Intellectual wellness refers to active participation in scholastic, cultural, and community activities. It is important to gain and maintain intellectual wellness because it expands knowledge and skills in order to live a stimulating, successful life. In order to improve intellectual wellness, it is important to value creativity, curiosity, and lifelong learning.
Eight simple steps to increase your intellectual wellness
Read for fun.
It may be hard to do when you are spending most of your time doing required homework and readings, but try to find time during the morning, night, or weekend to sit down and read something for fun. Reading, especially something you enjoy, can improve your intellect by stretching your mind to think about things you normally don’t think about!
Debate an issue with a friend, but choose the viewpoint opposite the one you hold.
Sounds tricky, right? That’s the point! Focusing attention on information that is different than your beliefs can improve intellectual wellness. Naturally, we tend to only focus our attention on opinions, beliefs, and facts that hold true to our viewpoints. When you expose the mind to opposing ideas, it expands the mind to grasp new information.
Improve your skills for studying and learning.
Learning new things about the way your mind processes information can be a vital tool to helping you succeed.
Learn a foreign language.
Learning a foreign language can be beneficial to your intellectual health and your employment prospects. When learning different ways to communicate, your mind expands. This not only helps with being receptive to new knowledge, but also helps broaden information already learned.
Play a game.
Board games and cards are popularly known as leisure activities. These activities can also help with your intellectual wellness. The next time you have free time, pick up a deck of cards or pull out a board game and play! It makes no difference whether you are playing alone or you are playing with others. As long as your mind is thinking, improvements are being made.
Play a musical instrument.
Music has a powerful impact on our minds. Playing a musical instrument can increase intellectual wellness by learning how to create sounds, make patterns, and emote through music. Any instrument can work to increase intellectual wellness, so start today and take up a new hobby.
Write down your thoughts or journal frequently.
Taking the time to write down thoughts or journal frequently can help those who struggle with expressing their feelings or in general for anyone who is trying to make sense of what they are feeling inside. Being able to identify your feelings and understanding yourself more and your actions increase intellectual wellness by exposing your mind to deeper thinking.
Do crossword or sudoku puzzles.
Crosswords and Sudoku are leisure activities that have proved to increase intellectual wellness. Working through puzzles or finding words in patterns uses a great amount of brain power. Increasing your ability to work through these activities can maintain and build your intellectual wellness.
Campus and local intellectual wellness resources
- Come to Cherryberry from 6–9 p.m. Friday, April 11, for a performance by Dan Henig, for a chance to sing karaoke or perform spoken word, and to receive $2 off your frozen yogurt purchase.
- David Davis Mansion
- G Spot portable wellness gazebo
- Intellectual wellness board on Pinterest
- McLean County Museum of History
- Registered student organizations
- Prairie Aviation Museum
- University College support programs
- University College workshops
Join SEVEN
SEVEN is a free program from Health Promotion and Wellness for students, faculty, and staff that focuses on the importance of the seven dimensions of wellness: emotional, environment, intellectual, physical, social, spiritual, and vocational. SEVEN runs from September to the end of April, and you may join at any time. Log wellness activities to earn points toward monthly prize drawings. Participants also receive the SEVEN newsletter and information on campus wellness events.
