There is a stereotype that intellectual activities are boring and uninteresting. However, only those people who have never tried anything other than reading textbooks are convinced of this. In fact, intellectual activities can also be entertaining. Today we will dispel myths and tell you about such activities.

Training neural connections with your non-dominant hand

There are plenty of brain training exercises that are fun and help create new neural pathways, such as training your non-dominant hand. First, neuroscientists recommend using your opposite hand when performing simple tasks like operating a computer mouse, eating, or writing by hand. This activity strengthens existing neural connections and encourages the growth of new ones. And you’ll definitely have a good laugh along the way, since your first attempts will be clumsy.

Detective board games that will get your brain working

Incredibly exciting and at the same time useful for the head – board games, especially detective ones, where you need to turn on critical thinking and logic. Tangled stories will definitely not let you fall asleep, sometimes even literally. It is impossible to tear yourself away from such games, even if the clock is already the middle of the night. For example, Cluedo is a classic board game for 3-6 people, where players try to solve the mystery of the crime, collecting individual indexes of the killer, the scene of the action and the murder weapon. Each turn, players move around the board, asking questions to each other to collect information and get suspects, assistants and wills in order to find answers to the main question – who, how and where killed Mr. Body.

Intellectual and entertaining games in bars

Many bars across the country regularly host the intellectual and entertaining games “ Quiz, please! ” , where participants form teams and compete for the title of the smartest company. Players must quickly and correctly answer questions to earn points and win prizes. This format helps train the brain and have fun at the same time. It is also useful for improving memory, concentration, logical skills and reaction time. And what kind of boredom can we talk about if you are sitting with a glass of something strong in the company of close friends?

Ted Talks for general education topics and Coursera to dig deeper

If you sometimes find yourself wishing you had paid attention in biology or math class, here’s your chance to catch up. Use those “boredom” hours to make up for the knowledge you missed in school. Or maybe you didn’t miss it — you just didn’t have the chance to learn more about climate change, breathing exercises, astrophysics, or art history. Watching podcasts and educational videos is similar to wasting time on funny cat videos, but it’s much more rewarding. For example, Ted Talks can be a fantastic source of knowledge. The videos are short, insightful, and motivating, and Ted speakers are usually funny and interesting. If you’re looking for something more serious, check out Coursera, where you can find everything from neurolinguistics to astrophysics at an advanced level.

Role-playing language games according to the method of Maximilian Berlitz

Learning a new language is probably one of the best ways to get rid of boredom and train your brain. An interesting method is total immersion – this method was proposed by linguist and teacher Maximilian Berlitz. The point of this method is to “ get used to ” the role of a foreigner speaking the language being studied. Usually, this approach does not use prompts, translators and textbooks, you can even come up with a new name and biography. This is a certain type of role-playing game that has proven effectiveness. In addition, in addition to a foreign language, the student gets an excellent opportunity to develop their social and theatrical skills.