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The intellectual wellness aspect is the 3rd installment of the Personal Wellness Series.
Really Considering Your Remarkable Advantages Of Increasing Intellectual Wellness?
My question is “How do I achieve intellectual wellness?
Where do I fit on the scales of mental well-being?
Before conducting the research for this Personal Wellness project, I didn’t know that was a thing.
Intellectual wellness?
Where did this come from?
I thought I knew a more than I actually do, but look how vast knowledge is around almost any subject.
Actually, for the purpose of this writing, I often refer to knowledge as ‘actionable’ knowledge.
I will explain later.
Brain Power ….
According to Merriam-Webster, knowledge is – the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association.
Actually, knowledge moves us from day to day.
The response to each encounter is either based off a memory or learned as a new experience.
Therefore, we take something away from every interaction.
The difference that I see between ‘plain’ knowledge and ‘actionable’ knowledge is how the information is used.
For example, I read somewhere that dinosaurs roamed the earth once upon a time.
To me that is plain knowledge, since I am not an archaeologist and little to no use for the information.
I cannot unlearn the information, so I will store for when I watch the Jurassic Park movies.
However, in my view, the research for this writing is actionable knowledge.
The information provided will help us begin to develop skills to improve our intellectual wellness.
You see, that to me is actionable knowledge and no special are skills required.
With the right motivation, we can build on what we have. Eureka!
So let now let us go a little deeper into intellectual wellness.
Defining Intellectual Wellness
What is intellectual wellness? According to jflowers.com, intellectual wellness is “Recognizing creating abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills.”
Plain and simple, the more information you take in, you gain knowledge.
Consequently, the more you utilize the knowledge to develop skills, we are taking in and making use of actionable knowledge.
The more our intellectual wellness improves, the greater we can expand your knowledge base.
It has been proven through scientific studies, like at Johns Hopkins University, that physical and mental exercise support the growth of new neurons, while stress and depression can hinder the growth of new neurons.
Taking in information can come easy to some.
However depending on the topic, from time to time I have to read or study something a couple of times before I get it.
Although I am a life-long learner, I never realized how improving intellectual wellness worked.
There is hope for us yet!
Issues With Intellectual Wellness
Failing to stimulate our mind is considered a major reason that causes issues with intellectual wellness.
As apparent in an article by Helen Shen, not techniques work to stimulate the brain.
But that is more scientific stuff.
I do not think that any of us will be sticking some TENS unit leads to our temples in order to stimulate our minds.
Heck, that might sting a little!
We tend to glance over things without putting much thought into them.
At that rate, the information is nothing more than ‘plain’ knowledge.
Knowledge that is not being fully absorbed may not have a value at first contact.
A friend showed me how to drive his semi-rig, but I have no intentions of ever driving one of my own.
Therefore, I placed it in the “I will never use it” bin. Moreover, driving a semi-rig is knowledge that I now possess.
There are other issues prevent us from achieving intellectual wellness as well.
Trauma of any sort can present a problem for our achieving intellectual wellness.
The deeper the wound, the more help it will take to repair.
Financial stress can affect our intellectual wellness.
Money problems or the perception there of can influence our mental stability.
In some instances, the weight of that stress can break us if we are not careful.
Feeding into negativity is yet another concern for intellectual wellness.
Considering all the various sources available, we devour snippets of information daily.
The resources by which we are introduced facts, information, and thought relative to our beliefs all contribute to our mental wellness and stability.
There is always that one friend, co-worker, or family member that loves the dark side of the moon.
You know, the ones that make ‘good morning’ a bad thing.
Negative thoughts are downers and takes away more than they give.
Purpose for Improving Intellectual Wellness
Building self-esteem is a good reason to improve our intellectual wellness.
The more we cause those wheels to turn, the stronger we become mentally.
Globally, mental (intellectual) wellness is a 121 billion dollar industry on average.
There are varying remedies to improve intellectual wellness.
Being open-minded and receptive to information is key though.
In addition, the brain boosting industry generates approximately 34 billion dollars in revenue each year.
Ali Geary at Illinois State University published an article stating, “Intellectual wellness refers to active participation in scholastic, cultural, and community activities.”
We can increase our intellectual wellness through participation in things that interest to us first.
Then as we gain benefits from those activities, we begin to broaden our ability to take in more information.
Some of us will be driven to adsorb more and more knowledge as they progress.
As the knowledge base broadens, our intellectual wellness improves.
Astonishing, aye?
Time, commitment, and dedication are the least of what is required to get on the right track.
Nonetheless, we cannot be afraid to seek help if we find it difficult to jump start our journey.
Pride can be the beast that we almost always attach ourselves to; but, it is a beast that we can tame when given the right tools.
A number of publicized resources stated that just like we train our muscles for physical fitness, we can train our minds for intellectual fitness.
It is just that simple. Really? Really!
Let us take a quick look at some actionable techniques.
How Do We Improve Our Intellectual Wellness
Our mind are as vast as a galaxy (size is relative).
Although there are myths that say we only use a small percentage (10%) of that gray matter between those ears; in actuality, we can potentially use up to 100 percent throughout any given day!
Reading, board games, and socializing are but a few things that we can do to stimulate and expand our minds.
The more we enjoy the activity, the more open we become to growing our minds.
Essentially, the more we participate equals the more we stimulate on brains.
Okay people let us get those neurons to firing, because our futures depend on it.
Remember, diet, sleep, and exercise are important to the intellectual wellness equation as well.
Running around deficient can have us running around looking like ‘The Brain’ from pinky and the brain (image included).
The University of New Hampshire listed the following as some signs of Intellectual Wellness:
- Development of good study skills and time management
- Ability to challenge yourself to see all sides of an issue
- Becoming a critical thinker
- Development of your own ideas, views, and opinions
- Exposing yourself to new ideas, people, and beliefs that are different from your own
- Become aware of who you are and what you value
Hopefully, we will be well-rounded and matching appropriately.
Rounding It All Out
We have now come full circle on this matter of intellectual wellness.
After seeing definitions to intellectual wellness, we have discussed the good and bad of it. In addition, we took a look into improving our intellectual wellness.
We now know that keeping an active mind through active participation in scholastic, cultural, and community activities can vastly expand our knowledge base.
Thus improving our intellectual wellness.
Expanding our minds should be a priority; however, life in our individual circles of comfort may dictate otherwise.
We can find or ask for help from family, friend, and/or professionals.
Consequently, the only shame is refusing to do what it takes to get on a path that will secure our intellectual wellness.
We deserve to achieve greatness at whatever level we feel most comfortable.
Moreover, research often tells us that if we begin and maintain some type of regimen, we can continually improve our level of intellectual wellness.
We can actually start by committing to learn one new actionable word, fact, or skill per day.
Test the theory and achieve growth incrementally.
And I close out by saying, we need what we need!
If we keep our minds right, we can keep our bodies tight!
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Join me and let us make sense of it all! We can do it together.
If you have not done so already, please read the previous topics to benefit from the information.
Feel free to reach out in the space below. I welcome the opportunity to have a discussion with you.
