6 Things ONLY Smart People Do Every Day

Have you ever wondered what makes smart people smart? Well, it basically comes down to both genetics and environmental factors. According to studies, genetic factors can account for 50% of the difference in intelligence among individuals (Medline Plus, 2020). The point I’m trying to make is that environmental factors are just as important as genetics, so it’s not like people are just born smart.

The effect that good genetics have is decreased if you don’t do things to develop your intelligence. On the other hand, even if you don’t have the best genetics, you can be very smart if you do things that promote effective brain development. As such, this article will be addressing some of the habits that smart people do every day with the hope that you decide to adopt some of these habits into your daily life and reap the rewards. And in the case that you already have these habits, then you can be sure that your brain is developing effectively.

They read a lot

Do you often read books or the newspaper? If your answer is yes, then you do one of the things that only smart people do every day. You probably know the importance of physically exercising to maintain your body in a good condition. Well, the same applies for your brain. Reading is known to be one of the best ways to exercise your brain. According to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, reading alters your brain tissue in a similar fashion than physical exercise promotes muscles tissue growth in your body (PsychFacts, 2021). So, if you are constantly exercising your brain by reading, then your brain will continue developing its functions, making you smarter and smarter as days go on.

They surround themselves with people they admire

Do you know which is one of the best ways to learn new skills and improve yourself? A lot of people might think of “practice” as the answer, and they are completely right. However, surrounding yourself with people who you admire is a great way to improve and set yourself for a better future. And of course, this is something that only smart people do.

It is a well-known that positivity attracts positivity, and the same can be said for negativity (Lillywhite, 2020). And this is very contagious in the sense that if you are surrounded by people who constantly have negative thoughts, you will also be caught up and have negative thoughts of your own. Being surrounded by people that you admire and coming to understand their mindset and approach to life will be extremely valuable for you.

They know how to take feedback

How do you react when someone gives you constructive feedback? Are you someone who takes this feedback calmly or do you feel angry when people tell you what you did wrong? Smart people are in a constant pursuit of evolving and improving to be the best version of themselves day after day. And what better way to improve by taking different perspectives into account? Yes, there are people who simply criticise what you do because of jealousy or because it does not fit their way of thinking.

But something that smart people know how to do is to turn feedback, no matter how harsh it is, into a chance to improve themselves. Of course, they also have the ability to distinguish between useless criticism and useful feedback (Jasrotia, 2018). So, if you feel like this is you, you should be proud of your ability to continually become better day after day. If not, it’s never too late to start developing this ability and start improving yourself through feedback from others.

They know when to disconnect

How often do you give yourself a break from society? This is actually more difficult than it sounds, especially with how busy daily routines are and the rise of social media. It’s not only about sitting down and closing your eyes for 30 minutes each day. Smart people know when they need to disconnect and give their minds a break from all the emails, social media platforms, or anything related to work.

They know how to stay grounded and in the present during their downtime, giving them more clarity and less stress (Della Casa, 2016). Of course, the way they do it might differ from each other, some people practice mindfulness, others rely on hobbies. You probably have your own way of giving your mind a much-needed break after a long day at work. And if you don’t, try to find an activity that works for you and make sure to give your brain a break from time to time.

They exercise regularly

Did you know that exercising has benefits beyond being physically healthy? Yes, exercising regularly has a huge impact on people’s levels of happiness, which is why this is something that smart people do every day. A research done by the National Institute of Health showed that 36 patients who suffered from chronic fatigue felt significantly less fatigue after 6 weeks of regularly exercising (PsychFacts, 2021). Additionally, exercising promotes the release of endorphins, which are responsible for suppressing chemicals that cause depression and anxiety. Not only will you be in a better physical condition after exercising regularly, but your energy levels and mood will also greatly improve.

They follow a well-planned schedule

Are you someone who likes to follow a schedule to go through your day? Smart people take the saying “Time is gold” to heart, and because of it, they rely on a schedule to properly manage their time rather than just doing things when they feel like doing them. Of course, there are a lot of people who are very productive and can efficiently manage their time without a schedule. The main point is that smart people properly manage their time and don’t like wasting even a single second. Following a schedule gives people the ability to properly take advantages of every moment they have (Jasrotia, 2018). It also allows them to properly plan breaks in between tasks as to not over-stress their minds and bodies.

To conclude this article, if you have one or more of the habits that were discussed in this article, then I would strongly agree that you are a smart person. These habits will allow your brain to develop as much as it possibly can and improve yourself continuously day after day. For those of you who have not adopted these habits into your schedules yet, I would suggest you give them a try and see how you feel after a period of time.

References

Della Casa, B. (2016). 10 Daily Habits Of Successful, Intelligent People. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/successful-people-habits_b_8247338

Jasrotia, A. (2018). 7 things most Smart people do every day. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://bookjelly.com/7-things-most-smart-people-do-every-day/

Lillywhite, M. (2020). 3 Daily Habits Of Extremely Intelligent People. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://mattincanada.medium.com/3-daily-habits-of-extremely-intelligent-people-dd4f52a35281

Medline Plus. (2020). Is intelligence determined by genetics?. Retrieved 11 March 2021, from https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/intelligence/#:~:text=Like%20most%20aspects%20of%20human,both%20genetic%20and%20environmental%20factors.&text=These%20studies%20suggest%20that%20genetic,difference%20in%20intelligence%20among%20individuals.

PsychFacts. (2021). 10 Habits of Smart People Do Every Day [Video]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDoKgFtfOR4