Smarty Pants Brits Say You Can Significantly Increase Your Brainpower With A Few Exercises

I’m all for anything that will increase intelligence, especially mine. Maybe it is because I know some very smart people and constantly feel inferior about my intellectual shortcomings. For instance, math and I will never be friendly. I hated it when I was a kid and I still do. Counting out change? Forget it; I am completely incapable of that skill. My calculator is an indispensible tool for me when balancing my checkbook, figuring out tips and gas mileage.

I have always felt like there is so much knowledge in the world and I don’t have nearly enough of it. But now British researchers have come up specific brain exercises that can, if you work at them make you up to 40% more intelligent in just 7 days! And because I have several days off, I’m considering giving it a go.

Here is the list:

• Do a crossword or Sudoku puzzle (crossword I can do, Sudoku I’ve never understood- -it involves math, don’t you know!)
• Brush your teeth with the wrong hand (I have done this, and almost shoved my spinbrush into my sinuses!)
• Bike, walk or take a bus to work and vary your route (Not gonna happen)
• Go to a yoga, Pilates, or meditation class & talk to someone you don’t know (Perhaps I could just stop in at Breadsmith for some Peppercorn Swiss Bread and try an unfamiliar cookie instead)
• Take a shower with your eyes closed (I do this quite often and imagine I’m in a nice warm shower in a heated upstairs bathroom, instead of an open shower stall in an unfinished basement freezing my nibs off!)
• Memorize your shopping list (If I could do this I wouldn’t need a list in the first place!)
• Avoid caffeine and alcohol (And we’re done!)

Oh well, it was a thought and not a particularly intelligent one. Maybe I need to start over with a better attitude. Maybe I need another cup of coffee and a big glass of wine. Or- -maybe I’ll just accept my strengths, admit my shortcomings, and move on.