ tests do NOT test knowledge. They test the ability to think and reason... find patterns, figure out puzzles, etc.
How do you make anything stronger? You exercise it and practice doing what you want to get better at.
Learn stuff, do brain games, study logic, think. Try to figure stuff out on a regular basis rather than just looking up the answer. Think about cause and effect of everyday stuff.
Very good points. And yes--thinking about how stuff works, asking questions about things, then puzzling out the answer yourself instead of looking it up; I've noticed how few people stop and think, and reason through things themselves, engaging analytical skills.
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For years I refused to listen to audio books, don't ask me why. After having listened to a few, I realized it was a great learning tool, after all. Live and learn. 
