For those of you looking to up your creativity and productivity as you make yourself smarter, then this list of brain-improving activities and ideas is for you. In fact, some of you might have already tried one or two of these activities, but hopefully some others will surprise you. And, of course, I'd love it if you could leave your own ideas after the article, in case I missed any other good ones.
对于那些想要提升自己创造力和效率，让自己变更聪明的小伙伴，以下的小方法能帮你提高智力，令你想法涌现。事实上，有的人也许已经尝试过下面的一两种方法，不过希望其他的方法也能给你带来意想不到的结果。当然了，如果在读完这篇文章后你能留下你自己的想法就更好了，以防这里漏掉了其他好方法。

10.Learn a Foreign Language
10.学习一门外语

Language acquisition is a very complex process, one that we most often go through as babies and young children when our brains are still developing. A way to again create a similar development in our brains is to try to learn a new language when we are adults. Doing so will give us a complicated task that will train our minds in new ways, while also reinforcing our own understanding of our native tongue. It essentially sharpens our brains and helps us withstand memory problems as we age.
外语学习是个非常复杂的过程，这个过程从我们出生贯穿到长大，期间我们的大脑在不断发育。学习一门外语能使成年人重新启动类似的大脑发育过程。这种情况下所带来的复杂任务，不仅能用新方法来锻炼我们的思维，同时还加强了我们对母语的理解。学习一门外语能让我们思维更敏锐，还能帮我们应对随年龄增长而出现的记忆问题。

9.Create a Reading List
9.列一个阅读清单

Reading lists give us a way to target our learning by helping us to focus on the kinds of information that we consume. We can create reading lists by subject area, by region or culture, and by time period in human history. Any sort of focused reading will allow us to delve into concepts to help us have a much better understanding, which helps our brain focus on complex tasks.
阅读清单能为我们定下学习目标，帮我们集中注意力在吸收的信息上。阅读清单可以分主题、宗教或文化以及人类历史的不同时期等几个方面。任何一种专注阅读都能使我们深入理解，锻炼我们的理解力，也能让大脑集中精力在复杂的工作上。

8.Appreciate Culture
8.领略文化的美

Another way to make yourself smart is to broaden your understanding of culture, such as the fine arts. Watch movies, visit art galleries, listen to music; cover your own culture or another culture. This kind of appreciation for culture can expand your mind in ways that you don't often do, most likely, at your job. Understanding the arts will help you understand how and why society's sometimes act the way they do. Plus you'll be able to have great conversations at parties.
另一种让你更聪明的方法是加深你对文化的理解，比如从艺术品入手。观看电影，参观画廊，听听音乐；把自己的文化融入另一种文化中。这种对文化的了解能拓展你的思维，而这种拓展是你在工作中得不到的。欣赏艺术能帮你理解一个社会是如何形成及其原因。而且这还能让你在聚会上找到和别人聊天的话题。

7.Get Enough Sleep
7.保证充足睡眠

Have you ever tried to drive when you've had a bad night's sleep? Scary, right? Well, think of how not getting enough sleep can also affect your mind's activity. Sleeping at night gives our brain cells rest so that they can recharge and clear our heads. Research, such as that in this article, shows that sleep will actually increase your brain's ability to function, thus making you smarter and able to process new concepts.
你有试过在经过一夜难眠之后开车吗？很恐怖，对吧？那么你就知道睡眠不足也会影响大脑的活动了。晚上睡觉会放松脑细胞，使它们恢复活力，让你更加清醒。像本文中这样的研究显示，睡眠实际上会增加大脑运转的能力，这样就会令你更聪明，更高效地理解新知识。

6.Eat and Drink Healthy
6.注意饮食健康

Eating and drinking healthy gives your body the nourishment it needs to keep your brain in top shape. Furthermore, certain kinds of nutrients can actually increase your neurons ability to function faster and more efficiently. For example, this article reports that food rich in magnesium can prevent migraines and food rich in vitamin B12 can prevent loss of brain function in the elderly.
饮食健康能给予你所需的营养，让你的大脑保持最佳状态。还有，一些营养成分能让你的神经元反应更快更高效。比如，富含镁的食物能预防偏头痛，富含维他命B12的食物能预防老年人脑功能丧失。

翻译：汤文博 来源：前十网