There are many reasons you might wish you were a little smarter. Perhaps you often feel left behind in intellectual conversations at work or amongst friends? Maybe you’re looking to develop your knowledge and expertise to further your career? Or perhaps you want to broaden your horizons and learn a little more about the world? 

Whatever your goals, there are plenty of ways to sharpen your mind and expand your knowledge to ensure you’re better prepared for your next job interview or dinner party conversation. Read on for the big reveal! 

1. Start studying 

Studying can feel like a huge commitment, but it doesn’t have to be a full-time endeavor. 

Learning new things doesn’t have to lead to a qualification, but the structured study is a great way to fit a little extra education into your free time. 

Teachers To Your Home offer tutors for all ages and support adult learning for a variety of subjects, including foreign languages. 

An additional language is a highly useful and impressive skill that can yield better career opportunities – bilinguists not only in the job market but statistically are higher earners too. 

2. Switch up your entertainment 

There is nothing wrong with doing things you enjoy, like playing video games or watching TV. But most would agree they’re not always the most enriching activities. 

That being said, you don’t have to set aside evenings to dig into heavy tomes and classical music.

Try using your morning commute to spend a little time with a book, or tune in your headphones to an educative podcast. Alternatively, download a quality news app to keep you up-to-date without any distractions – services like Apple News are useful for this. 

Remember that these activities don’t mean you should abandon the things you enjoy – you should always choose what interests you. But remember that scrolling mindlessly through your social media probably isn’t making you much wiser.  

3. Seek enriching experiences

Visiting new places can teach you so much, and you don’t necessarily have to travel to discover new and inspiring things. 

Art galleries and museums are ideal learning opportunities that make for the perfect day trip. Whether you’re visiting a monument to local history or a special exhibition, these places can teach you more about existing interests and help you to discover new avenues of exploration. 

Wherever you go, learning to explore the area a little more can reveal all kinds of fascinating hidden gems that most people miss out on. 

If these kinds of experiences aren’t available to you right now due to local lockdowns, start by making a list of places you’d like to visit when it’s safe.

These tips might not turn you into Einstein, but they will stimulate your brain and open your mind!